--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I thought, had any idea, that I'd ever…" description: "\"If I thought, had any idea, that I'd ever be a slave again, I'd take a gun an' jus end it all right away. Because you're nothing but a dog. You're not ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/fountain-hughes-237795_be-a-slave_if-i-thought-had-any-idea-that-i-d-ever_1259278.png" --- # If I thought, had any idea, that I'd ever be a slave… ![“If I thought, had any idea, that I'd ever be a slave again, I'd take a gun an' jus end it all right away. Because you're nothing but a dog. You're not a thing but a dog.” quote by Fountain Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/fountain-hughes-237795_be-a-slave_if-i-thought-had-any-idea-that-i-d-ever_1259278.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/fountain-hughes-237795_be-a-slave_if-i-thought-had-any-idea-that-i-d-ever_1259278.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/622/fountain-hughes-237795_be-a-slave_if-i-thought-had-any-idea-that-i-d-ever_1259278.png) > “If I thought, had any idea, that I'd ever be a slave again, I'd take a gun an' jus end it all right away. Because you're nothing but a dog. You're not a thing but a dog.” [Fountain Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fountain-hughes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker expresses extreme despair, equating personal worth to that of a dog and suggesting suicide as an escape from perceived slavery. **In simple terms:** Despair leads to suicidal thoughts about being enslaved. Key Takeaway Seek help and recognize self-worth. Themes despair identity slavery self‑worth suicide Mood distressed hopeless anguished Type statement lament cry for help When to use this quote - personal crisis - mental health support - self‑esteem building Key Concepts psychology existential crisis dehumanization Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives to self‑harm exist? - How does self‑identity affect coping? A Different Perspective Suicidal ideation may mask treatable mental health issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be a slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-a-slave/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Dog Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog-thing-434229/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Idea Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-slave-3997780/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slave Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave-gun-3997779/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Thing Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-dog-566504/) ## Related quotes > [It's sort of what the Johnny and Devi stories are about, the idea of always being a slave to something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhonen-vasquez/it-s-sort-of-what-the-johnny-and-devi-stories-are-about-the-idea-of/) [Jhonen Vasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhonen-vasquez/) > [“The best thing about a dog is that no matter what, he always welcomes you home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginny-aiken/the-best-thing-about-a-dog-is-that-no-matter-what-he-always-welcomes/) [Ginny Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginny-aiken/) > [I'm not particularly pre-occupied with the husband / baby thing. Besides I have a dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calista-flockhart/i-m-not-particularly-pre-occupied-with-the-husband-baby-thing-besides/) [Calista Flockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calista-flockhart/) > [“I saw the whole thing! A dog and a penguin helped him escape!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-cantero/i-saw-the-whole-thing-a-dog-and-a-penguin-helped-him-escape/) [Edgar Cantero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-cantero/) > [You can say any fool thing to a dog, and the dog will give you this look that says, 'My God, you're RIGHT! I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/you-can-say-any-fool-thing-to-a-dog-and-the-dog-will-give-you-this/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [It is a much more straightforward thing to be a dog, and a dog's love, once given, is not reconsidered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/it-is-a-much-more-straightforward-thing-to-be-a-dog-and-a-dog-s-love/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [“There is no such thing as a dog”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wei-wu-wei/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-dog/) [Wei Wu Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wei-wu-wei/) > [You can say any fool thing to a dog and the dog will just give you this look that says, 'My GOSH, you're RIGHT!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/you-can-say-any-fool-thing-to-a-dog-and-the-dog-will-just-give-you/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [But in order to be the thing you want to be, you have to work like a dog at the thing you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-langella/but-in-order-to-be-the-thing-you-want-to-be-you-have-to-work-like-a/) [Frank Langella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-langella/) > [“dog back. So, the first thing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-adams/dog-back-so-the-first-thing/) [R.L. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-adams/) > [Happiness is a warm puppy. Dogs never bite me. Just humans. If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soniya-ahmed/happiness-is-a-warm-puppy-dogs-never-bite-me-just-humans-if-you-pick/) [Soniya Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soniya-ahmed/) > [Its harly my dog A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/its-harly-my-dog-a-dog-is-the-only-thing-on-earth-that-loves-you-more/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [“A dog is not a thing. A thing is replaceable. A dog is not. A thing is disposable. A dog is not. A thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-parker/a-dog-is-not-a-thing-a-thing-is-replaceable-a-dog-is-not-a-thing-is/) [Elizabeth Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-parker/) > [I once dated a woman who owned a dog. The thing would never shut the fuck up. The dog was cool though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-once-dated-a-woman-who-owned-a-dog-the-thing-would-never-shut-the/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/a-dog-is-the-only-thing-on-earth-that-loves-you-more-than-he-loves/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) ## More Be a slave quotes > [“Freedom is for the educated people who fought for it. We were slaves of the English, now we will be slaves of the educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khushwant-singh/freedom-is-for-the-educated-people-who-fought-for-it-we-were-slaves/) [Khushwant Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khushwant-singh/) > [Neither should men study war with a view to the enslavement of those who do not deserve to be enslaved; but first of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/neither-should-men-study-war-with-a-view-to-the-enslavement-of-those/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Once a man has tasted freedom he will never be content to be a slave. That is why I believe that this frightfulness we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-a-man-has-tasted-freedom-he-will-never-be-content-to-be-a-slave/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/knowledge-makes-a-man-unfit-to-be-a-slave/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Abraham Lincoln recognized that we could not survive as a free land when some men could decide that others were not fit to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/abraham-lincoln-recognized-that-we-could-not-survive-as-a-free-land/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [If you're not confident in the authority of the Scriptures, you will be a slave to what sounds right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/if-you-re-not-confident-in-the-authority-of-the-scriptures-you-will/) [Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/) > [Christ preaches only servitude and dependence... True Christians are made to be slaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/christ-preaches-only-servitude-and-dependence-true-christians-are/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/in-giving-freedom-to-the-slave-we-assure-freedom-to-the-free/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Everyone wants a happy life without difficulties or suffering. We create many of the problems we face. No one intentionally creates problems, but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/everyone-wants-a-happy-life-without-difficulties-or-suffering-we/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Unless you have found something in life to live for that is more important to you than your own life, you will always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/unless-you-have-found-something-in-life-to-live-for-that-is-more/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [People allow themselves to be slaves of their bad habits and society's bad habits - but they have free will, and if they wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/people-allow-themselves-to-be-slaves-of-their-bad-habits-and-society/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [Colonization was the idea that once slavery ended African-Americans should be encouraged - or required, in some people's view - required to leave the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-foner/colonization-was-the-idea-that-once-slavery-ended-african-americans/) [Eric Foner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-foner/) > [The Grecians and Romans were strongly possessed of the spirit of liberty but not the principle, for at the time they were determined not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-grecians-and-romans-were-strongly-possessed-of-the-spirit-of/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Every lord's mansion stands on the foundation of your bones, soldier, every field has been saturated with your sweat, and you, peasant, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wladyslaw-stanislaw-reymont/every-lord-s-mansion-stands-on-the-foundation-of-your-bones-soldier/) [Wladyslaw Stanislaw Reymont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wladyslaw-stanislaw-reymont/) > [I decided I didn't want to be a slave to any passion any more except for my work, i had too many passions -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-sharif/i-decided-i-didn-t-want-to-be-a-slave-to-any-passion-any-more-except/) [Omar Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-sharif/) [Browse all 130 Be a slave quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-a-slave/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I thought, had any idea, that I'd ever be a slave again, I'd take a gun an' jus end it all right away. 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