---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only requisite to entry into the…"
description: "\"The only requisite to entry into the Middle Passage is to have discovered that one does not know who one is, that there are no rescuers, no Mommy or Da..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/james-hollis-13286_daddy_the-only-requisite-to-entry-into-the-mid_2250503.jpg"
---

#  The only requisite to entry into the Middle Passage is to…

![“The only requisite to entry into the Middle Passage is to have discovered that one does not know who one is, that there are no rescuers, no Mommy or Daddy, and that one's fellow travelers will do well to survive themselves.” quote by James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/james-hollis-13286_daddy_the-only-requisite-to-entry-into-the-mid_2250503.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/james-hollis-13286_daddy_the-only-requisite-to-entry-into-the-mid_2250503.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/james-hollis-13286_daddy_the-only-requisite-to-entry-into-the-mid_2250503.jpg)

> “The only requisite to entry into the Middle Passage is to have discovered that one does not know who one is, that there are no rescuers, no Mommy or Daddy, and that one's fellow travelers will do well to survive themselves.”

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Entering deep self‑knowledge requires confronting the unknown, lacking external saviors, and recognizing each must navigate their own survival.

**In simple terms:** Self‑discovery is lonely and requires personal responsibility.

Key Takeaway

Embrace solitude as a catalyst for growth.

Themes

self‑awareness loneliness survival

Mood

introspective serious

Type

psychological philosophical

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- solo retreats
- midlife crises
- spiritual quests

Key Concepts

existential psychology individuation

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you find support while facing your inner journey?
- What practices help you stay grounded?

A Different Perspective

Relying solely on self can lead to isolation and overwhelm.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fellow travelers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellow-travelers/) [Middle passage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-passage/) [Rescuers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rescuers/) [Traveler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traveler/) [Travelers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travelers/)

## Related quotes

> [With 'Fellow Travelers,' I think I was consciously trying to imagine what my own life as a gay man might have been like if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mallon/with-fellow-travelers-i-think-i-was-consciously-trying-to-imagine/)

[Thomas Mallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mallon/)

> [From a population point of view, it's actually very important that as few people as possible get the flu. People getting the flu is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-redlener/from-a-population-point-of-view-it-s-actually-very-important-that-as/)

[Irwin Redlener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-redlener/)

> [There is no such thing as a boring person: everyone has stories and insights worth sharing. While on the road, we let our phones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-boring-person-everyone-has-stories-and/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [“Life is perfect for none of us. Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/life-is-perfect-for-none-of-us-rather-than-being-judgmental-and-2/)

[Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/)

> [“We, each of us, have a ticket to ride, and if the trip be interesting (if it's dull, we have only ourselves to blame),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/we-each-of-us-have-a-ticket-to-ride-and-if-the-trip-be-interesting-if/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [One of the most powerful shocks of the Middle Passage is the collapse of our tacit contract with the universe-the assumption that if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/one-of-the-most-powerful-shocks-of-the-middle-passage-is-the-collapse/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [The first Black Migration to this country was forced migration. It was the Middle Passage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/the-first-black-migration-to-this-country-was-forced-migration-it-was/)

[William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/)

> [We have inherited a fear of memories of slavery. It is as if to remember and acknowledge slavery would amount to our being consumed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/we-have-inherited-a-fear-of-memories-of-slavery-it-is-as-if-to/)

[Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/)

> [“On any basic figure of the Africans landed alive in the Americas, one would have to make several extensions- starting with a calculation to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-rodney/on-any-basic-figure-of-the-africans-landed-alive-in-the-americas-one/)

[Walter Rodney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-rodney/)

> [“PROGENY OF THE MIDDLE PASSAGE The leaky little tubs which the sea devours are the granddaughters of those slave ships. Today’s slaves, though no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/progeny-of-the-middle-passage-the-leaky-little-tubs-which-the-sea/)

[Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/)

> [I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark. But I am doing my best to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ashe/i-keep-sailing-on-in-this-middle-passage-i-am-sailing-into-the-wind/)

[Arthur Ashe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ashe/)

