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A Man Is Morally Free When, In Full Possession Of His Living Humanity, He Judges The World, And Judges Other Men, With Uncompromising Sincerity.
-George Santayana
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A Man Is Morally

George Santayana
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A Man Is Morally Free When, In Full Possession Of His Living Humanity, He Judges The World, And Judges Other Men, With Uncompromising Sincerity.

Understanding the Quote: "a man is morally free when, in full possession of his living..."

This quote by George Santayana reflects deeply on the theme of freedom. It connects to the universal human journey of purpose, motivation, and reflection. Often categorized under Freedom, Men, Judging, the quote offers insight, emotional clarity, and intellectual inspiration to readers worldwide.

Whether you’re a student exploring new ideas, a leader trying to motivate your team, or someone seeking direction in life — this quote provides value. It resonates because it’s more than words — it’s a bridge between experience and wisdom. It shows how George Santayana interprets life's core challenges and triumphs.

Lessons From the Quote

This quote teaches resilience and focus. It reminds readers that no matter where they stand in life, reflection and self-awareness lead to growth. Each word has meaning, and when studied, it becomes clear how impactful thoughtful language can be.

About George Santayana

George Santayana is celebrated for insightful thoughts on freedom and men. Their legacy lives on through writings that guide, comfort, and inspire. Discover more on their profile page.

Actionable Takeaways

  • Reflect on how this quote applies to your current life path.
  • Share the message with someone who needs inspiration.
  • Write your thoughts on this quote in a journal or blog post.
  • Use it as a daily affirmation or reminder.

Closing Thoughts

Quotes like this endure because they capture universal truths. They comfort us in solitude and empower us in groups. Carry this quote forward — live by its wisdom, share its message, and keep its essence alive.

