--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The word freedom lost much of its…" description: "\"“The word freedom lost much of its strength when one’s back was weighted down with fieldwork.”\" — Bob Mayer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/bob-mayer-19173_fieldwork_the-word-freedom-lost-much-of-its-streng_1454100.png" --- # The word freedom lost much of its strength when one’s back… ![“The word freedom lost much of its strength when one’s back was weighted down with fieldwork.” quote by Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/bob-mayer-19173_fieldwork_the-word-freedom-lost-much-of-its-streng_1454100.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/bob-mayer-19173_fieldwork_the-word-freedom-lost-much-of-its-streng_1454100.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/bob-mayer-19173_fieldwork_the-word-freedom-lost-much-of-its-streng_1454100.png) > ““The word freedom lost much of its strength when one’s back was weighted down with fieldwork.”” [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom feels diminished when work burdens you heavily. **In simple terms:** Work can weigh down freedom. Key Takeaway Balance work and personal liberty. Themes freedom work balance Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - time management - self‑care routines Key Concepts existential sociology psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does your work affect your sense of freedom? - What steps can restore personal autonomy? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fieldwork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fieldwork/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) ## Related quotes > [“I have no more goals, all I'm gonna do is deal with the days Nature will give me along. I have lost too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laure-lacornette/i-have-no-more-goals-all-i-m-gonna-do-is-deal-with-the-days-nature/) [Laure Lacornette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laure-lacornette/) > [If you could only see the vision I have. I wish I had your bodies to do this work. I would run from house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/if-you-could-only-see-the-vision-i-have-i-wish-i-had-your-bodies-to/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [Ethnography literally means 'a portrait of a people.' An ethnography is a written description of a particular culture - the customs, beliefs, and behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-harris/ethnography-literally-means-a-portrait-of-a-people-an-ethnography-is/) [Marvin Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-harris/) > [There is more to folklore research than fieldwork. This is why in all of my other upper-division courses I require a term paper involving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/there-is-more-to-folklore-research-than-fieldwork-this-is-why-in-all/) [Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/) > [“I have sweaters older than you,” I mutter. “I’ll give you the discovery to read over tonight. This afternoon I’m going to need you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-have-sweaters-older-than-you-i-mutter-i-ll-give-you-the-discovery/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I was a lousy academic. I spent most of my time in the cafeteria. But I met fantastic people from all kinds of fields;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandra-mir/i-was-a-lousy-academic-i-spent-most-of-my-time-in-the-cafeteria-but-i/) [Aleksandra Mir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandra-mir/) > [“Fieldwork is probably always more likely to be holistic than lab work or mathematical modeling because in the field you can’t get away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/fieldwork-is-probably-always-more-likely-to-be-holistic-than-lab-work/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Before doing fieldwork in Middle Egypt, I analyzed satellite imagery to determine exactly where I wanted to go. Within three weeks, I found about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-parcak/before-doing-fieldwork-in-middle-egypt-i-analyzed-satellite-imagery/) [Sarah Parcak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-parcak/) > [“We hope that general readers with an interest in Japan will find in these accounts of fieldwork a wide spectrum of illustrations of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-c-bestor/we-hope-that-general-readers-with-an-interest-in-japan-will-find-in/) Theodore C. Bestor > [The way to do fieldwork is never to come up for air until it is all over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-way-to-do-fieldwork-is-never-to-come-up-for-air-until-it-is-all/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I find myself doing fieldwork physically, in the tradition of anthropology. I literally go to the opposite end of the world, to the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandra-mir/i-find-myself-doing-fieldwork-physically-in-the-tradition-of/) [Aleksandra Mir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandra-mir/) > [Read non-fiction. History, biology, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology. Get a bodyguard and do fieldwork. Find your inner fish. Don't publish too soon. Not before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-van-niekerk/read-non-fiction-history-biology-entomology-mineralogy-paleontology/) [Marlene van Niekerk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-van-niekerk/) > [The legends of fieldwork locate all important sites deep in inaccessible jungles inhabited by fierce beasts and restless natives, and surrounded by miasmas of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-legends-of-fieldwork-locate-all-important-sites-deep-in/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Their term project consists of a fieldwork collection of folklore that they create by interviewing family members, friends, or anyone they can manage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/their-term-project-consists-of-a-fieldwork-collection-of-folklore/) [Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/) > [The Restless Anthropologist is a rich, powerful, and compulsively readable collection of essays by anthropologists who look back at the multiple relationships between their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-ortner/the-restless-anthropologist-is-a-rich-powerful-and-compulsively/) Sherry Ortner ## More by Bob Mayer > [“You can “pants” your way through your novel, but you can’t “pants” your way to success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/you-can-pants-your-way-through-your-novel-but-you-can-t-pants-your/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [“A CEO of a very successful company told him that in the corporate world, to get the kind of high level expertise that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/a-ceo-of-a-very-successful-company-told-him-that-in-the-corporate/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [“Just as it is important to know what you want in your novel, it is key to know what you want from your career.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/just-as-it-is-important-to-know-what-you-want-in-your-novel-it-is-key/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [“swarm a man under!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/swarm-a-man-under/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [“The key to team success is trust” Bob Mayer said this in an article about indie publishing; he was referring to military ops. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/the-key-to-team-success-is-trust-bob-mayer-said-this-in-an-article/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [Good characters the reader cares about combined with an intriguing plot. Do those two and you've got it made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/good-characters-the-reader-cares-about-combined-with-an-intriguing/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [“The FedEx truck backed into the driveway with an irritating beeping. The team was ready, combat gear on, locked, and loaded.