---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He realized that he was manacled hand and…"
description: "\"“He realized that he was manacled hand and foot with fetters that were only more intolerable because they consisted of nothing more substantial than th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/w-somerset-maugham-237_causing-pain_he-realized-that-he-was-manacled-hand-an_749582.jpg"
---

#  He realized that he was manacled hand and foot with…

![“He realized that he was manacled hand and foot with fetters that were only more intolerable because they consisted of nothing more substantial than the dread of causing pain.” quote by W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/w-somerset-maugham-237_causing-pain_he-realized-that-he-was-manacled-hand-an_749582.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/w-somerset-maugham-237_causing-pain_he-realized-that-he-was-manacled-hand-an_749582.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/w-somerset-maugham-237_causing-pain_he-realized-that-he-was-manacled-hand-an_749582.jpg)

> ““He realized that he was manacled hand and foot with fetters that were only more intolerable because they consisted of nothing more substantial than the dread of causing pain.””

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The fear of hurting others can become a self‑imposed restraint that feels more oppressive than any physical chain.

**In simple terms:** Fear of causing pain can imprison us.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and question irrational fears.

Themes

psychology freedom self‑control

Mood

anxious reflective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- leadership decisions
- ethical dilemmas

Key Concepts

existentialism self‑fulfilling prophecy

Questions to Reflect On

- What fears are based on imagined consequences?
- How can you test whether a fear is realistic?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Causing pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causing-pain/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fetters Intolerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fetters-intolerable-5834752/) [Intolerable Consisted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerable-consisted-5834753/) [Manacled Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manacled-hand-5834751/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Realized Manacled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realized-manacled-5834754/)

## Related quotes

> [“...dancing with someone who is causing you pain is a bit like trying to smile while having a tooth extracted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapka-kassabova/dancing-with-someone-who-is-causing-you-pain-is-a-bit-like-trying-to/)

[Kapka Kassabova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapka-kassabova/)

> [Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/because-only-then-does-one-feel-that-all-is-as-it-should-be-and-that/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [It's time to take my life back from the people that are causing my pain and making me unhappy. This is my life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nylle/it-s-time-to-take-my-life-back-from-the-people-that-are-causing-my/)

[Nylle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nylle/)

> [When there is pain, the animal instinct is 'fight or flight' (i.e., to either strike back or run away) - reflect instead. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/when-there-is-pain-the-animal-instinct-is-fight-or-flight-i-e-to/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [He who, by causing pain to others, wishes to obtain pleasure for himself, he, entangled in the bonds of hatred, will never be free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-muller/he-who-by-causing-pain-to-others-wishes-to-obtain-pleasure-for/)

[Max Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-muller/)

> [Letting go with someone you love to protect that someone is better than causing someone pain by being in your side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aisa-iglesias/letting-go-with-someone-you-love-to-protect-that-someone-is-better/)

[Aisa Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aisa-iglesias/)

> [“Pain and dysfunction get passed down from generation to generation. A mixture of genetic inheritance and environmental circumstance ensures that our lives unfold according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-neff/pain-and-dysfunction-get-passed-down-from-generation-to-generation-a/)

[Kristin Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-neff/)

> [If they're causing you more pain than happiness they aren't worth holding onto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/if-they-re-causing-you-more-pain-than-happiness-they-aren-t-worth/)

[Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/)

> [Yes, I understand why things had to happen this way. I understand his reason for causing me pain. But mere understanding does not chase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yes-i-understand-why-things-had-to-happen-this-way-i-understand-his/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“She was capable of causing me pain, but no longer any joy. Pain alone kept my wearisome attachment alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/she-was-capable-of-causing-me-pain-but-no-longer-any-joy-pain-alone/)

[Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/)

> [I quit because that thing inside of me that was driving me to drink that way was causing me so much pain that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-manganiello/i-quit-because-that-thing-inside-of-me-that-was-driving-me-to-drink/)

[Joe Manganiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-manganiello/)

> [There are only three sins - causing pain, causing fear, and causing anguish. The rest is window dressing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-caras/there-are-only-three-sins-causing-pain-causing-fear-and-causing/)

[Roger Caras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-caras/)

> [“Enduring pain is like causing pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-fantaskey/enduring-pain-is-like-causing-pain/)

[Beth Fantaskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-fantaskey/)

> [“... every single act we do has the potential of causing pain, and every single thing we do has consequences that echo way beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-boorstein/every-single-act-we-do-has-the-potential-of-causing-pain-and-every/)

[Sylvia Boorstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-boorstein/)

> [I won't let you keep (keep) hurting me, if you gone keep causing me pain. I won't let you keep (keep) hurting me, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmine-sullivan/i-won-t-let-you-keep-keep-hurting-me-if-you-gone-keep-causing-me-pain/)

