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 DouglassRead
The opposite of compromise is character.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Compromise can dilute one's values, while character signifies integrity and strength of principles.
This quote by Frederick Douglass suggests that compromising one's beliefs or values leads to a loss of true character. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining one's integrity and standing firm in oneβs principles, as true character is revealed not through yielding to pressures but through the steadfastness of one's beliefs and actions.
Themes
CharacterCompromiseIntegrityValuesPrinciples
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote during a motivational speech about leadership and integrity.
More from Frederick Douglass
All quotes βWe may explain success mainly by one word and that word is WORK! WORK!! WORK!!! WORK!!!!
Frederick DouglassRead
I do not think much of the good luck theory of self-made men. It is worth but little attention and has no practical value.
Frederick DouglassRead
To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.
Frederick DouglassRead
The Constitution is a GLORIOUS LIBERTY DOCUMENT. Read its preamble, consider it purposes. Is slavery among them? Is it at the gateway? or is it in the temple? it is neither.
Frederick DouglassRead
Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.
Frederick DouglassRead
Similar quotes
If a man isn't a certain age, he just isn't interesting.
Marilyn MonroeRead
But this was the only way of life that humans knew for their first 6m years on the planet. In giving it up over the past few thousand years, we have lost our vulnerability to disease and cold and wild animals, but we have also lost good ways to bring up children, look after old people, stave off diabetes and heart disease and understand the real dangers of everyday life.
Jared DiamondRead
Whatever its symbol - cross or crescent or whatever - that symbol is man's reminder of his duty inside the human race.
William FaulknerRead
But I know what darkness is, it accumulates, thickens, then suddenly bursts and drowns everything.
Samuel BeckettRead
There is a lurking fear that some things are not βmeant" to be known, that some inquiries are too dangerous for human beings to make.
Carl SaganRead
I discovered that the study of past philosophers is of little use unless our own reality enters into it. Our reality alone allows the thinker's questions to become comprehensible.
Karl JaspersRead