--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man must get back to himself before he…" description: "\"Man must get back to himself before he can learn his relation to his fellows. Prometheus chained to the Rock of Ages is doomed to remain the prey of th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/419/emma-goldman-774_age_man-must-get-back-to-himself-before-he-c_2282050.png" --- # Man must get back to himself before he can learn his… ![“Man must get back to himself before he can learn his relation to his fellows. Prometheus chained to the Rock of Ages is doomed to remain the prey of the vultures of darkness. Unbind Prometheus, and you dispel the night and its horrors.” quote by Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/419/emma-goldman-774_age_man-must-get-back-to-himself-before-he-c_2282050.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/419/emma-goldman-774_age_man-must-get-back-to-himself-before-he-c_2282050.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/419/emma-goldman-774_age_man-must-get-back-to-himself-before-he-c_2282050.png) > “Man must get back to himself before he can learn his relation to his fellows. Prometheus chained to the Rock of Ages is doomed to remain the prey of the vultures of darkness. Unbind Prometheus, and you dispel the night and its horrors.” [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑knowledge precedes understanding others; liberation starts within before confronting society. **In simple terms:** Know yourself before relating to others. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑awareness first. Themes self‑knowledge liberation social relations Mood reflective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - activism - conflict resolution Key Concepts anarchism philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can inner work translate to collective action? - What obstacles arise when confronting society? A Different Perspective Self‑awareness alone may not change external oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Prometheus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prometheus/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) ## Related quotes > [To business."Tux Dude extended his hand. "I am Prometheus." I was too surprised to shake."The fire-stealer guy?The chained-to-the-rock-with-the-vultures guy?" Prometheus winced. He touched the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/to-business-tux-dude-extended-his-hand-i-am-prometheus-i-was-too/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [He groaned slightly and winced like Prometheus watching his vulture dropping in for lunch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-groaned-slightly-and-winced-like-prometheus-watching-his-vulture/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [John Galt is Prometheus who changed his mind. After centuries of being torn by vultures in payment for having brought to men the fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/john-galt-is-prometheus-who-changed-his-mind-after-centuries-of-being/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Prometheus, I have no Titan's might, Yet I, too, must each dusk renew my heart, For daytime's vulture talons tear apart The tender alcoves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jose-farmer/prometheus-i-have-no-titan-s-might-yet-i-too-must-each-dusk-renew-my/) [Philip Jose Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jose-farmer/) > [“The name Prometheus has always caused me particular annoyance, for my breast still aches from the everlasting beak of the vulture from which Alcides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-rard-de-nerval/the-name-prometheus-has-always-caused-me-particular-annoyance-for-my/) [Gérard de Nerval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-rard-de-nerval/) > [“The immortal gods, the deities will rise, they will fall but none will live beyond the wall. Prometheus, knows love & saves them all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truth-devour/the-immortal-gods-the-deities-will-rise-they-will-fall-but-none-will/) Truth Devour > [The Alchemyst had discovered that the seats revolved and had been amusing himself by swinging back and forth. His chair squeaked with each turn.Finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/the-alchemyst-had-discovered-that-the-seats-revolved-and-had-been/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [Man must become comfortable in flowing from one role to another, one set of values to another, one life to another. Men must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-rhinehart/man-must-become-comfortable-in-flowing-from-one-role-to-another-one/) [Luke Rhinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-rhinehart/) > [Doing 'Prometheus' was what you imagine being an actor is like when you're five. In a spacesuit, on another planet, getting killed by an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafe-spall/doing-prometheus-was-what-you-imagine-being-an-actor-is-like-when-you/) [Rafe Spall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafe-spall/) > [“Just as Prometheus delivered stolen fire to man, so Eve, and the serpent, delivered man into self-consciousness, setting him up, were it not for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neel-burton/just-as-prometheus-delivered-stolen-fire-to-man-so-eve-and-the/) [Neel Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neel-burton/) > [“Then I’ll go keep our crocodile friends busy.” Niten’s teeth flashed in a smile. “I’ll try to leave a few for you.” He stepped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/then-i-ll-go-keep-our-crocodile-friends-busy-niten-s-teeth-flashed-in/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [“Then you know Prometheus was rescued in the end. His chains were broken, and he was finally set free." The old man squinted one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/then-you-know-prometheus-was-rescued-in-the-end-his-chains-were/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [“Here it comes," Niten said. The whites of his eyes,his teeth and his tongue had turned blue. "Ready," Prometheus said. Nicholas Flamel touched the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/here-it-comes-niten-said-the-whites-of-his-eyes-his-teeth-and-his/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [There is nothing in the desert and no man needs nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david/there-is-nothing-in-the-desert-and-no-man-needs-nothing/) [David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) ## More by Emma Goldman > [Poor human nature, what horrible crimes have been committed in thy name! All wars are wars among thieves who are too cowardly to fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/poor-human-nature-what-horrible-crimes-have-been-committed-in-thy/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [“Do not all theists insist that there can be no morality, no justice, honesty or fidelity without the belief in a Divine Power? Based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/do-not-all-theists-insist-that-there-can-be-no-morality-no-justice/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Lack of fairness to an opponent is essentially a sign of weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/lack-of-fairness-to-an-opponent-is-essentially-a-sign-of-weakness/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Do not all theists insist that there can be no morality, no justice, honesty or fidelity without the belief in a Divine Power? Based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/do-not-all-theists-insist-that-there-can-be-no-morality-no-justice-2/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Only when human sorrows are turned into a toy with glaring colors will baby people become interested - for a while at least. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/only-when-human-sorrows-are-turned-into-a-toy-with-glaring-colors/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [More pernicious than the power of a dictator is that of a class; the most terrible - the tyranny of a majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/more-pernicious-than-the-power-of-a-dictator-is-that-of-a-class-the/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Love, the strongest and deepest element in all life, the harbinger of hope, of joy, of ecstasy; love, the definer of all laws, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/love-the-strongest-and-deepest-element-in-all-life-the-harbinger-of/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [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 free expression of the hopes and aspirations of a people is the greatest and only safety in a sane society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/the-free-expression-of-the-hopes-and-aspirations-of-a-people-is-the/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Someone has said that it requires less mental effort to condemn than to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/someone-has-said-that-it-requires-less-mental-effort-to-condemn-than/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [The persecution of the innovator and protestant has always been inspired by fear on the part of constituted authority of having its infallibility questioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/the-persecution-of-the-innovator-and-protestant-has-always-been/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Order derived through submission and maintained by terror is not much of a safe guaranty; yet that is the only "order" that governments have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/order-derived-through-submission-and-maintained-by-terror-is-not-much/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Today is the parent of tomorrow. The present casts its shadow far into the future. That is the law of life, individual and social.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/today-is-the-parent-of-tomorrow-the-present-casts-its-shadow-far-into/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [Salvation lies in an energetic march onward towards a brighter and clearer future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/salvation-lies-in-an-energetic-march-onward-towards-a-brighter-and/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [The more hideous the mental contortions, the greater the delight and bravos of the mass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/the-more-hideous-the-mental-contortions-the-greater-the-delight-and/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) [Explore all 368 Emma Goldman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." 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Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? 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That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man must get back to himself before he can learn his relation to his fellows. Prometheus chained to the Rock of Ages is doomed to remain the prey of the vultures of darkness. 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