--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In marriage a little licence, a little…" description: "\"In marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people living together day in and day out in the same house.\" — Virginia Woolf" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/virginia-woolf-49_freedom_in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-in_2346372.jpg" --- # In marriage a little licence, a little independence there… ![“In marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people living together day in and day out in the same house.” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/virginia-woolf-49_freedom_in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-in_2346372.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/virginia-woolf-49_freedom_in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-in_2346372.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/virginia-woolf-49_freedom_in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-in_2346372.jpg) > “In marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people living together day in and day out in the same house.” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She argues that couples need personal space and autonomy within marriage to maintain a healthy relationship. **In simple terms:** Couples need independence alongside togetherness. Key Takeaway Balance personal freedom with shared life. Themes relationships marriage individuality Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily cohabitation - long‑term partnership - conflict resolution Key Concepts personal autonomy shared life boundaries Questions to Reflect On - How do you negotiate independence with a partner? - What boundaries support both togetherness and freedom? A Different Perspective Too much independence can cause emotional distance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Independence People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence-people-318732/) [Little Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-independence-1844400/) [Little Licence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-licence-1844401/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Living together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-together/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Marriage Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage-little-1756669/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) ## Related quotes > [“For in marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people living together day in day out in the same house;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-independence-there-must-be/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For in marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people living together day in day out in the same house;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-independence-there-must-be-2/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [You can make your marriage a little bit of heaven on earth by following God's plan of teamwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-george/you-can-make-your-marriage-a-little-bit-of-heaven-on-earth-by/) [Jim George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-george/) > [Even hooligans marry, though they know that marriage is for a little while. It is alimony that is for ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/even-hooligans-marry-though-they-know-that-marriage-is-for-a-little/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Men are fine, love is fine, it's marriage I'm a little disappointed in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedy-lamarr/men-are-fine-love-is-fine-it-s-marriage-i-m-a-little-disappointed-in/) [Hedy Lamarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedy-lamarr/) > [“Go back to your house then, and see what happiness you find there.’ ‘It has nothing to do with happiness.’ ‘It is true that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/go-back-to-your-house-then-and-see-what-happiness-you-find-there-it/) [Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/) > [Aid leads to more aid and more aid and more aid and less independence of the people that are receiving aid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kagame/aid-leads-to-more-aid-and-more-aid-and-more-aid-and-less-independence/) [Paul Kagame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kagame/) > [“When an independent company undertakes to travel across the plains, they are generally too independent for their own safety and good. There never was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/when-an-independent-company-undertakes-to-travel-across-the-plains/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [I know this independence is what people like most about my brand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raf-simons/i-know-this-independence-is-what-people-like-most-about-my-brand/) [Raf Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raf-simons/) > [“it was the first mass act of independence by a people who were in bondage in this country for far longer than they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-wilkerson/it-was-the-first-mass-act-of-independence-by-a-people-who-were-in/) [Isabel Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-wilkerson/) > [“In Pakistan when women say they want independence, people think this means we don’t want to obey our fathers, brothers or husbands. But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/in-pakistan-when-women-say-they-want-independence-people-think-this/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [“These countries formally achieved independence ,but they didn't achieve real freedom, since freedom of any kind is primarily spiritual.the independence of a people which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/these-countries-formally-achieved-independence-but-they-didn-t/) [Alija Izetbegović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [I think Nigerians got it wrong from independence as people became so conscious of the divisions because we wanted so much to satisfy the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/i-think-nigerians-got-it-wrong-from-independence-as-people-became-so/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [“Pivotally, what we find in Torah is not privatized religion but a social vision, not ascetic distancing from the world but a deep engagement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shai-held/pivotally-what-we-find-in-torah-is-not-privatized-religion-but-a/) [Shai Held](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shai-held/) > [We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-have-learned-to-fly-the-air-like-birds-and-swim-the-sea-like-fish/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) ## More by Virginia Woolf > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/across-the-broad-continent-of-a-woman-s-life-falls-the-shadow-of-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Sometimes he woke with a brain like lead; at others it was as if a thousand wax tapers were alight and people were throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/sometimes-he-woke-with-a-brain-like-lead-at-others-it-was-as-if-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [A veil of insanity everywhere: Oh why I was born in this age? It is a terrible age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-veil-of-insanity-everywhere-oh-why-i-was-born-in-this-age-it-is-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Love ought to stop on both sides, don’t you think, simultaneously?’ He spoke without any stress on the words, so as not to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/love-ought-to-stop-on-both-sides-don-t-you-think-simultaneously-he/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“what a luxury to be alone once more,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-luxury-to-be-alone-once-more/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...a woman writing thinks back through her mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-woman-writing-thinks-back-through-her-mothers/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For one's children so often gave one's own perceptions a little thrust forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-one-s-children-so-often-gave-one-s-own-perceptions-a-little/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people living together day in and day out in the same house.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Virginia Woolf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-independence-there-must-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-independence-there-must-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/virginia-woolf-49_freedom_in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-in_2346372.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/virginia-woolf-49_freedom_in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-in_2346372.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb4/virginia-woolf-49_freedom_in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-in_2346372.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people living together day in and…” — Virginia Woolf", "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": "Virginia Woolf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In marriage a little licence, a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-independence-there-must-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/in-marriage-a-little-licence-a-little-independence-there-must-be/#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 } } ] } ```