--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think we ought to let him hang there…" description: "\"I think we ought to let him hang there, let him twist slowly, slowly in the wind.\" — John Ehrlichman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/john-ehrlichman-73725_killing_i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-l_1795034.png" --- # I think we ought to let him hang there, let him twist… ![“I think we ought to let him hang there, let him twist slowly, slowly in the wind.” quote by John Ehrlichman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/john-ehrlichman-73725_killing_i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-l_1795034.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/john-ehrlichman-73725_killing_i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-l_1795034.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/john-ehrlichman-73725_killing_i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-l_1795034.png) > “I think we ought to let him hang there, let him twist slowly, slowly in the wind.” John Ehrlichman ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suggests allowing a person to endure a slow, painful process without intervention. **In simple terms:** Let him suffer slowly. Key Takeaway Consider the ethics of passive suffering. Themes ethics power suffering Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - political negotiations - interrogations - conflict resolution - medical decisions Key Concepts psychology control passivity Questions to Reflect On - Is passive endurance ever justified? - What are the costs of inaction? A Different Perspective May cause unnecessary harm and moral injury. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) ## Related quotes > [Well, I think we ought to let him hang there. Let him twist slowly, slowly in the wind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ehrlichman/well-i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-let-him-twist-slowly/) John Ehrlichman > [“Let the story settle inside you. Let it move and twist around until you see what it has to say to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-callahan-henry/let-the-story-settle-inside-you-let-it-move-and-twist-around-until/) [Patti Callahan Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-callahan-henry/) > [Few people, very few, have a treasure, and if you do you must hang onto it. You must not let yourself be waylaid, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/few-people-very-few-have-a-treasure-and-if-you-do-you-must-hang-onto/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [Sometimes, we hang on, even if we should let go, because sometimes, the right things dont always give us the best feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-gaufo/sometimes-we-hang-on-even-if-we-should-let-go-because-sometimes-the/) Marco Gaufo > [If they want to hang me, let them. And on the scaffold I will shout Freedom for the working class!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-jones/if-they-want-to-hang-me-let-them-and-on-the-scaffold-i-will-shout/) Mother Jones > [“Few people, very few, have a treasure, and if you do you must hang on to it. You must not let yourself be waylaid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/few-people-very-few-have-a-treasure-and-if-you-do-you-must-hang-on-to/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I'll just strut in my birthday suit and let everything hang loose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/i-ll-just-strut-in-my-birthday-suit-and-let-everything-hang-loose/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [You have to let it all hang out, let go of the ideas that were more comfortable and embrace some of the sadness in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-peyroux/you-have-to-let-it-all-hang-out-let-go-of-the-ideas-that-were-more/) [Madeleine Peyroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-peyroux/) > [“What are you grinning for?' he asked the figure on the next branch. I CAN'T HELP IT, said Death. NOW WOULD YOU BE SO…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/what-are-you-grinning-for-he-asked-the-figure-on-the-next-branch-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I think sometimes if you let it all hang out, it makes you a target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naturi-naughton/i-think-sometimes-if-you-let-it-all-hang-out-it-makes-you-a-target/) [Naturi Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naturi-naughton/) > [“Let her hang me: he that is well hanged in this world needs to fear no colours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-her-hang-me-he-that-is-well-hanged-in-this-world-needs-to-fear-no/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Let's hang ourselves immediately!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/let-s-hang-ourselves-immediately/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [That's something I do each and every day, come in and compete, just let it hang loose, and throw it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devlin-hodges/that-s-something-i-do-each-and-every-day-come-in-and-compete-just-let/) [Devlin Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devlin-hodges/) > [No religion has mandated killing others as a requirement for its sustenance or promotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-religion-has-mandated-killing-others-as-a-requirement-for-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ The best way to marginalize the Muslim Brotherhood \[in Egypt\] is in the ballot box, not through arrests and killing people. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/the-best-way-to-marginalize-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-egypt-is-in-the/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) ## More by John Ehrlichman > [Look, we understood we couldn't make it illegal to be young or poor or black in the United States, but we could criminalize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ehrlichman/look-we-understood-we-couldn-t-make-it-illegal-to-be-young-or-poor-or/) John Ehrlichman > [ \[T\]he Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar Left, and black people. You understand what… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ehrlichman/t-he-nixon-campaign-in-1968-and-the-nixon-white-house-after-that-had/) John Ehrlichman > [Well, I think we ought to let him hang there. Let him twist slowly, slowly in the wind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ehrlichman/well-i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-let-him-twist-slowly/) John Ehrlichman Explore all 4 John Ehrlichman quotes ## More Killing quotes > [ The best way to marginalize the Muslim Brotherhood \[in Egypt\] is in the ballot box, not through arrests and killing people. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/the-best-way-to-marginalize-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-egypt-is-in-the/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [No religion has mandated killing others as a requirement for its sustenance or promotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-religion-has-mandated-killing-others-as-a-requirement-for-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [Many years ago I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realised, 'I am killing him - all for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/many-years-ago-i-was-fishing-and-as-i-was-reeling-in-the-poor-fish-i/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [Killing shit the ever so talented Mr. Ripley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/killing-shit-the-ever-so-talented-mr-ripley/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Humans had always been better at killing than any other living thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/humans-had-always-been-better-at-killing-than-any-other-living-thing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Those old hypocrites. They talk about killing witches but the Good Book’s full of magic. Turning the Nile to blood and parting the Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/those-old-hypocrites-they-talk-about-killing-witches-but-the-good/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [Muses had a way of killing those whom they inspired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-neville/muses-had-a-way-of-killing-those-whom-they-inspired/) [Katherine Neville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-neville/) > [“I would ask what it is you think you're doing, but... you are a teenager. I should have known better than to leave you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/i-would-ask-what-it-is-you-think-you-re-doing-but-you-are-a-teenager/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [Yelena.” I halted in the doorway, looking back over my shoulder. “You once said I wasn’t ready to believe your reason for killing Reyad.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/yelena-i-halted-in-the-doorway-looking-back-over-my-shoulder-you-once/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) > [Killing became the same thing as having sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-lee-lucas/killing-became-the-same-thing-as-having-sex/) Henry Lee Lucas > [“English: "Being an adult doesn't mean killing the child we once were; it means being able to protect him." Česky: „Být dospělým neznamená zabít…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebasti-n-wortys/english-being-an-adult-doesn-t-mean-killing-the-child-we-once-were-it/) [Sebastián Wortys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebasti-n-wortys/) > [If both parties have a stake in the other, the chances of them killing each other are going to be reduced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/if-both-parties-have-a-stake-in-the-other-the-chances-of-them-killing/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [Dancing with death meant being committed to killing, committed with your heart and soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/dancing-with-death-meant-being-committed-to-killing-committed-with/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) [Browse all 2,564 Killing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think we ought to let him hang there, let him twist slowly, slowly in the wind.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ehrlichman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ehrlichman/i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-let-him-twist-slowly-slowly-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Killing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ehrlichman/i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-let-him-twist-slowly-slowly-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/john-ehrlichman-73725_killing_i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-l_1795034.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/john-ehrlichman-73725_killing_i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-l_1795034.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/john-ehrlichman-73725_killing_i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-l_1795034.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think we ought to let him hang there, let him twist slowly, slowly in the wind.” — John Ehrlichman", "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": "John Ehrlichman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ehrlichman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think we ought to let...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ehrlichman/i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-let-him-twist-slowly-slowly-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ehrlichman/i-think-we-ought-to-let-him-hang-there-let-him-twist-slowly-slowly-in/#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 } } ] } ```