--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It wasn't so bad being a slave when your…" description: "\"It wasn't so bad being a slave when your owner was yourself and stood up for you.\" — Orson Scott Card" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/orson-scott-card-134_owner_it-wasn-t-so-bad-being-a-slave-when-your_2925458.png" --- # It wasn't so bad being a slave when your owner was… ![“It wasn't so bad being a slave when your owner was yourself and stood up for you.” quote by Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/orson-scott-card-134_owner_it-wasn-t-so-bad-being-a-slave-when-your_2925458.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/orson-scott-card-134_owner_it-wasn-t-so-bad-being-a-slave-when-your_2925458.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/orson-scott-card-134_owner_it-wasn-t-so-bad-being-a-slave-when-your_2925458.png) > “It wasn't so bad being a slave when your owner was yourself and stood up for you.” [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑ownership and internal empowerment can make even oppressive circumstances tolerable. **In simple terms:** Being your own master eases hardship. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner agency. Themes self‑empowerment freedom psychology Mood reflective determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - overcoming adversity - mental health - leadership development Key Concepts autonomy self‑determination resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can you claim ownership of your choices? - What internal resources help you endure hardship? A Different Perspective External oppression still limits true freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-slave-3717003/) [Owner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owner/) [Owner Stood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owner-stood-4284586/) [Owners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owners/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slave Owner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave-owner-513458/) [Stood up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stood-up/) ## Related quotes > [When you look at a corporation, just like when you look at a slave owner, you want to distinguish between the institution and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/when-you-look-at-a-corporation-just-like-when-you-look-at-a-slave/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Rooster was a bad slave. He had no use for anyone, not even the gods. Not that he was angry at the gods, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/rooster-was-a-bad-slave-he-had-no-use-for-anyone-not-even-the-gods/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [My favorite quote is Thomas Jefferson's "The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time." Well, he was a slave-owner.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/my-favorite-quote-is-thomas-jefferson-s-the-god-who-gave-us-life-gave/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I enjoyed my time as Raw Co-Owner. Actually I got beat more! I got beat up a lot as Co-owner but it was ok.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-flair/i-enjoyed-my-time-as-raw-co-owner-actually-i-got-beat-more-i-got-beat/) [Ric Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-flair/) > [By saying that someone becomes the owner of something, we are referring to a market transaction, while by saying that something is a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-callon/by-saying-that-someone-becomes-the-owner-of-something-we-are/) [Michel Callon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-callon/) > [The House shewes the owner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-house-shewes-the-owner/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Every problem must find it's owner before we can ever offer a solution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-silk/every-problem-must-find-it-s-owner-before-we-can-ever-offer-a-solution/) [Danny Silk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-silk/) > [“Most of the dreams that have suffered to death were murdered by their own owners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/most-of-the-dreams-that-have-suffered-to-death-were-murdered-by-their/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I am the guardian of power, not its owner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicente-fox/i-am-the-guardian-of-power-not-its-owner/) [Vicente Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicente-fox/) > [It's first owner...well, things didn't turn out too well for her. Her name was Helena.' Piper let that sink in. "Wait, you mean the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/it-s-first-owner-well-things-didn-t-turn-out-too-well-for-her-her/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [As the owner of the Arison Group, a philanthropic and business enterprise that spans across 40 countries in 5 continents, my ongoing challenge is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-arison/as-the-owner-of-the-arison-group-a-philanthropic-and-business/) [Shari Arison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-arison/) > [Many businesses fail because the owner wasn't willing to invest and wasn't educated on the difference between spending money frivolously and investing money into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-roth/many-businesses-fail-because-the-owner-wasn-t-willing-to-invest-and/) [Carol Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-roth/) > [One thing I've learned is that I'm not the owner of my talent; I'm the manager of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-i-m-not-the-owner-of-my-talent-i-m-the/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [There was not a single Negro slave owner who did not know dozens of Negroes just as capable of learning and efficiency as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/there-was-not-a-single-negro-slave-owner-who-did-not-know-dozens-of/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [“His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on the subject of human liberty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave-owner-who-was-also-one-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Orson Scott Card > [“You underestimate yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/you-underestimate-yourself/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Why did he hesitate? He finally admitted to himself that he was like an American child who was almost completely certain about Santa Claus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/why-did-he-hesitate-he-finally-admitted-to-himself-that-he-was-like/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“I don't know of a soul who doesn't maintain two separate lists of doctrines - the ones they believe they believe; and the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-don-t-know-of-a-soul-who-doesn-t-maintain-two-separate-lists-of/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Good people do not let others suffer needlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/good-people-do-not-let-others-suffer-needlessly/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“What we've done is make the categories of science fiction and fantasy larger, freer, and more inclusive than any other genre of contemporary literature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/what-we-ve-done-is-make-the-categories-of-science-fiction-and-fantasy/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Where ideas are real