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Slaves do not always welcome their deliverers. They become accustomed to being slaves. They would rather gear those ills they have
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Interpretation

What this quote means

People often resist change even if it means escaping suffering.

This quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. highlights the complex nature of freedom and the human tendency to cling to familiarity, even when it is painful. It suggests that individuals can become so accustomed to their circumstances, even oppressive ones, that they may struggle to accept help or change, preferring the known struggles over the uncertainty of freedom.

Themes

FreedomChangeOppressionComfortFear

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of recognizing and addressing oppression.

More from Martin Luther King, Jr.

This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love.
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We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.
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One of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the Great Society... shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam.
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Quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. | QuoteProject