--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our wisdom is slavish prejudice, our…" description: "\"“Our wisdom is slavish prejudice, our customs consist in control, constraint, compulsion. Civilised man is born and dies a slave. The infant is bound u..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/jean-jacques-rousseau-2-23802_culture_our-wisdom-is-slavish-prejudice-our-cust_447562.jpg" --- # Our wisdom is slavish prejudice, our customs consist in… ![“Our wisdom is slavish prejudice, our customs consist in control, constraint, compulsion. Civilised man is born and dies a slave. The infant is bound up in swaddling clothes, the corpse is nailed down in his coffin. All his life long man is imprisoned by our institutions.” quote by Jean Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/jean-jacques-rousseau-2-23802_culture_our-wisdom-is-slavish-prejudice-our-cust_447562.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/jean-jacques-rousseau-2-23802_culture_our-wisdom-is-slavish-prejudice-our-cust_447562.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/jean-jacques-rousseau-2-23802_culture_our-wisdom-is-slavish-prejudice-our-cust_447562.jpg) > ““Our wisdom is slavish prejudice, our customs consist in control, constraint, compulsion. Civilised man is born and dies a slave. The infant is bound up in swaddling clothes, the corpse is nailed down in his coffin. All his life long man is imprisoned by our institutions.”” [Jean Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human societies impose constraints that turn individuals into metaphorical slaves from birth to death. **In simple terms:** Society binds us like a slave from birth to death. Key Takeaway Recognize and question the constraints we accept. Themes freedom society control human nature Mood reflective critical Type philosophical social When to use this quote - education - legal reform - personal reflection - activism Key Concepts political philosophy social critique Questions to Reflect On - What constraints do you accept without question? - How can you reclaim personal autonomy? 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