Daniel Dennett Quotes

A philosophy of freedom must set out from the experience of thinking, for it is through this experience of thinking that a human being discovers his own self, finds his bearings as an independent personality.

Your life is the sum result of all the choices you make, both consciously and unconsciously. If you can control the process of choosing, you can take control of all aspects of your life. You can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of yourself.

Obedience is detachment from the self. This is the most radical detachment of all. But what is the self? The self is the principle of reason and responsibility in us. It is the root of freedom, it is what makes us men.

Freedom begins as we become conscious of it.

I have the freedom to take chances, to say no. I have the freedom to be who I really want to be, rather than have to conform to this or that just to stay alive.

It's important for me to be free and know I'm acting for myself. I do things because I want to, and that's important. You want to be your own person.

When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man.

Like any young person, I do what I want.

You are free to give life meaning, whatever meaning you want to give it.

I don't want to be identified by any one role I do.

For the first time I'm free to be myself.

Everybody has their thing. I think you can always do what you like.

When law and duty are one, united by religion, you never become fully conscious, fully aware of yourself. You are always a little less than an individual.

You are free to choose what you want to make of your life. It's called free agency or free will, and it's your birthright.

I would rather just do the things I want to do.

This is America - you're allowed to say and do what you want and what you say and do defines who you are as a person.

I don't like defining myself. I just am.

People have to do what they want to do.

One creates oneself.

For me, embracing my own power is about embracing my right to be an individual.

I always had that yearning, that hunger, to one day be independent and be my own person and build my own world. The most fulfilling thing is to live a life where you have freedom.

Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility.

For those men who, sooner or later, are lucky enough to break away from the pack, the most intoxicating moment comes when they cease being bodies in other men's command and find that they control their own time, when they learn their own voice and authority.

The free, self-determining, self-developing soul may not walk its own path, however innocently, but must fit into the scheme and pattern …

We are not compelled to believe in biological uniformity in order to affirm human freedom and dignity.