What then is the language of freedom? — 'To me, what belongs to me; to you, what belongs to you.' — Is that all? — 'Yes, and nothing more.' — But how to know what belongs to you? — 'It is what you have the power to dispose of at your will.' — And what is it that you have the power to dispose of at your will? — 'My opinion, my desire, my aversion, in a word, all things that are the work of my free will.' — What is it that you do not have the power to dispose of at your will? — 'My body, my property, my reputation, my functions, in a word, all things that are not the work of my free will.' — What follows from this? — 'That if you attach yourself to the latter as if they were yours, you will be a slave, you will be submissive, you will be hindered, you will be constrained, you will be dependent on others.' — And if you attach yourself to the former as what belongs to you, what will happen to you? — 'That you will be free, that you will have to suffer neither impediment nor constraint, that you will have nothing to fear, that you will worry about nothing.' — What then is the language of freedom? — 'It is never to say to anyone: 'You are my master'; for if I say to you: 'You are my master', I am a slave; and I am not free.' — But how to go about never saying that? — 'By remembering that what belongs to another does not belong to you; that what is yours, you possess as your own; that what belongs to another, you possess only by loan or by deposit; and that you must use it with moderation, remembering that it belongs to another, and that you are its guardian, not its owner.' — That is the language of freedom. — But if you attach yourself to these things as if they were yours, you will be a slave; for you will be subject to the will of him who can take them from you. — And who is he who can take them from you? — 'He who is stronger than you.' — And who is stronger than you? — 'He who is stronger than your body, than your property, than your reputation, than your functions.' — For that is what you have given to others; and you have become their slave, because you have placed your freedom in these things. — 'But if I do not look upon them as mine, I am free.' — Yes, but for that you must have the courage to say: 'To me, what belongs to me; to you, what belongs to you.' — And if you are threatened with death, what will you say? — 'I will say: 'To me, what belongs to me; to you, what belongs to you.' — And if you are threatened with prison? — 'I will say: 'To me, what belongs to me; to you, what belongs to you.' — And if you are threatened with exile? — 'I will say: 'To me, what belongs to me; to you, what belongs to you.' — For all these things are not mine; they are yours, who have them in your power. — 'But if I do not look upon them as mine, I am free.' — Yes, but for that you must have the courage to say: 'To me, what belongs to me; to you, what belongs to you.' — And if you are offered a choice between death and freedom? — 'I will choose freedom, because death is not in my power, but freedom is in my power.' — How is that? — 'Because I can die freely, and I cannot be free against my will.' — 'But if I am forced to do what I do not want?' — 'You are not forced, since you can die.' — 'But if I am threatened with being made to suffer?' — 'You are not forced, since you can die.' — 'But if I am threatened with losing my property?' — 'You are not forced, since you can die.' — 'But if I am threatened with losing my reputation?' — 'You are not forced, since you can die.' — 'But if I am threatened with losing my life?' — 'You are not forced, since you can die.' — 'But if I am threatened with losing my freedom?' — 'You are not forced, since you can die.' — 'But if I am threatened with losing all these things?' — 'You are not forced, since you can die.' — 'But if I am threatened with suffering death?' — 'You are not forced, since you can die.' — 'But if I am threatened with suffering death?' — 'You are not forced, since you can die.' — 'But if I am threatened with suffering death?' — 'You are not forced, since you can die.