and reality is shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-ideas-are-real-and-reality-is-shadow/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Ender, for the past few months you have been the battle commander of our fleets. This was the Third Invasion. There were no games,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/ender-for-the-past-few-months-you-have-been-the-battle-commander-of/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Science fiction is about what could be but isn't; fantasy is about what couldn't be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/science-fiction-is-about-what-could-be-but-isn-t-fantasy-is-about/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Knowledge is just opinion that you trust enough to act upon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/knowledge-is-just-opinion-that-you-trust-enough-to-act-upon/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Of course they accused Marcão of having done it without provocation—that’s the way of torturers of every age, to put the blame on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/of-course-they-accused-marc-o-of-having-done-it-without-provocation/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Civilization is only a pretense; in the crisis, we become mere apes again, forgetting the rational biped of our pretensions and becoming instead the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/civilization-is-only-a-pretense-in-the-crisis-we-become-mere-apes/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Where did this whole thing begin? If what we think of as reality is just a pattern that somebody brought Outside, and the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/where-did-this-whole-thing-begin-if-what-we-think-of-as-reality-is/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) [Explore all 1,158 Orson Scott Card quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) ## More Owner quotes > [“the only real owner of anything is its commander;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/the-only-real-owner-of-anything-is-its-commander/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [I heard of this Texas studio. The owner, Tony Rancich, wanted to fly us out for the day to see the studio. I booked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vincent-mcmorrow/i-heard-of-this-texas-studio-the-owner-tony-rancich-wanted-to-fly-us/) [James Vincent McMorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vincent-mcmorrow/) > [I'm not the best dog owner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-broderick/i-m-not-the-best-dog-owner/) [Matthew Broderick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-broderick/) > [“I am not a photographer , I am a canon owner !!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walaa-walkademagmal/i-am-not-a-photographer-i-am-a-canon-owner/) [Walaa Walkademagmal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walaa-walkademagmal/) > [So do to serious threats by the owner, I am giving the page back to her. I know who the owner is, so please…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-do-to-serious-threats-by-the-owner-i-am-giving-the-page-back-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As long as I have the talent and there's a demand for the old Chinese man - whether he's a philosopher, or a master,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hong/as-long-as-i-have-the-talent-and-there-s-a-demand-for-the-old-chinese/) [James Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hong/) > [In the 1970s, professional sports found a different breed of team owner in George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-yaeger/in-the-1970s-professional-sports-found-a-different-breed-of-team/) [Don Yaeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-yaeger/) > [“We are like the moon. The moon shines anyway, but it does not produce its own light. It reflects the light illuminated onto its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/we-are-like-the-moon-the-moon-shines-anyway-but-it-does-not-produce/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [One thing I've learned is that I'm not the owner of my talent; I'm the manager of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-i-m-not-the-owner-of-my-talent-i-m-the/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [I think everyone is the perfect owner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudio-ranieri/i-think-everyone-is-the-perfect-owner/) [Claudio Ranieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudio-ranieri/) > [Did you know that the state is the proud owner of a condo complex in Conway? This budget adds a real estate manager position…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lynch/did-you-know-that-the-state-is-the-proud-owner-of-a-condo-complex-in/) [John Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lynch/) > [I am Zoidberg, home owner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoidberg/i-am-zoidberg-home-owner/) [Zoidberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoidberg/) > [Several record companies had rejected my song 'Owner of A Lonely Heart' on the grounds it was 'too left field.' I never create to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-rabin/several-record-companies-had-rejected-my-song-owner-of-a-lonely-heart/) [Trevor Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-rabin/) > [I'm as passionate as any car owner or car collector that has one car or 300 cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-goldberg/i-m-as-passionate-as-any-car-owner-or-car-collector-that-has-one-car/) [Bill Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-goldberg/) > [Many businesses fail because the owner wasn't willing to invest and wasn't educated on the difference between spending money frivolously and investing money into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-roth/many-businesses-fail-because-the-owner-wasn-t-willing-to-invest-and/) [Carol Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-roth/) [Browse all 152 Owner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owner/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It wasn't so bad being a slave when your owner was yourself and stood up for you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Orson Scott Card" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/it-wasn-t-so-bad-being-a-slave-when-your-owner-was-yourself-and-stood/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Owner" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/it-wasn-t-so-bad-being-a-slave-when-your-owner-was-yourself-and-stood/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/orson-scott-card-134_owner_it-wasn-t-so-bad-being-a-slave-when-your_2925458.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/orson-scott-card-134_owner_it-wasn-t-so-bad-being-a-slave-when-your_2925458.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/782/orson-scott-card-134_owner_it-wasn-t-so-bad-being-a-slave-when-your_2925458.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It wasn't so bad being a slave when your owner was yourself and stood up for you.” — Orson Scott Card", "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": "Orson Scott Card", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It wasn't so bad being a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/it-wasn-t-so-bad-being-a-slave-when-your-owner-was-yourself-and-stood/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/it-wasn-t-so-bad-being-a-slave-when-your-owner-was-yourself-and-stood/#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 } } ] } ```