--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My great and exceeding joy over these…" description: "\"My great and exceeding joy over these stupendous achievements, especially over the abolition of slavery (which had been the deepest desire and the grea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/560/frederick-douglass-859_abolition_my-great-and-exceeding-joy-over-these-st_2021114.png" --- # My great and exceeding joy over these stupendous… ![“My great and exceeding joy over these stupendous achievements, especially over the abolition of slavery (which had been the deepest desire and the great labor of my life), was slightly tinged with a feeling of sadness.” quote by Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/560/frederick-douglass-859_abolition_my-great-and-exceeding-joy-over-these-st_2021114.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/560/frederick-douglass-859_abolition_my-great-and-exceeding-joy-over-these-st_2021114.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/560/frederick-douglass-859_abolition_my-great-and-exceeding-joy-over-these-st_2021114.png) > “My great and exceeding joy over these stupendous achievements, especially over the abolition of slavery (which had been the deepest desire and the great labor of my life), was slightly tinged with a feeling of sadness.” [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. His triumph over ending slavery was mixed with melancholy, reflecting the cost of progress. **In simple terms:** Victory felt sad. Key Takeaway Acknowledge mixed emotions in success. Themes freedom justice reflection Mood reflective somber Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - Civil rights activism - personal milestones - historical commemorations Key Concepts Abolition personal sacrifice historical change Questions to Reflect On - How do you honor those left behind while celebrating? - What lingering pains accompany great victories? A Different Perspective Joy can coexist with sorrow over loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abolition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/) [Abolition of slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition-of-slavery/) [Deepest Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deepest-desire/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling/) [Feeling Of Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-of-sadness/) [Feeling Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-sadness-1215552/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Slavery Deepest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery-deepest-3661891/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Tinged Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tinged-feeling-3661892/) ## Related quotes > [Abolition of slavery had been the deepest desire and the great labor of my life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/abolition-of-slavery-had-been-the-deepest-desire-and-the-great-labor/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Sometimes an uncontrollable feeling of sadness grips us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-an-uncontrollable-feeling-of-sadness-grips-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can smile and pretend to everyone that you're happy... but deep inside is a strong feeling of sadness living within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-smile-and-pretend-to-everyone-that-you-re-happy-but-deep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You always said you love me but never cared for my feelings, you always told me I'm special but never been important to you...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/intense-heart/you-always-said-you-love-me-but-never-cared-for-my-feelings-you/) [Intense Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/intense-heart/) > [“A feeling of sadness that only bus stations have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/a-feeling-of-sadness-that-only-bus-stations-have/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Hypophrenia: A feeling of sadness seemingly without a cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hypophrenia-a-feeling-of-sadness-seemingly-without-a-cause/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I could no more have stopped myself from feeling that sadness than you could stop yourself from smelling an apple that has been cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/i-could-no-more-have-stopped-myself-from-feeling-that-sadness-than/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“I am starting to realize what this means, and how sad it would be. I am already feeling some of the sadness now, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-am-starting-to-realize-what-this-means-and-how-sad-it-would-be-i-am/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I'm specifically referring to this certain feeling of sadness, fear, and helplessness that descended on me at the Mexico City protest a day or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-goldman/i-m-specifically-referring-to-this-certain-feeling-of-sadness-fear/) [Francisco Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-goldman/) > [“Action Plan: Sit in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted for ten minutes. If you have family in the house, you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-scott/action-plan-sit-in-a-quiet-place-where-you-won-t-be-interrupted-for/) [S.J. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-scott/) > [No one is as real to me as people in the novel. It grows like a living thing. When I realize they do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mavis-gallant/no-one-is-as-real-to-me-as-people-in-the-novel-it-grows-like-a-living/) [Mavis Gallant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mavis-gallant/) > [“Tonglen practice has four stages: Rest your mind for a second or two in a state of openness or stillness. This is called flashing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/tonglen-practice-has-four-stages-rest-your-mind-for-a-second-or-two/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [Akhenaton A feeling of sadness and longing, That is not akin to pain, And resembles sorrow only As the mist resembles the rain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sangfroid-stalker/akhenaton-a-feeling-of-sadness-and-longing-that-is-not-akin-to-pain/) [SangFroid Stalker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sangfroid-stalker/) > [“The floors of bus stations are the same all