Paulo Freire Quotes

It is essential for the oppressed to realize that when they accept the struggle for humanization they also accept, from that moment, their total responsibility for the struggle.

The correct method lies in dialogue. The conviction of the oppressed that they must fight in their liberation is not a gift bestowed by the revolutionary leadership, but the result of their own conscientização.

While no one liberates himself by his own efforts alone, neither is he liberated by others.

It is necessary to trust in the oppressed and in their ability to reason.

Attempting to liberate the oppressed without their reflective participation in the act of liberation is to treat them as objects that must be saved from a burning building.

In the banking concept of education, knowledge is a gift bestowed by those who consider themselves knowledgeable upon those whom they consider to know nothing.

Critical and liberating dialogue, which presupposes action, must be carried on with the oppressed at whatever the stage of their struggle for liberation.

Almost never do they realize that they, too, 'know things' they have learned in their relations with the world.

They call themselves ignorant and say the 'professor' is the one who has knowledge and to whom they should listen.

The oppressed want at any cost to resemble the oppressors.

A real humanist can be identified more by his trust in the people, which engages him in their struggle.

Our converts, on the other hand, truly desire to transform the unjust order; but because of their background they believe that they must be the executors of the transformation.

Certain members of the oppressor class join the oppressed in their struggle for liberation.

For them, having more is an inalienable right.

Money is the measure of all things, and profit the primary goal. For the oppressors, what is worthwhile is to have more—always more—even at the cost of the oppressed having less or having nothing. For them, to be is to have.