--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: These were choice documents to me... They…" description: "\"These were choice documents to me... They gave tongue to interesting thoughts of my own soul, which had frequently flashed through my mind, and died aw..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c79/frederick-douglass-859_choices_these-were-choice-documents-to-me-they-g_2744476.jpg" --- # These were choice documents to me... They gave tongue to… ![“These were choice documents to me... They gave tongue to interesting thoughts of my own soul, which had frequently flashed through my mind, and died away for want of utterance.” quote by Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c79/frederick-douglass-859_choices_these-were-choice-documents-to-me-they-g_2744476.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c79/frederick-douglass-859_choices_these-were-choice-documents-to-me-they-g_2744476.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c79/frederick-douglass-859_choices_these-were-choice-documents-to-me-they-g_2744476.jpg) > “These were choice documents to me... They gave tongue to interesting thoughts of my own soul, which had frequently flashed through my mind, and died away for want of utterance.” [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. Expressing the frustration of unspoken ideas that die without being voiced. **In simple terms:** Ideas die if not spoken. Key Takeaway Speak your thoughts before they fade. Themes self‑expression creativity communication Mood reflective melancholic Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - writing - public speaking - personal journaling - artistic creation Key Concepts psychology voice inner dialogue Questions to Reflect On - What ideas are you holding back? - How could sharing change your perspective? A Different Perspective Silence can also preserve privacy or prevent conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/died/) [Documents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documents/) [Gave Tongue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gave-tongue-1314135/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Interesting Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-thoughts-3051898/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-died-2117590/) [My own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-own/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Thoughts Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-soul-846750/) [Tongue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tongue/) [Tongue Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tongue-interesting-3051897/) [Utterance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utterance/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [The happiest people in this world are those who have the most interesting thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/the-happiest-people-in-this-world-are-those-who-have-the-most/) [William Lyon Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-phelps/) > [Love may be the answer, but even though you're watching for the solution, intercourse raises some rather interesting thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/love-may-be-the-answer-but-even-though-you-re-watching-for-the/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [It's... a hard thing for a director, to think you came up with a shot, something from your mind, and someone died while doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bay/it-s-a-hard-thing-for-a-director-to-think-you-came-up-with-a-shot/) [Michael Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bay/) > [The man was hit in one eye by a stone, and that eye turned inward so that it looked into his mind, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/the-man-was-hit-in-one-eye-by-a-stone-and-that-eye-turned-inward-so/) [Patricia A. 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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. 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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 Choices quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) [Alison James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-james/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "These were choice documents to me... 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