over the country, always covered with butts and spit and they give a feeling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-floors-of-bus-stations-are-the-same-all-over-the-country-always/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [ We changed it to emocionó, the way you say in Spanish, "to emotion me" \[to be moved\]. That, as opposed to "haunt." We wanted… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/we-changed-it-to-emocion-the-way-you-say-in-spanish-to-emotion-me-to/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) ## More by Frederick Douglass > [“A treacherous President stood in the way; and it can be easily seen how reluctant good men might be to admit an apostasy which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-treacherous-president-stood-in-the-way-and-it-can-be-easily-seen/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“But I should be false in the earliest sentiments of my soul, if I suppressed the opinion. I prefer to be true to myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/but-i-should-be-false-in-the-earliest-sentiments-of-my-soul-if-i/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [A man who will enslave his own blood, may not be safely relied on for magnamity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-man-who-will-enslave-his-own-blood-may-not-be-safely-relied-on-for/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes, - a justifier of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-assert-most-unhesitatingly-that-the-religion-of-the-south-is-a-mere/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the South is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes—a justifier of the most appalling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-assert-most-unhesitatingly-that-the-religion-of-the-south-is-a-mere-2/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-limits-of-tyrants-are-prescribed-by-the-endurance-of-those-whom/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/power-concedes-nothing-without-a-demand-it-never-did-and-it-never-will/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“We have all met a class of men, very remarkable for their activity, and who yet make but little headway in life; men who,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-remarkable-for-their-activity-and/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. That cheerful eye, under the influence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-fatal-poison-of-irresponsible-power-was-already-in-her-hands-and/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-battle-lost-or-won-is-easily-described-understood-and-appreciated/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [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/) > [I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-was-broken-in-body-soul-and-spirit-my-natural-elasticity-was/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, that whenever my condition was improved, instead of increasing my contentment; it only increased my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my-2/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/at-a-time-like-this-scorching-irony-not-convincing-argument-is-needed/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) [Explore all 348 Frederick Douglass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) ## More Abolition quotes > [Unpleasant questions are being raised about Mother's Day. Is this day necessary? . . . Isn't it bad public policy? . . . No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/unpleasant-questions-are-being-raised-about-mother-s-day-is-this-day/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Anarchism is a definite intellectual current in the life of our times, whose adherents advocate the abolition of economic monopolies and of all political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/anarchism-is-a-definite-intellectual-current-in-the-life-of-our-times/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [Anarchism as a political philosophy seeks to dissolve all forms of authority and power, and if possible, wishes their complete abolition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/anarchism-as-a-political-philosophy-seeks-to-dissolve-all-forms-of/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [“I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lloyd-garrison/i-am-aware-that-many-object-to-the-severity-of-my-language-but-is/) [William Lloyd Garrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lloyd-garrison/) > [It seems like cloud cuckoo land. If anyone is suggesting that I would go to Parliament and suggest the abolition of the Pound Sterling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/it-seems-like-cloud-cuckoo-land-if-anyone-is-suggesting-that-i-would/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [We invite people working for peace to span generations and national boundaries, and gather together to communicate. Let us firmly join hands and foster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iccho-itoh/we-invite-people-working-for-peace-to-span-generations-and-national/) [Iccho Itoh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iccho-itoh/) > [Insofar as we may at all claim that slavery has been abolished today, we owe its abolition to the practical consequences of science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/insofar-as-we-may-at-all-claim-that-slavery-has-been-abolished-today/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [ You have not been mistaken in supposing my views and feeling to be in favor of the abolition of war. Of my dispos\[i\]tion to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/you-have-not-been-mistaken-in-supposing-my-views-and-feeling-to-be-in/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [On this International Day for the Abolition of Slavery let us reaffirm the inherent dignity of all men, women and children. And let us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-ki-moon/on-this-international-day-for-the-abolition-of-slavery-let-us/) [Ban Ki-moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ban-ki-moon/) > [Capitalism as a social order and as a creed is the expression of the belief in economic progress as leading toward the freedom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/capitalism-as-a-social-order-and-as-a-creed-is-the-expression-of-the/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [“What is, so to speak, the object of abolition? 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