--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many a marriage hardly differs from…" description: "\"Many a marriage hardly differs from prostitution, except being harder to escape from.\" — Bertrand Russell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/bertrand-russell-69_harder_many-a-marriage-hardly-differs-from-pros_649742.jpg" --- # Many a marriage hardly differs from prostitution, except… ![“Many a marriage hardly differs from prostitution, except being harder to escape from.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/bertrand-russell-69_harder_many-a-marriage-hardly-differs-from-pros_649742.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/bertrand-russell-69_harder_many-a-marriage-hardly-differs-from-pros_649742.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/bertrand-russell-69_harder_many-a-marriage-hardly-differs-from-pros_649742.jpg) > “Many a marriage hardly differs from prostitution, except being harder to escape from.” [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marriage can become a constrained, transactional relationship resembling prostitution when love is absent and escape is difficult. **In simple terms:** Unloving marriage feels trapped and transactional. Key Takeaway Seek genuine connection, avoid coercive bonds. Themes marriage relationships freedom Mood critical analytical Type philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - arranged marriages - cohabitation - legal contracts - relationship counseling Key Concepts existentialism social critique ethical autonomy Questions to Reflect On - What defines a healthy partnership? - How can autonomy be preserved in marriage? A Different Perspective Not all marriages lack love; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Prostitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prostitution/) ## Related quotes > [“A covenant differs from a contract almost as much as marriage differs from prostitution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hahn/a-covenant-differs-from-a-contract-almost-as-much-as-marriage-differs/) [Scott Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hahn/) > [the art of reading hardly differs from the art of writing, in that its most intense pleasures and pains must remains private, and cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-art-of-reading-hardly-differs-from-the-art-of-writing-in-that-its/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Marriage is hardly a thing one can do now and then, except in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/marriage-is-hardly-a-thing-one-can-do-now-and-then-except-in-america/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Natalie was bored in her marriage. At first she could hardly admit it to herself. After all, they were a perfect match: similar backgrounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-becker-holstein/natalie-was-bored-in-her-marriage-at-first-she-could-hardly-admit-it/) [Barbara Becker Holstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-becker-holstein/) > [Obama's endorsement of gay marriage is hardly as consequential as Johnson's legislative success on civil rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/obama-s-endorsement-of-gay-marriage-is-hardly-as-consequential-as/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [“Marriage is hardly a thing that one can do now and then, Harry. Except in America, rejoined Lord Henry, languidly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/marriage-is-hardly-a-thing-that-one-can-do-now-and-then-harry-except/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Marriage is for women the commonest mode of livelihood, and the total amount of undesired sex endured by women is probably greater in marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/marriage-is-for-women-the-commonest-mode-of-livelihood-and-the-total/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The need for prostitution arises from the fact that many men are either unmarried or away from their wives on journeys, that such men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-need-for-prostitution-arises-from-the-fact-that-many-men-are/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Whether our reformers admit it or not, the economic and social inferiority of women is responsible for prostitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/whether-our-reformers-admit-it-or-not-the-economic-and-social/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [The workman cut to the left, still laying on his horn, and roared around the drunkenly weaving limousine. 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I have never been to a house of prostitution, but I understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/well-this-is-aptly-called-a-junket-for-both-of-us-i-have-never-been/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Most celebrated men live in a condition of prostitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/most-celebrated-men-live-in-a-condition-of-prostitution/) [Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/) ## More by Bertrand Russell > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [That the world is in a bad shape is undeniable, but there is not the faintest reason in history to suppose that Christianity offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/that-the-world-is-in-a-bad-shape-is-undeniable-but-there-is-not-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [All movements go too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/all-movements-go-too-far/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Such, in outline, but even more purposeless, more void of meaning, is the world which Science presents for our belief. Amid such a world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/such-in-outline-but-even-more-purposeless-more-void-of-meaning-is-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Of all evils of war the greatest is the purely spiritual evil: the hatred, the injustice, the repudiation of truth, the artificial conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/of-all-evils-of-war-the-greatest-is-the-purely-spiritual-evil-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/aristotle-maintained-that-women-have-fewer-teeth-than-men-although-he/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-an-opinion-contrary-to-your-own-makes-you-angry-that-is-a-sign/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-cannot-escape-from-the-conclusion-that-the-great-ages-of-progress/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The newspapers at one time said that I was dead but after carefully examining the evidence I came to the conclusion that this statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-newspapers-at-one-time-said-that-i-was-dead-but-after-carefully/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic, because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is only opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/persecution-is-used-in-theology-not-in-arithmetic-because-in/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There is no greater reason for children to honour parents than for parents to honour children except, that while the children are young, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-no-greater-reason-for-children-to-honour-parents-than-for/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Explore all 1,620 Bertrand Russell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## More Harder quotes > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/) [Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/) > [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [We've all seen talented young players who get to a certain level but there comes a point where that talent will only take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gatland/we-ve-all-seen-talented-young-players-who-get-to-a-certain-level-but/) [Warren Gatland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gatland/) > [Forgive me for noting that conservatives seem to believe that the rich will work harder if we give them more, and the poor will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-j-dionne/forgive-me-for-noting-that-conservatives-seem-to-believe-that-the/) [E. 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They will not stay with you if you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/kids-if-anything-are-harder-to-write-for-because-they-are-a-more/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [It is easy to take a photograph, but it is harder to make a masterpiece in photography than in any other art medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-adams/it-is-easy-to-take-a-photograph-but-it-is-harder-to-make-a/) [Ansel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-adams/) > [Harder to get in than out, like so little else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/harder-to-get-in-than-out-like-so-little-else/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Indifference is harder to fight than hostility, and there is nothing that kills an agitation like having everybody admit that it is fundamentally right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-eastman/indifference-is-harder-to-fight-than-hostility-and-there-is-nothing/) [Crystal Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-eastman/) > [There's nothing harder than making a mellow, clean record. 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