--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An unbroken horse erects his mane, paws…" description: "\"“An unbroken horse erects his mane, paws the ground and starts back impetuously at the sight of the bridle; while one which is properly trained suffers..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/647/rousseau-jean-jacques-51060_free-people_an-unbroken-horse-erects-his-mane-paws-t_154281.jpg" --- # An unbroken horse erects his mane, paws the ground and… ![“An unbroken horse erects his mane, paws the ground and starts back impetuously at the sight of the bridle; while one which is properly trained suffers patiently even whip and spur: so savage man will not bend his neck to the yoke to which civilised man submits without a murmur, but prefers the…” quote by Rousseau Jean-Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/647/rousseau-jean-jacques-51060_free-people_an-unbroken-horse-erects-his-mane-paws-t_154281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/647/rousseau-jean-jacques-51060_free-people_an-unbroken-horse-erects-his-mane-paws-t_154281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/647/rousseau-jean-jacques-51060_free-people_an-unbroken-horse-erects-his-mane-paws-t_154281.jpg) > ““An unbroken horse erects his mane, paws the ground and starts back impetuously at the sight of the bridle; while one which is properly trained suffers patiently even whip and spur: so savage man will not bend his neck to the yoke to which civilised man submits without a murmur, but prefers the most turbulent state of liberty to the most peaceful slavery. We cannot therefore, from the servility of nations already enslaved, judge of the natural disposition of mankind for or against slavery; we should go by the prodigious efforts of every free people to save itself from oppression. I know that the former are for ever holding forth in praise of the tranquillity they enjoy in their chains, and that they call a state of wretched servitude a state of peace: miserrimam servitutem pacem appellant. But when I observe the latter sacrificing pleasure, peace, wealth, power and life itself to the preservation of that one treasure, which is so disdained by those who have lost it; when I see free-born animals dash their brains out against the bars of their cage, from an innate impatience of captivity; when I behold numbers of naked savages, that despise European pleasures, braving hunger, fire, the sword and death, to preserve nothing but their independence, I feel that it is not for slaves to argue about liberty.”” [Rousseau Jean-Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rousseau-jean-jacques/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom is preferred over peaceful slavery; true liberty may be turbulent but authentic, unlike complacent oppression. **In simple terms:** People choose chaotic freedom over calm oppression. Key Takeaway Value authentic liberty over comfortable subjugation. Themes freedom slavery civilization human nature political philosophy Mood defiant thought‑provoking Type political philosophical When to use this quote - revolution - civil rights activism - ethical debates Key Concepts libertarianism social contract resistance movements Questions to Reflect On - What does liberty truly mean to you? - Is turbulence necessary for freedom? A Different Perspective May romanticize struggle over stability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Captivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captivity/) [Captivity Behold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captivity-behold-1710075/) [Free people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-people/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Inequality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inequality/) [Life itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-itself/) [Mankind Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind-slavery-1267445/) [Peaceful Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peaceful-slavery-1710074/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Slavery Servility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery-servility-1710073/) ## Related quotes > [Christianity is the enemy of liberty and civilization. It has kept mankind in slavery and oppression. 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You were born to be free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-muller/release-your-majestic-mind-embrace-your-untamed-inner-spirit-break/) [Melanie Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-muller/) > [When a captive lion steps out of his cage, he comes into a wider world than the lion who has known only the wilds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/when-a-captive-lion-steps-out-of-his-cage-he-comes-into-a-wider-world/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 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Live your own life and no longer be wretched!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rousseau-jean-jacques/oh-man-live-your-own-life-and-no-longer-be-wretched/) [Rousseau Jean-Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rousseau-jean-jacques/) > [“In addition to all that, a man may have any opinions he likes without that being any of the sovereign’s business. 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Moreover, blood pressure at home was unrelated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/the-less-control-people-had-over-their-work-the-higher-their-blood/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [We get into captivity because of our foolishness and we are more foolish that we want to admit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/we-get-into-captivity-because-of-our-foolishness-and-we-are-more/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [We can laugh from either joy or happiness, but we weep only from grief or joy...Without the pain of farewell, there is no joy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vaillant/we-can-laugh-from-either-joy-or-happiness-but-we-weep-only-from-grief/) [George Vaillant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vaillant/) > [“It is up to you whether social, intelligent and wonderful creatures are to be freed from their chains and cages where ruthless people keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natascha-kampusch/it-is-up-to-you-whether-social-intelligent-and-wonderful-creatures/) [Natascha Kampusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natascha-kampusch/) > [“Stability and order have always been paid for with captivity and blood. (76)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-doria-russell/stability-and-order-have-always-been-paid-for-with-captivity-and/) [Mary Doria Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-doria-russell/) > [“Mary was like a caged tiger in the first days of her captivity. Keen, alert, and watchful, she listened tensely each dawn for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-george/mary-was-like-a-caged-tiger-in-the-first-days-of-her-captivity-keen/) [Margaret George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-george/) [Browse all 180 Captivity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captivity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“An unbroken horse erects his mane, paws the ground and starts back impetuously at the sight of the bridle; while one which is properly trained suffers patiently even whip and spur: so savage man will not bend his neck to the yoke to which civilised man submits without a murmur, but prefers the most turbulent state of liberty to the most peaceful slavery. We cannot therefore, from the servility of nations already enslaved, judge of the natural disposition of mankind for or against slavery; we should go by the prodigious efforts of every free people to save itself from oppression. I know that the former are for ever holding forth in praise of the tranquillity they enjoy in their chains, and that they call a state of wretched servitude a state of peace: miserrimam servitutem pacem appellant. But when I observe the latter sacrificing pleasure, peace, wealth, power and life itself to the preservation of that one treasure, which is so disdained by those who have lost it; when I see free-born animals dash their brains out against the bars of their cage, from an innate impatience of captivity; when I behold numbers of naked savages, that despise European pleasures, braving hunger, fire, the sword and death, to preserve nothing but their independence, I feel that it is not for slaves to argue about liberty.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rousseau Jean-Jacques" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rousseau-jean-jacques/an-unbroken-horse-erects-his-mane-paws-the-ground-and-starts-back/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Captivity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rousseau-jean-jacques/an-unbroken-horse-erects-his-mane-paws-the-ground-and-starts-back/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/647/rousseau-jean-jacques-51060_free-people_an-unbroken-horse-erects-his-mane-paws-t_154281.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/647/rousseau-jean-jacques-51060_free-people_an-unbroken-horse-erects-his-mane-paws-t_154281.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/647/rousseau-jean-jacques-51060_free-people_an-unbroken-horse-erects-his-mane-paws-t_154281.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“An unbroken horse erects his mane, paws the ground and starts back impetuously at the sight of the bridle…” — Rousseau Jean-Jacques", "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": "Rousseau Jean-Jacques", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rousseau-jean-jacques/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“An unbroken horse erects his mane,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rousseau-jean-jacques/an-unbroken-horse-erects-his-mane-paws-the-ground-and-starts-back/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rousseau-jean-jacques/an-unbroken-horse-erects-his-mane-paws-the-ground-and-starts-back/#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 } } ] } ```