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If 'freedom' means, first of all, the responsibility of every individual for the rational determination of his own personal, professional and social existence, then there is no greater fear than that of the establishment of general freedom. Without a thoroughgoing solution of this problem there never will be a peace lasting longer than one or two generations. To solve this problem on a social scale, it will take more thinking, more honesty and decency, more conscientiousness, more economic, social and educational changes in social mass living than all the efforts made in previous and future wars and post-war reconstruction programs taken together.

Wilhelm Reich#29

PoliticsPhilosophySocietyFreedomResponsibilityEducationPeaceSocial change

About this quote

What does it mean?
Freedom means individuals must take responsibility for rationally shaping their own lives, and the fear of widespread freedom is greater than the fear of oppression.
In plain terms
True freedom requires personal responsibility and can be frightening when it spreads.
What can you take from it?
Achieving lasting peace needs deep social change and personal accountability.

Where it applies

  • political reform
  • education initiatives
  • community building

Putting it to work

  • promote critical thinking
  • encourage civic responsibility
  • reform education systems

Questions to consider

  • What responsibilities come with personal freedom?
  • How can societies balance individual autonomy with collective peace?

Another view

It assumes people will act rationally when given freedom, which may not hold true.

More from Wilhelm Reich

  1. Only a work democracy can create the foundation of genuine freedom. Long experience in sociological disputes leads me to expect that a great many people will t…

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  2. In the course of thousands of years of mechanical development, the mechanistic concept, from generation to generation, has anchored itself deeply in man's biol…

    Permalink to quote #30
  3. Work-democracy adds a decisive piece of knowledge to the scope of ideas related to freedom. The masses of people who work and bear the burden of social existen…

    Permalink to quote #27

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