> [“African American racial consciousness responds to the horrors of the Middle Passage and New World slavery as well as to the unfulfilled promise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dain/african-american-racial-consciousness-responds-to-the-horrors-of-the/)

Bruce Dain

> [I thought that, given the system of rewards central to our economic system, in which profit maximization is valued above all else and specifically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/i-thought-that-given-the-system-of-rewards-central-to-our-economic/)

[Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/)

> [You can say I had a severe case of 'Roots' envy. I wanted to be like Alex Haley, and I wanted to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/you-can-say-i-had-a-severe-case-of-roots-envy-i-wanted-to-be-like/)

[Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/)

> [It was not Christianity which freed the slave: Christianity accepted slavery; Christian ministers defended it; Christian merchants trafficked in human flesh and blood, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hypatia-bradlaugh-bonner/it-was-not-christianity-which-freed-the-slave-christianity-accepted/)

[Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hypatia-bradlaugh-bonner/)

## More by James Hollis

> [“The act of consciousness is central; otherwise we are overrun by the complexes. The hero in each of us is required to answer the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/the-act-of-consciousness-is-central-otherwise-we-are-overrun-by-the/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [“Those who say that they know what kind of art they like, or what kind of god, or what kind of moral structure are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/those-who-say-that-they-know-what-kind-of-art-they-like-or-what-kind/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [“Where am I asking others to take responsibility for my life? Let's face it - we would all love to be taken care of.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/where-am-i-asking-others-to-take-responsibility-for-my-life-let-s/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [“… but she herself embodies their greatest, most therapeutic gift: the message that we are here to be here , to go through it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/but-she-herself-embodies-their-greatest-most-therapeutic-gift-the/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [“David McKay, 1900. Wolfe, Thomas. Look Homeward, Angel. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1929. Yeats, William Butler. A Vision”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/david-mckay-1900-wolfe-thomas-look-homeward-angel-new-york-simon-and/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [“Today, as we have seen, fascism and communism are discredited, but are replaced by a paraphilic consumer culture driven by fantasy, desperately in search…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/today-as-we-have-seen-fascism-and-communism-are-discredited-but-are/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [In the end, we are only tiny frightened animals, doing our best to survive amid other tiny frightened animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/in-the-end-we-are-only-tiny-frightened-animals-doing-our-best-to/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [“Though inland far we be, Our Souls have sight of that immortal sea Which brought us hither.” William Wordsworth,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/though-inland-far-we-be-our-souls-have-sight-of-that-immortal-sea/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [In the second half of life, the questions become: 'Who, apart from the roles you play, are you? What does the soul ask of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/in-the-second-half-of-life-the-questions-become-who-apart-from-the/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [To experience some healing within yourself, and to contribute healing to the world, you are summoned to wade through the muck from time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/to-experience-some-healing-within-yourself-and-to-contribute-healing/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [One of the most powerful shocks of the Middle Passage is the collapse of our tacit contract with the universe-the assumption that if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/one-of-the-most-powerful-shocks-of-the-middle-passage-is-the-collapse/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [Is not our chief neurosis - by which I mean our estrangement from nature - our desire to hold fast to what is forever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/is-not-our-chief-neurosis-by-which-i-mean-our-estrangement-from/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [“It is only when we welcome such spirits and give them entrance that they may reveal themselves to us. When we open to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/it-is-only-when-we-welcome-such-spirits-and-give-them-entrance-that/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [Anger is generally seen as an unwelcome presence in our midst, however natural it may be. Although each person, and each society, is charged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/anger-is-generally-seen-as-an-unwelcome-presence-in-our-midst-however/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

> [Learning to live with ambiguity is learning to live with how life really is, full of complexities and strange surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/learning-to-live-with-ambiguity-is-learning-to-live-with-how-life/)

[James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

[Explore all 50 James Hollis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/)

## More Daddy quotes

> [I use all my skills that I can muster up, but the fun thing is that I find some untapped skills every once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-use-all-my-skills-that-i-can-muster-up-but-the-fun-thing-is-that-i/)

[Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/)

