--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man who is free and unmarried, if he…" description: "\"A man who is free and unmarried, if he has some intelligence, can rise above his fortune, mingle in society and meet the best people on an equal footin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/322/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_every-man_a-man-who-is-free-and-unmarried-if-he-ha_2414600.png" --- # A man who is free and unmarried, if he has some… ![“A man who is free and unmarried, if he has some intelligence, can rise above his fortune, mingle in society and meet the best people on an equal footing. This is harder for a married man: marriage, it seems, confines every man to his proper rank.” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/322/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_every-man_a-man-who-is-free-and-unmarried-if-he-ha_2414600.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/322/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_every-man_a-man-who-is-free-and-unmarried-if-he-ha_2414600.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/322/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_every-man_a-man-who-is-free-and-unmarried-if-he-ha_2414600.png) > “A man who is free and unmarried, if he has some intelligence, can rise above his fortune, mingle in society and meet the best people on an equal footing. This is harder for a married man: marriage, it seems, confines every man to his proper rank.” [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intelligence allows an unmarried person to transcend social rank, while marriage often limits social mobility and equality. **In simple terms:** Smart singles can mingle freely; marriage can restrict social freedom. Key Takeaway Cultivate personal growth regardless of marital status. Themes social mobility intelligence marriage class equality Mood thoughtful analytical neutral Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - career advancement - social events - networking - education Key Concepts social hierarchy personal agency marital constraints Questions to Reflect On - How does your marital status affect your social opportunities? - Can intelligence overcome structural constraints? A Different Perspective Marriage may impose societal expectations that limit freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Every man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-man/) [Free Unmarried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-unmarried-6090113/) [Man Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-marriage-2719432/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Married man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married-man/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Unmarried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unmarried/) [Unmarried Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unmarried-intelligence-6090114/) [Wedding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wedding/) ## Related quotes > [Rohan, one of us is an unmarried man with superior mathematical abilities and no prospects for the evening. The other is a confirmed lecher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/rohan-one-of-us-is-an-unmarried-man-with-superior-mathematical/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [I am an unmarried man, as opposed to a single man. A bachelor, according to the dictionary, is a man who has never been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-burr/i-am-an-unmarried-man-as-opposed-to-a-single-man-a-bachelor-according/) [Raymond Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-burr/) > [An unmarried man, in my opinion, enjoys only half a life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/an-unmarried-man-in-my-opinion-enjoys-only-half-a-life/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [“It was said that its existence protected decent women. An unmarried man could go to one of these houses and evacuate the sexual energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-was-said-that-its-existence-protected-decent-women-an-unmarried/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Every unmarried man is looking for a wife. They just don't always know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/every-unmarried-man-is-looking-for-a-wife-they-just-don-t-always-know/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [Ironically, survey after survey shows that married men are happier and healthier than unmarried men. Oh, and they also have more sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kimmel/ironically-survey-after-survey-shows-that-married-men-are-happier-and/) [Michael Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kimmel/) > [Going to bed with every man that comes across your way is not the best way to entice a man for marriage coz no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/usman-ismaheel/going-to-bed-with-every-man-that-comes-across-your-way-is-not-the/) [Usman Ismaheel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/usman-ismaheel/) > [For a woman as for a man, marriage might enormously help or devastatingly hinder the growth of her power to contribute something impersonally valuable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/for-a-woman-as-for-a-man-marriage-might-enormously-help-or/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [Man is less interested in marriage, very much less interested. In fact not interested at all. If he agrees, he agrees only reluctantly -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/man-is-less-interested-in-marriage-very-much-less-interested-in-fact/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I'm not the marrying kind -" St. Vincent snorted. "No man is. Marriage is a female invention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/i-m-not-the-marrying-kind-st-vincent-snorted-no-man-is-marriage-is-a/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [I see by the papers that they are going to do away with all the nuisance taxes. That means that a man can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-see-by-the-papers-that-they-are-going-to-do-away-with-all-the/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I'm the only man who has a marriage license made out To Whom It My Concern .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-m-the-only-man-who-has-a-marriage-license-made-out-to-whom-it-my/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Surely going to bed with a man before marriage was the most courageous act of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-trilling/surely-going-to-bed-with-a-man-before-marriage-was-the-most/) [Diana Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-trilling/) > [To a man, marriage means giving up four out of five of the chiffonier drawers; to a woman, giving up four out of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-rowland/to-a-man-marriage-means-giving-up-four-out-of-five-of-the-chiffonier/) [Helen Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-rowland/) > [There are few wives so perfect as not to give their husbands at least once a day good reason to repent of ever having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/there-are-few-wives-so-perfect-as-not-to-give-their-husbands-at-least/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## More by Jean de la Bruyere > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The unfaithful woman, if she is known for such by the person concerned, is only unfaithful. If she is thought faithful, she is perfidious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-unfaithful-woman-if-she-is-known-for-such-by-the-person-concerned/) [Jean De La Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Some people pretend they never were in love and never wrote poetry; two weaknesses which they dare not own -- one of the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/some-people-pretend-they-never-were-in-love-and-never-wrote-poetry/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man starts upon a sudden, takes Pen, Ink, and Paper, and without ever having had a thought of it before, resolves within himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-starts-upon-a-sudden-takes-pen-ink-and-paper-and-without-ever/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Born merely for the purpose of digestion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/born-merely-for-the-purpose-of-digestion/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man of variable mind is not one man, but several men in one; he multiplies himself as often as he changes his taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-of-variable-mind-is-not-one-man-but-several-men-in-one-he/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [He who knows how to wait for what he desires does not feel very desperate if he fails in obtaining it; and he, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/he-who-knows-how-to-wait-for-what-he-desires-does-not-feel-very/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. \[Fr.