Quotes About Independence

I say there is not more happiness for me than the freedom of my Homeland.

It would be a little late in deciding now that we would not live our lives by the whimsical wisdoms of futuretellers, don't you think? [Chapter 33, page 386]

You are a gypsy, so you think it is only the freedom to move from place to place. Real freedom is a thing no one can take from you, because it is of the spirit. I keep it here. He tapped his head. [ Chapter 9, page 87]

Let every fox take care of his own tail.

One should be light like a bird and not like a feather.

Renouncing things is less difficult than people believe: it's all a matter of getting started. Once you've succeeded in dispensing with something you thought essential, you realize you can also do without something else, then without many other things.

Something must always remain that eludes us ... For power to have an object on which it can be exercised, a space in which to stretch out its arms ... As long as I know there exists in the world someone who does tricks only for the love of the trick, as long as I know there is a woman who loves reading for reading's sake, I can convince myself that the world continues ... And every evening I, too, abandon myself to reading, like that distant unknown woman ....

One gets used to persisting in one's habits, to finding oneself isolated for good reasons, to putting up with the discomfort that this causes, to finding the right way to hold on to positions which are not shared by the majority.

Cosimo stretched out his arms. 'I came up here before you, my lords, and here I will stay afterwards too!' -'You want to withdraw!' cried El Conde. -'No, to resist,' replied the Baron.

Para guardar sus libros, Cosimo construyo en varias ecuaciones una especie de bibliotecas colgantes, defendidas de la mejor manera posible de la lluvia y de los roedores, pero las cambiaba continuamente de sitio, según los estudios y los gustos del momento, porque consideraba los libros un poco como los pájaros y no quería verlos quietos o enjaulados, decía que se entristecían.

But in essence they had both remained in the era of the Wars of Succession, she with artillery in her head, he with genealogical trees; she who dreamed for us children a rank in an army, it didn't matter which, he who saw us instead married to some grand duchess elector of the empire . . . Despite all this, they were excellent parents, but so distracted that the two of us were left to grow up almost on our own.

La forza dell'eremita si misura non tanto da quanto lontano è andato a stare, ma dalla poca distanza che gli basta per staccarsi dalla città, senza mai perderla di vista

This machine, the wheelchair, I can go all over the place, but you need a place without stairs to get in.

I went to an airport and asked for a wheelchair. There were three of us in wheelchairs and only two porters, so the guy took two of us at the same time. I cannot tell you how humiliating that is.

Gram is . . . is herself again, I'll have

I believe a desirable future depends on our deliberately choosing a life of action over a life of consumption, on our engendering a lifestyle which will enable us to be spontaneous, independant, yet related to each other, rather than maintaining a lifestyle which only allows us to produce and consume.

P8- mere existence of school discourages and disables the poor from taking control of their own learning.

Only free men can change their minds and be surprised; and while no men are completely free, some are freer than others.

School prepares people for the alienating institutionalization of life, by teaching the necessity of being taught. Once this lesson is learned, people loose their incentive to develop independently; they no longer find it attractive to relate to each other, and the surprises that life offers when it is not predetermined by institutional definition are closed.

A second major illusion on which the school system rests is that most learning is the result of teaching. Teaching, it is true, may contribute to certain kinds of learning under certain circumstances. But most people acquire most of their knowledge outside school, and in school only insofar as school, in a few rich countries, has become their place of confinement during an increasing part of their lives.

Tennis is not like other sports where the coach is hired by an independent entity, and that makes a huge difference in the dynamic.

The courage not to believe in anything.

A nihilist is a man who does not bow to any authorities, who does not take any principle on trust, no matter with what respect that principle is surrounded.

You don't get to tell people how to love you; you get to choose if you want to participate in the way they love.