--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They who are continually shocked by…" description: "\"They who are continually shocked by slavery have some right to be shocked by the violent death of the slaveholder, but no others.Such will be more shoc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/henry-david-thoreau-20_death_they-who-are-continually-shocked-by-slav_2024103.jpg" --- # They who are continually shocked by slavery have some… ![“They who are continually shocked by slavery have some right to be shocked by the violent death of the slaveholder, but no others.Such will be more shocked by his life than by his death.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/henry-david-thoreau-20_death_they-who-are-continually-shocked-by-slav_2024103.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/henry-david-thoreau-20_death_they-who-are-continually-shocked-by-slav_2024103.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/henry-david-thoreau-20_death_they-who-are-continually-shocked-by-slav_2024103.jpg) > “They who are continually shocked by slavery have some right to be shocked by the violent death of the slaveholder, but no others.Such will be more shocked by his life than by his death.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral outrage at injustice can extend to those who benefit from it, but empathy may differ for the oppressor’s life versus death. **In simple terms:** Shock at slavery can also target slaveholders, yet feelings vary. Key Takeaway Reflect on the depth of your moral responses. Themes justice empathy morality Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - activism - public policy - education - media commentary Key Concepts ethical philosophy social critique Questions to Reflect On - What distinguishes shock from sustained advocacy? - Can empathy for oppressors be productive? A Different Perspective Shock may not lead to constructive action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Slaveholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-slaveholder-3681970/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Shocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shocked/) [Shocked Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shocked-slavery-3681966/) [Slaveholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaveholder-1717814/) [Slaveholder Shocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaveholder-shocked-3681968/) [Slaveholders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaveholders/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Slavery Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery-right-1639430/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Violent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent/) [Violent death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent-death/) ## Related quotes > [The moment a man claims a right to control the will of a fellow being by physical force, he is at heart a slaveholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-clarke-wright/the-moment-a-man-claims-a-right-to-control-the-will-of-a-fellow-being/) [Henry Clarke Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-clarke-wright/) > [Our moneyed men have ruled us for the past thirty years. Under the flag of the slaveholder they hoped to destroy our liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-kearney/our-moneyed-men-have-ruled-us-for-the-past-thirty-years-under-the/) [Denis Kearney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-kearney/) > [It is not the fault of the slaveholder that he is cruel, so much as it is the fault of the system under which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-northup/it-is-not-the-fault-of-the-slaveholder-that-he-is-cruel-so-much-as-it/) [Solomon Northup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-northup/) > [I link dar's many a slaveholder'll git to Heaven. Dey don't know no better. Dey acts up to de light dey hab.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-tubman/i-link-dar-s-many-a-slaveholder-ll-git-to-heaven-dey-don-t-know-no/) [Harriet Tubman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-tubman/) > [One who is a slaveholder at heart never recognizes a human being in a slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-grimke/one-who-is-a-slaveholder-at-heart-never-recognizes-a-human-being-in-a/) [Angelina Grimke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-grimke/) > [To be a slaveholder meant one had to regard the African American as inferior in every way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-ambrose/to-be-a-slaveholder-meant-one-had-to-regard-the-african-american-as/) [Stephen Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-ambrose/) > [One section of our country believes slavery is right, and ought to be extended, while the other believes it is wrong, and ought not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/one-section-of-our-country-believes-slavery-is-right-and-ought-to-be/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [You think slavery is right and ought to be extended; while we think it is wrong and ought to be restricted. 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We of the South contend that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-m-keitt/the-anti-slavery-party-contends-that-slavery-is-wrong-in-itself-and/) [Laurence M. Keitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-m-keitt/) > [The mere toleration of the slave trade could not make slavery itself - the right of property in man - lawful any where; not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-mere-toleration-of-the-slave-trade-could-not-make-slavery-itself/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [It was Frederick Douglass, John Brown, Harriet Tubman, Wendell Phillips - these were the people who made abolition real. Now, none of you guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/it-was-frederick-douglass-john-brown-harriet-tubman-wendell-phillips/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [“Well," said Miss Ophelia, "do you think slavery right or wrong?" "I'm not going to have any of your horrid New England directness, cousin,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/well-said-miss-ophelia-do-you-think-slavery-right-or-wrong-i-m-not/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [The word ‘slavery’ and ‘right’ are contradictory, they cancel each other out. Whether as between one man and another, or between one man and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-word-slavery-and-right-are-contradictory-they-cancel-each-other/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. 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You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. 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Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) [J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. 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