I have never thought, for my part, that man's freedom consists in his being able to do whatever he wills, but that he should not, by any human power, be forced to do what is against his will.

About This Quote

Throughout history, people have fought for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly. Of course, the issue isn't really with the freedom itself. The issue is with controlling people's thoughts and actions. For example, many religions are very good at teaching their followers about right and wrong.

When that teaching conflicts with someone else's beliefs, you can bet that person will try to regulate what goes on in his or her mind. And the same goes for the state and its laws. When laws conflict with someone else's morals or values, that person has no choice but to challenge those laws.

And it doesn't matter if that person is a leader or a follower; he or she will always be challenging someone else's power over the mind and body. Freedom of speech is something we all should appreciate and cherish. It allows us to express our thoughts and ideas without fear of retaliation from other people.

The ability to think freely does not mean we do whatever we want and get away with it—it means we can challenge the government and other institutions when we feel they're doing something wrong.

Source: Reveries Of The Solitary Walker

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More Quotes By JeanJacques Rousseau

1. Or, rather, let us be more simple and less vain.

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2. Every person has a right to risk their own life for the preservation of it.

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