--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is difficult, my dear Lucius, to…" description: "\"“It is difficult, my dear Lucius, to escape becoming the person others believe one to be. A slave is twice enslaved, once by his chains and once again ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/thornton-wilder-1495_enslaved_it-is-difficult-my-dear-lucius-to-escape_732471.jpg" --- # It is difficult, my dear Lucius, to escape becoming the… ![“It is difficult, my dear Lucius, to escape becoming the person others believe one to be. A slave is twice enslaved, once by his chains and once again by the glances that fall upon him and say "thou slave.” quote by Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/thornton-wilder-1495_enslaved_it-is-difficult-my-dear-lucius-to-escape_732471.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/thornton-wilder-1495_enslaved_it-is-difficult-my-dear-lucius-to-escape_732471.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/thornton-wilder-1495_enslaved_it-is-difficult-my-dear-lucius-to-escape_732471.jpg) > ““It is difficult, my dear Lucius, to escape becoming the person others believe one to be. A slave is twice enslaved, once by his chains and once again by the glances that fall upon him and say "thou slave.”” [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Societal expectations imprison individuals both physically and psychologically, making true freedom difficult when others constantly judge. **In simple terms:** People are trapped by both literal chains and social judgment. Key Takeaway Seek inner freedom beyond external labels. Themes freedom identity social pressure psychology Mood thoughtful somber Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - workplace dynamics - personal relationships - public speaking - social media Key Concepts existentialism social conformity self‑perception psychological oppression Questions to Reflect On - How do you define yourself beyond others’ views? - Can you resist the gaze that labels you? A Different Perspective Changing perception is hard without external validation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enslavement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enslavement/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) ## Related quotes > [“Your realm is an insane place. In Volaria, no-one goes hungry, slaves are no use when they starve. Those freeborn too lazy or lacking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ryan/your-realm-is-an-insane-place-in-volaria-no-one-goes-hungry-slaves/) [Anthony Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ryan/) > [“Because I don’t believe that you are a slave to what you’ve become. I don’t believe that you simply can’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/because-i-don-t-believe-that-you-are-a-slave-to-what-you-ve-become-i/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [Thou slave, thou wretch, thou coward! Thou little valiant, great in villainy! Thou ever strong upon the stronger side! Thou Fortune's champion, that dost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-slave-thou-wretch-thou-coward-thou-little-valiant-great-in/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Make thy recreation servant to thy business, lest thou become a slave to thy recreation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/make-thy-recreation-servant-to-thy-business-lest-thou-become-a-slave/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [“Art thou a slave? Then thou canst not be a friend. Art thou a tyrant? Then thou canst not have friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/art-thou-a-slave-then-thou-canst-not-be-a-friend-art-thou-a-tyrant/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [When your time is turned into money, the felt presence of immediate experience is analogous to being enslaved. I mean, let's be frank about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/when-your-time-is-turned-into-money-the-felt-presence-of-immediate/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [In New England enslaved people had the right to sue for wrongful enslavement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manisha-sinha/in-new-england-enslaved-people-had-the-right-to-sue-for-wrongful/) [Manisha Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manisha-sinha/) > [“You are blood of my blood and you will answer to me when I command.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-luedke/you-are-blood-of-my-blood-and-you-will-answer-to-me-when-i-command/) [Travis Luedke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-luedke/) > [“We’re not descendants of slaves. We’re descendants of free people who were enslaved.' 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None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/niemand-ist-mehr-sklave-als-der-sich-f-r-frei-h-lt-ohne-es-zu-sein/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Never forget that for 250 years black people were born into chains—whole generations followed by more generations who knew nothing but chains. You must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/never-forget-that-for-250-years-black-people-were-born-into-chains/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [There's a history of enslaved African-Americans having to make their slave masters comfortable. 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But there arose out of this denial itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/he-respected-the-slight-nervous-shadow-that-crossed-her-face-when-he/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [When you're safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you're having an adventure you wish you were safe at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/when-you-re-safe-at-home-you-wish-you-were-having-an-adventure-when/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“Simon Stimson: "...That's what it was to be alive. 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His life has been one long flight from reflection. At least he is clever enough not to expose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/cesar-is-not-a-philosophical-man-his-life-has-been-one-long-flight/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [Every person who has ever lived has lived an unbroken succession of unique occasions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/every-person-who-has-ever-lived-has-lived-an-unbroken-succession-of/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“Without your wounds where would your power be? It is your melancholy that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/without-your-wounds-where-would-your-power-be-it-is-your-melancholy/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [Ninety-nine per cent of the people in the world are fools and the rest of us are in great danger of contagion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/ninety-nine-per-cent-of-the-people-in-the-world-are-fools-and-the/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [There's nothing like mixing with woman to bring out all the foolishness in a man of sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/there-s-nothing-like-mixing-with-woman-to-bring-out-all-the/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) [Explore all 232 Thornton Wilder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) ## More Enslaved quotes > [We Muslims believe that the white race, which is guilty of having oppressed and exploited and enslaved our people here in America, should and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/we-muslims-believe-that-the-white-race-which-is-guilty-of-having/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Modern capitalism seeks to assure us that it operates according to the principles of free creativity, endless development and diversity. 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Those freeborn too lazy or lacking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ryan/your-realm-is-an-insane-place-in-volaria-no-one-goes-hungry-slaves/) [Anthony Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ryan/) > [“You hide it well, but I can see it, Lord Verniers. You hate us. We have beaten you to obedience but it's still there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ryan/you-hide-it-well-but-i-can-see-it-lord-verniers-you-hate-us-we-have/) [Anthony Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ryan/) > [All spirits are enslaved which serve things evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/all-spirits-are-enslaved-which-serve-things-evil/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [We would rather see London laid in ruins and ashes than that it should be tamely and abjectly enslaved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/we-would-rather-see-london-laid-in-ruins-and-ashes-than-that-it/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“It is not for you to say - you Englishmen, who have conquered your freedom so long ago, that you have conveniently forgotten what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilkie-collins/it-is-not-for-you-to-say-you-englishmen-who-have-conquered-your/) [Wilkie Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilkie-collins/) > [None are so hopelessly enslaved, as those who falsely believe they are free. 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