Without self knowledge, without understanding the working and functions of his machine, man cannot be free, he cannot govern himself and he will always remain a slave.

—George Gurdjieff

freedom self-knowledge slavery self-governance

About George Gurdjieff

Portrait of George Gurdjieff

George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (c. 1866–1877 – 29 October 1949) was a philosopher, mystic, spiritual teacher, composer, and movements teacher.

More quotations from George Gurdjieff

You are in prison. If you wish to get out of prison, the first thing you must do is realize that you are in prison. If you think you are free, you can't escape.

—George Gurdjieff

freedom society prison self-knowledge awakening wake-up-call

Time is Breath.

—George Gurdjieff

If a sufficient number of people who wanted to stop war really did gather together, they would first of all begin by making war upon those who disagreed with them. And it is still more certain that they would make war on people who also want to stop wars but in another way.

—George Gurdjieff

Practice love first on animals; they are more sensitive.

—George Gurdjieff

love relationships sensitivity animals

More quotations tagged with “slavery”

Who covets more is evermore a slave.

—Robert Herrick

freedom slavery jealousy covetousness

I learned to believe in freedom, to glow when the word democracy was used, and to practice slavery from morning to night. I learned it the way all of my Southern people learn it: by closing door after door until one's mind and heart and conscience are blocked off from each other and from reality.

—Lillian Smith

reality freedom democracy conscience slavery

Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart, and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears.

—Frederick Douglass

history heart sorrow tears unhappiness slavery songs relief

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence and back into bondage.

—Fraser Tyler

history apathy progress nations world faith liberty courage wealth slavery abundance

If you put a chain around the neck of a slave, the other end fastens itself around your own.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

History

10 Nov 2022 Added