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Topic
Freedom
Men
Judging
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Justice
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An Operation That Eventually Kills May Be Technically Successful, And The Man May Die Cured; And So A Description Of Religion Thatshowed It To Be Madness Might First Show How Real And Warm It Was, So That If It Perished, At Least It Would Perish Understood.
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Thousand
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Bed
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Would Be
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Currency
Man Is As Full Of Potential As He Is Of Importance.
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Philosophers Are As Jealous As Women; Each Wants A Monopoly Of Praise.
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The Aim Of Education Is The Condition Of Suspended Judgment On Everything.
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Judgment
Aim
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Heaven
Inner Peace
Man Has An Inexhuastible Faculty For Lying, Especially To Himself.
Wisdom
Lying
Men
Work And Love These Are The Basics; Waking Life Is A Dream Controlled.
Dream
And Love
Waking Life
An Artist May Visit A Museum But Only A Pedant Can Live There.
Artist
Museums
May
The Soul Is The Voice Of The Body's Interests.
Voice
Soul
Body
For Gold Is Tried In The Fire And Acceptable Men In The Furnace Of Adversity.
Adversity
Men
Fire
Music Contains A Whole Gamut Of Experience, From Sensuous Elements To Ultimate Intellectual Harmonies.
Intellectual
Elements
Harmony
Each Religion, So Dear To Those Whose Life It Sanctifies, And Fulfilling So Necessary A Function In The Society That Has Adopted It, Necessarily Contradicts Every Other Religion, And Probably Contradicts Itself.
Function
Dear
Adopted
At Best, The True Philosopher Can Fulfil His Mission Very Imperfectly, Which Is To Pilot Himself, Or At Most A Few Voluntary Companions Who May Find Themselves In The Same Boat.
May
Pilots
Philosopher
It Is A Pleasant Surprise To Him (the Pure Mathematician) And An Added Problem If He Finds That The Arts Can Use His Calculations, Or That The Senses Can Verify Them, Much As If A Composer Found That Sailors Could Heave Better When Singing His Songs.
Song
Art
Math
The Body Is An Instrument, The Mind Its Function, The Witness And Reward Of Its Operation.
Get Well
Mind
Body
The Existence Of Any Evil Anywhere At Any Time Absolutely Ruins A Total Optimism.
Evil
Optimism
Ruins
If You Prefer Illusions To Realities, It Is Only Because All Decent Realities Have Eluded You And Left You In The Lurch; Or Else Your Contempt For The World Is Mere Hypocrisy And Funk.
Reality
Hypocrisy
World
Saints Cannot Arise Where There Have Been No Warriors, Nor Philosophers Where A Prying Beast Does Not Remain Hidden In The Depths.
Philosophy
Warrior
Depth
Artists Have No Less Talents Than Ever, Their Taste, Their Vision, Their Sentiment Are Often Interesting; They Are Mighty In Their Independence And Feeble Only In Their Works.
Freedom
Artist
Interesting
The Bible Is Literature, Not Dogma.
Bible
Religious
Hygiene
It Is Rash To Intrude Upon The Piety Of Others: Both The Depth And The Grace Of It Elude The Stranger.
Grace
Depth
Elude
Sanctity And Genius Are As Rebellious As Vice.
Vices
Genius
Rebellious
We Are Not Compelled In Naturalism, Or Even In Materialism, To Ignore Immaterial Things; The Point Is That Any Immaterial Things Which Are Recognized Shall Be Regarded As Names, Aspects, Functions, Or Concomitant Products Of Those Physical Things Among Which Action Goes On.
Names
Goes On
Action
America Is A Young Country With An Old Mentality.
Country
America
Young
History Is Nothing But Assisted And Recorded Memory.
Memories
History
Professional Philosophers Are Usually Only Apologists: That Is, They Are Absorbed In Defending Some Vested Illusion Or Some Eloquent Idea. Like Lawyers Or Detectives, They Study The Case For Which They Are Retained.
Philosophy
Ideas
Detectives
It Would Be Hard To Conceive A System Of Instincts More Nicely Adjusted, Where The Constituents Should Represent Or Support One Another Better. The Husband Has An Interest In Protecting The Wife, She In Serving The Husband. The Weaker Gains In Authority And Safety, The Wilder And More Unconcerned Finds A Help-mate At Home To Take Thought Of His Daily Necessities. Parents Lend Children Their Experience And A Vicarious Memory; Children Endow Their Parents With A Vicarious Immortality.
Children
Memories
Husband
Religion Is The Natural Reaction Of The Imagination When Confronted By The Difficulties In A Truculent World.
Imagination
Religion
Atheism
Fanaticism Consists Of Redoubling Your Effort When You Have Forgotten Your Aim.
Inspirational
Goal
Effort
Memory Itself Is An Internal Rumour; And When To This Hearsay Within The Mind We Add The Falsified Echoes That Reach Us From Others, We Have But A Shifting And Unseizable Basis To Build Upon. The Picture We Frame Of The Past Changes Continually And Grows Every Day Less Similar To The Original Experience Which It Purports To Describe.
Memories
Past
Echoes
The God To Whom Depth In Philosophy Bring Back Men's Minds Is Far From Being The Same From Whom A Little Philosophy Estranges Them
Philosophy
Men
Mind
. . . Until The Curtain Was Rung Down On The Last Act Of The Drama (and It Might Have No Last Act!) He Wished The Intellectual Cripples And The Moral Hunchbacks Not To Be Jeered At; Perhaps They Might Turn Out To Be The Heroes Of The Play.
Drama
Hero
Medicine
Docility Is The Observable Half Of Reason.
Half
Opinion
Reason
Fashion Is Something Barbarous, For It Produces Innovation Without Reason And Imitation Without Benefit.
Fashion
Political
Innovation
The Mediocrity Of Everything In The Great World Of Today Is Simply Appalling. We Live In Intellectual Slums.
Intellectual
Mediocrity
World
Beauty Is A Pledge Of The Possible Conformity Between The Soul And Nature, And Consequently A Ground Of Faith In The Supremacy Of The Good.
Nature
Soul
Conformity
Self-assurance Is Contemptible And Fatal Unless It Is Self-knowledge.
Confidence
Knowledge
Self
Experience Seems To Most Of Us To Lead To Conclusions, But Empiricism Has Sworn Never To Draw Them.
Experience
Conclusion
Draws
Love Is A Brilliant Illustration Of A Principle Everywhere Discoverable: Namely, That Human Reason Lives By Turning The Friction Of Material Forces Into The Light Of Ideal Goods.
Love
Light
Illustration
All His Life He [the American] Jumps Into The Train After It Has Started And Jumps Out Before It Has Stopped; And He Never Once Gets Left Behind, Or Breaks A Leg.
Break A Leg
Legs
Left Behind
To Delight In War Is A Merit In The Soldier, A Dangerous Quality In The Captain, And A Positive Crime In The Statesman.
Positive
War
Remembrance
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