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/the-fedex-truck-backed-into-the-driveway-with-an-irritating-beeping/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [“In darkness there is death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/in-darkness-there-is-death/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [“Writers used to be treated (except for the few brand name authors) as the bottom rung of the food chain.  We were interchangeable parts. …](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/writers-used-to-be-treated-except-for-the-few-brand-name-authors-as/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [“Content is King. Promotion is Queen”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/content-is-king-promotion-is-queen/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [“Some of the people who camp out at the mailbox mistake aircraft running lights for UFOs. When a plane’s in its final flight path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/some-of-the-people-who-camp-out-at-the-mailbox-mistake-aircraft/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [“babbled at the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/babbled-at-the/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) > [“I’m convinced fear is at the root of most bad writing.” Stephen King”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/i-m-convinced-fear-is-at-the-root-of-most-bad-writing-stephen-king/) [Bob Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) [Explore all 14 Bob Mayer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/) ## More Fieldwork quotes > [Ethnography literally means 'a portrait of a people.' An ethnography is a written description of a particular culture - the customs, beliefs, and behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-harris/ethnography-literally-means-a-portrait-of-a-people-an-ethnography-is/) [Marvin Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-harris/) > [Their term project consists of a fieldwork collection of folklore that they create by interviewing family members, friends, or anyone they can manage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/their-term-project-consists-of-a-fieldwork-collection-of-folklore/) [Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/) > [The legends of fieldwork locate all important sites deep in inaccessible jungles inhabited by fierce beasts and restless natives, and surrounded by miasmas of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-legends-of-fieldwork-locate-all-important-sites-deep-in/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Read non-fiction. History, biology, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology. Get a bodyguard and do fieldwork. Find your inner fish. Don't publish too soon. Not before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-van-niekerk/read-non-fiction-history-biology-entomology-mineralogy-paleontology/) [Marlene van Niekerk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-van-niekerk/) > [I find myself doing fieldwork physically, in the tradition of anthropology. I literally go to the opposite end of the world, to the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandra-mir/i-find-myself-doing-fieldwork-physically-in-the-tradition-of/) [Aleksandra Mir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandra-mir/) > [The way to do fieldwork is never to come up for air until it is all over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-way-to-do-fieldwork-is-never-to-come-up-for-air-until-it-is-all/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“We hope that general readers with an interest in Japan will find in these accounts of fieldwork a wide spectrum of illustrations of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-c-bestor/we-hope-that-general-readers-with-an-interest-in-japan-will-find-in/) Theodore C. Bestor > [Before doing fieldwork in Middle Egypt, I analyzed satellite imagery to determine exactly where I wanted to go. Within three weeks, I found about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-parcak/before-doing-fieldwork-in-middle-egypt-i-analyzed-satellite-imagery/) [Sarah Parcak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-parcak/) > [“Fieldwork is probably always more likely to be holistic than lab work or mathematical modeling because in the field you can’t get away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/fieldwork-is-probably-always-more-likely-to-be-holistic-than-lab-work/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [I was a lousy academic. I spent most of my time in the cafeteria. But I met fantastic people from all kinds of fields;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandra-mir/i-was-a-lousy-academic-i-spent-most-of-my-time-in-the-cafeteria-but-i/) [Aleksandra Mir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandra-mir/) > [“I have sweaters older than you,” I mutter. “I’ll give you the discovery to read over tonight. This afternoon I’m going to need you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-have-sweaters-older-than-you-i-mutter-i-ll-give-you-the-discovery/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [There is more to folklore research than fieldwork. This is why in all of my other upper-division courses I require a term paper involving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/there-is-more-to-folklore-research-than-fieldwork-this-is-why-in-all/) [Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/) > [The Restless Anthropologist is a rich, powerful, and compulsively readable collection of essays by anthropologists who look back at the multiple relationships between their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-ortner/the-restless-anthropologist-is-a-rich-powerful-and-compulsively/) Sherry Ortner > [Anthropological fieldwork is so much like writing a novel. You don't know what the hell is going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-king/anthropological-fieldwork-is-so-much-like-writing-a-novel-you-don-t/) [Lily King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-king/) > [“Then, as we turned the final curve past the abandoned little hamlet of Ballydubh, with the village almost out of sight, he forced me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-scheper-hughes/then-as-we-turned-the-final-curve-past-the-abandoned-little-hamlet-of/) Nancy Scheper-Hughes [Browse all 18 Fieldwork quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fieldwork/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The word freedom lost much of its strength when one’s back was weighted down with fieldwork.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bob Mayer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/the-word-freedom-lost-much-of-its-strength-when-one-s-back-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fieldwork" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/the-word-freedom-lost-much-of-its-strength-when-one-s-back-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/bob-mayer-19173_fieldwork_the-word-freedom-lost-much-of-its-streng_1454100.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/bob-mayer-19173_fieldwork_the-word-freedom-lost-much-of-its-streng_1454100.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/bob-mayer-19173_fieldwork_the-word-freedom-lost-much-of-its-streng_1454100.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The word freedom lost much of its strength when one’s back was weighted down with fieldwork.” — Bob Mayer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bob Mayer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mayer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The word freedom lost much of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/the-word-freedom-lost-much-of-its-strength-when-one-s-back-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mayer/the-word-freedom-lost-much-of-its-strength-when-one-s-back-was/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```