Full Idea
It is because of speech that men give the illusion of being free. If they did - without a word - what they do, we would take them for robots.
Gist of Idea
If people always acted without words we would take them for robots
Source
E.M. Cioran (The Trouble with Being Born [1973], 09)
Book Reference
Cioran,E.M.: 'The Trouble with Being Born', ed/tr. Richard Howard [Penguin 2012], p.133
A Reaction
Love this one. Though it might be said that the power of speech does add an extra dimension of freedom to an action, beyond what any animal could attain. I take the absolute idea of 'being free' to be nonsense.