One of the qualities of liberty is that, as long as it is being striven after, it goes on expanding. Therefore, the man who stands in the midst of the struggle and says, 'I have it,' merely shows by doing so that he has just lost it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Liberty expands when pursued; claiming it already exists shows you have lost it.
- In plain terms
- Freedom grows through struggle; claiming it is stagnant.
- What can you take from it?
- Keep fighting for liberty, don't become complacent.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is it appropriate to pause the fight for freedom?
- How can we measure true liberty?
Another view
Not all struggles lead to genuine expansion; sometimes pause is needed.
More from Henrik Ibsen
It is inexcuseable for scientists to torture animals; let them make their experiments on journalists and politicians.
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Permalink to quote #41 I hold that man is in the right who is most closely in league with the future.
Permalink to quote #38
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