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marble-i-mean-that-it-is-made-up/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Grief that is dazed and speechless is out of fashion: the modern woman mourns her husband loudly and tells you the whole story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/grief-that-is-dazed-and-speechless-is-out-of-fashion-the-modern-woman/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Every hour in itself, as it respects us in particular, is the only one we can call our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/every-hour-in-itself-as-it-respects-us-in-particular-is-the-only-one/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [To express truth is to write naturally, forcibly, and delicately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/to-express-truth-is-to-write-naturally-forcibly-and-delicately/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [We perceive wen love begins and wen it declines by our embarrassment when alone together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-perceive-wen-love-begins-and-wen-it-declines-by-our-embarrassment/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I call those men worldly, earthly, or coarse, whose hearts and minds are wholly fixed on this earth, that small part of the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-call-those-men-worldly-earthly-or-coarse-whose-hearts-and-minds-are/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) [Explore all 464 Jean de la Bruyere quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## More Every man quotes > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Every man has his secret sadness and sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-man-has-his-secret-sadness-and-sorrows-which-the-world-knows/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“The old intergenerational give-and-take of the country-that-used-to-be, when everyone knew his role and took the rules dead seriously, the acculturating back-and-forth that all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-old-intergenerational-give-and-take-of-the-country-that-used-to/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Every man must wear out at least one pair of fools shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-derr-biggers/every-man-must-wear-out-at-least-one-pair-of-fools-shoes/) [Earl Derr Biggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-derr-biggers/) > [Every man who is high up likes to think that he has done it all himself, and the wife smiles and lets it go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-man-who-is-high-up-likes-to-think-that-he-has-done-it-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every man remembers his childhood as a kind of mythical age, just as every nation's childhood is its mythical age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/every-man-remembers-his-childhood-as-a-kind-of-mythical-age-just-as/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [All religions must be tolerated for every man must get to heaven in his own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-religions-must-be-tolerated-for-every-man-must-get-to-heaven-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Use every man according to his desert and who should 'scape whipping? Use them after your own honor and dignity, the less they deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/use-every-man-according-to-his-desert-and-who-should-scape-whipping/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“China reminds me most of America at its own moment of transformation—the period that Mark Twain and Charles Warner named the Gilded Age, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-osnos/china-reminds-me-most-of-america-at-its-own-moment-of-transformation/) [Evan Osnos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-osnos/) > [Every man is a missionary, now and forever, for good or for evil, whether he intends or designs it or not. He may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chalmers/every-man-is-a-missionary-now-and-forever-for-good-or-for-evil/) [Thomas Chalmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chalmers/) > [“John, let me make one thing clear,” Jim said, cutting me off in his most stern, evangelical voice. “Every man is blessed with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/john-let-me-make-one-thing-clear-jim-said-cutting-me-off-in-his-most/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [Every man's heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe a final breath. And if what that man did in his life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-ultimate-warrior/every-man-s-heart-one-day-beats-its-final-beat-his-lungs-breathe-a/) [The Ultimate Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-ultimate-warrior/) [Browse all 3,342 Every man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-man/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man who is free and unmarried, if he has some intelligence, can rise above his fortune, mingle in society and meet the best people on an equal footing. This is harder for a married man: marriage, it seems, confines every man to his proper rank.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean de la Bruyere" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-who-is-free-and-unmarried-if-he-has-some-intelligence-can-rise/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Every man" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-who-is-free-and-unmarried-if-he-has-some-intelligence-can-rise/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/322/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_every-man_a-man-who-is-free-and-unmarried-if-he-ha_2414600.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/322/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_every-man_a-man-who-is-free-and-unmarried-if-he-ha_2414600.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/322/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_every-man_a-man-who-is-free-and-unmarried-if-he-ha_2414600.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man who is free and unmarried, if he has some intelligence, can rise above his fortune, mingle in society…” — Jean de la Bruyere", "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": "Jean de la Bruyere", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man who is free and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-who-is-free-and-unmarried-if-he-has-some-intelligence-can-rise/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-who-is-free-and-unmarried-if-he-has-some-intelligence-can-rise/#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 } } ] } ```