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
You are not judged by the height you have risen, but from the depth you have climbed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True success is measured not by how high you achieve, but by how far you've come from your struggles.
Frederick Douglass emphasizes that the value of a person's achievements should be assessed by their journey and the challenges they have overcome, rather than just the final accomplishments. This perspective invites us to reflect on our resilience and growth, focusing on the personal battles fought and the lessons learned along the way.
Themes
SuccessResilienceJourneyStrugglesGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming challenges.
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
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I can remember back to my early tour days when some fellows didn't think I'd last too long. Nothing physical - they said it was my swing. Some said it was too much of a 'muscle swing' to stand the test of time. One fellow predicted I wouldn't get past 30 out there.
Arnold PalmerRead