> [To the newcomer to the south, hearing that a coworker plans a weekend visit to 'mama and them's' (the correct plural possessive, don'tchaknow), might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-rivenbark/to-the-newcomer-to-the-south-hearing-that-a-coworker-plans-a-weekend/)

[Celia Rivenbark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-rivenbark/)

> [Daddy always said the only thing worth begging for was your life, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe sometimes your love is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/daddy-always-said-the-only-thing-worth-begging-for-was-your-life-but/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [I love you mommy. 'I don't have any money, try your dad.' I love you daddy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-you-mommy-i-don-t-have-any-money-try-your-dad-i-love-you-daddy/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [You two faced threw your teeth u ain't nun but babe daddy go wash your feet go with the girl u so call sweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherrykee/you-two-faced-threw-your-teeth-u-ain-t-nun-but-babe-daddy-go-wash/)

Cherrykee

> [I will never be your father. But when ever you need a Dad/Daddy that is what I am here for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-deeves/i-will-never-be-your-father-but-when-ever-you-need-a-dad-daddy-that/)

Mike Deeves

> [“One thing I always admired about Daddy was the way he could bounce back from adversity. From the very beginning of his life, he’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-k-campbell/one-thing-i-always-admired-about-daddy-was-the-way-he-could-bounce/)

L.K. Campbell

> [Your daddy is a wine, and your mommy's quite insane. From altar boy to sewer rat, you don't give a damn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megadeth/your-daddy-is-a-wine-and-your-mommy-s-quite-insane-from-altar-boy-to/)

[Megadeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megadeth/)

> [Terrorism is obviously on everybody's mind. The other day my son says to me, 'Daddy, how come the bad men hate us?' How sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-giraldo/terrorism-is-obviously-on-everybody-s-mind-the-other-day-my-son-says/)

[Greg Giraldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-giraldo/)

> [Summer time an' the livin' is easy, Fish are jumpin' an' the cotton is high. Oh, yo' daddy's rich, and yo' ma' is good-lookin',…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-gershwin/summer-time-an-the-livin-is-easy-fish-are-jumpin-an-the-cotton-is/)

[Ira Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-gershwin/)

> [Nobody ever says, 'Hey daddy, thanks for knockin' out this rent.' 'Hey daddy, I sure love this hot water.' 'Hey daddy, it's easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/nobody-ever-says-hey-daddy-thanks-for-knockin-out-this-rent-hey-daddy/)

[Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/)

> [I love my dad; I'm a daddy's girl, all the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-quinn/i-love-my-dad-i-m-a-daddy-s-girl-all-the-way/)

[Molly Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-quinn/)

> [Good morning, daddy! Ain't you heard The boogie-woogie rumble Of a dream deferred? • • • • You think It's a happy beat?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/good-morning-daddy-ain-t-you-heard-the-boogie-woogie-rumble-of-a/)

[Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/)

> [I was listening to Chuck D, KRS, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, all the greats, studying them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mc-ren/i-was-listening-to-chuck-d-krs-rakim-big-daddy-kane-all-the-greats/)

[MC Ren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mc-ren/)

Browse all 1,116 Daddy quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The only requisite to entry into the Middle Passage is to have discovered that one does not know who one is, that there are no rescuers, no Mommy or Daddy, and that one's fellow travelers will do well to survive themselves.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Hollis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/the-only-requisite-to-entry-into-the-middle-passage-is-to-have/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Daddy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/the-only-requisite-to-entry-into-the-middle-passage-is-to-have/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/james-hollis-13286_daddy_the-only-requisite-to-entry-into-the-mid_2250503.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/james-hollis-13286_daddy_the-only-requisite-to-entry-into-the-mid_2250503.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d1/james-hollis-13286_daddy_the-only-requisite-to-entry-into-the-mid_2250503.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The only requisite to entry into the Middle Passage is to have discovered that one does not know who one is…” — James Hollis",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "James Hollis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The only requisite to entry into...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/the-only-requisite-to-entry-into-the-middle-passage-is-to-have/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/the-only-requisite-to-entry-into-the-middle-passage-is-to-have/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
