Quotes About Freedom

Disobedience- that is the nobility of slaves.

State is the name of the coldest of all cold monsters. Coldly it lies; and this lie slips from its mouth: 'I, the state, am the people.

Indeed, at hearing the news that 'the old god is dead', we philosophers and 'free spirits' feel illuminated by a new dawn; our heart overflows with gratitude, amazement, forebodings, expectation - finally the horizon seems clear again, even if not bright; finally our ships may set out again, set out to face any danger; every daring of the lover of knowledge is allowed again; the sea, our sea, lies open again; maybe there has never been such an 'open sea'.

I am a disciple of the philosopher Dionysus, and I would prefer to be even a satyr than a saint.

Here the spirit becomes a lion who would conquer his freedom and be master… Who is the great dragon whom the spirit will no longer call lord and go? 'Thou shalt' is the name of the great dragon. But the spirit of the lion says, 'I will.

Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy, where he is FREE from the crowd, the many, the majority-- where he may forget men who are the rule, as their exception;-- exclusive only of the case in which he is pushed straight to such men by a still stronger instinct, as a discerner in the great and exceptional sense.

There is a false saying, 'Whoever cannot save himself - how can he save others?' But if I have the key to your chains, why should your and my lock be the same.

One should not go into churches if one wishes to breathe pure air.

All modern philosophizing is political, policed by governments, churches, academics, custom, fashion, and human cowardice, all of which limit it to a fake learnedness.

I would prefer to be a satyr rather than a saint.

Tethered heart, free spirit.--If one tethers one's heart severely and imprisons it, one can give one's spirit many liberties.

We have forsaken the land and gone to sea! We have destroyed the bridge behind us – more so, we have demolished the land behind us! Now, little ship, look out! Beside you is the ocean; it is true, it does not always roar, and at times it lies there like silk and gold and dreams of goodness. But there will be hours when you realize that it is infinite and that there is nothing more awesome than infinity.

We like to be out in nature so much because it has no opinion about us.

Man muß noch Kaos in sich haben um einen tanzenden Stern gebären zu können

Democracy and free speech are not facets of one gem; democracy and free speech are eternal enemies.

Free, dost thou call thyself? Thy ruling thought would I hear of, and not that thou hast escaped from a yoke. Art thou one ENTITLED to escape from a yoke? Many a one hath cast away his final worth when he hath cast away his servitude. Free from what? What doth that matter to Zarathustra! Clearly, however, shall thine eye show unto me: free FOR WHAT?

Men have hitherto treated women like birds which have strayed down to them from the heights; as something more delicate, more fragile, more savage, stranger, sweeter, soulful – but as something which has to be caged up so that it shall not fly away.

When the Christian crusaders in the Orient came across that invincible order of Assassins – that order of free spirits par excellence whose lowest order received, through some channel or other, a hint about that symbol and spell reserved for the uppermost echelons alone, as their secret: nothing is true, everything is permitted. Now that was freedom of the spirit, with that, belief in truth itself was renounced.

Every smallest step in the field of free thinking, and of the personally formed life, has ever been fought for at the cost of spiritual and physical tortures . . . change has required its innumerable martyrs. . . . Nothing has been bought more dearly than that little bit of human reason and sense of freedom that is now the basis of our pride.

This - is now my way: where is yours?' Thus I answered those who asked me 'the way'. For the way - does not exist!

To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.

I learned to walk; since then I have let myself run. I learned to fly; since then I do not need pushing in order to move from a spot.

We are so fond of being out in Nature because it has no opinions of us.

Broad daylight; breakfast; return of cheerfulness and bons sens; Plato blushes for shame; all free spirits run riot.)