This is the great work of a man: always to take the blame for his own sins before God, and toexpect temptation to his last breath.
Anthony The GreatRead
Regard as free not those whose status makes them outwardly free, but those who are free in their character and conduct. For we should not call men truly free when they are wicked and dissolute, since they are slaves to worldly passions. Freedom and happiness of soul consist in genuine purity and detachment from transitory things.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True freedom comes from inner character, not external status.
In this quote, Anthony The Great emphasizes that genuine freedom is a state of being that stems from one's moral integrity and personal virtues, rather than merely the absence of physical constraints or high social standing. He suggests that those who indulge in immoral behaviors are, in fact, slaves to their desires, and that true happiness and liberation arise from purity of heart and detachment from fleeting worldly pleasures.
Themes
FreedomHappinessPurityCharacterDetachment
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about personal development, one might say, 'As Anthony The Great reminds us, true freedom is found in our character and not in the status we hold.'
More from Anthony The Great
All quotes →Our life and our death is with our neighbor. If we gain our brother, we have gained God, but if we scandalize our brother, we have sinned against Christ.
Anthony The GreatRead
The fruits of the earth are not brought to perfection immediately, but by time, rain and care; similarly, the fruits of men ripen through ascetic practice, study, time, perseverance, self-control and patience.
Anthony The GreatRead
When Abba Anthony thought about the depths of the judgments of God, he asked, 'Lord, how is it that some die when they are young, while others drag on to extreme old age? Why are there those who are poor and those who are rich? Why do wicked men prosper and why are the just in need?' He heard a voice answering him, 'Antony, keep your attention on yourself; these things are according to the judgment of God, and it is not to your advantage to know anything about them.'
Anthony The GreatRead
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