[Jazmine Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmine-sullivan/)

## More by W. Somerset Maugham

> [“A man thinks it quite natural that he should fall out of love with a woman, but it never strikes him for a moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-thinks-it-quite-natural-that-he-should-fall-out-of-love-with-a/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [“A man's work reveals him. In social intercourse he gives you the surface that he wishes the world to accept, but in his book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-s-work-reveals-him-in-social-intercourse-he-gives-you-the/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/love-is-only-a-dirty-trick-played-on-us-to-achieve-continuation-of/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [The world is hard and cruel. We are here none knows why, and we go none knows whither. We must be very humble. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-world-is-hard-and-cruel-we-are-here-none-knows-why-and-we-go-none/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [“There is no more merit in having read a thousand books than in having ploughed a thousand fields.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/there-is-no-more-merit-in-having-read-a-thousand-books-than-in-having/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [“I wanted to live again and again. I was willing to accept every sort of life, no matter what its pain and sorrow; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-wanted-to-live-again-and-again-i-was-willing-to-accept-every-sort/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [In Hollywood, the women are all peaches. It makes one long for an apple occasionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/in-hollywood-the-women-are-all-peaches-it-makes-one-long-for-an-apple/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [Follow your inclinations with due regard to the policeman round the corner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/follow-your-inclinations-with-due-regard-to-the-policeman-round-the/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [“His love became a prison from which he longed to escape, but he had not the strength merely to open the door-that was all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/his-love-became-a-prison-from-which-he-longed-to-escape-but-he-had/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [I did not believe him capable of love. That is an emotion in which tenderness is an essential part, but Strickland had no tenderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-did-not-believe-him-capable-of-love-that-is-an-emotion-in-which/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [If only the good were a little less heavy-footed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/if-only-the-good-were-a-little-less-heavy-footed/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [Perfection has one grave defect: it is apt to be dull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/perfection-has-one-grave-defect-it-is-apt-to-be-dull/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [“A God that can be understood is no God. Who can explain the Infinite in words?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-god-that-can-be-understood-is-no-god-who-can-explain-the-infinite/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [“My dear, you used to be quite a dish; now you're quite a tureen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/my-dear-you-used-to-be-quite-a-dish-now-you-re-quite-a-tureen/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [“When people say they do not care what others thing of them, for the most part they deceive themselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/when-people-say-they-do-not-care-what-others-thing-of-them-for-the/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

[Explore all 840 W. Somerset Maugham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

## More Causing pain quotes

> [“...dancing with someone who is causing you pain is a bit like trying to smile while having a tooth extracted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapka-kassabova/dancing-with-someone-who-is-causing-you-pain-is-a-bit-like-trying-to/)

[Kapka Kassabova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapka-kassabova/)

> [“... every single act we do has the potential of causing pain, and every single thing we do has consequences that echo way beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-boorstein/every-single-act-we-do-has-the-potential-of-causing-pain-and-every/)

[Sylvia Boorstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-boorstein/)

> [“Enduring pain is like causing pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-fantaskey/enduring-pain-is-like-causing-pain/)

[Beth Fantaskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-fantaskey/)

> [There are only three sins - causing pain, causing fear, and causing anguish. The rest is window dressing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-caras/there-are-only-three-sins-causing-pain-causing-fear-and-causing/)

[Roger Caras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-caras/)

> [I quit because that thing inside of me that was driving me to drink that way was causing me so much pain that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-manganiello/i-quit-because-that-thing-inside-of-me-that-was-driving-me-to-drink/)

[Joe Manganiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-manganiello/)

> [“She was capable of causing me pain, but no longer any joy. Pain alone kept my wearisome attachment alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/she-was-capable-of-causing-me-pain-but-no-longer-any-joy-pain-alone/)

[Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/)

> [Yes, I understand why things had to happen this way. I understand his reason for causing me pain. But mere understanding does not chase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yes-i-understand-why-things-had-to-happen-this-way-i-understand-his/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If they're causing you more pain than happiness they aren't worth holding onto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/if-they-re-causing-you-more-pain-than-happiness-they-aren-t-worth/)

[Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/)

> [“Pain and dysfunction get passed down from generation to generation. A mixture of genetic inheritance and environmental circumstance ensures that our lives unfold according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-neff/pain-and-dysfunction-get-passed-down-from-generation-to-generation-a/)

[Kristin Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-neff/)

> [Letting go with someone you love to protect that someone is better than causing someone pain by being in your side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aisa-iglesias/letting-go-with-someone-you-love-to-protect-that-someone-is-better/)

[Aisa Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aisa-iglesias/)

> [He who, by causing pain to others, wishes to obtain pleasure for himself, he, entangled in the bonds of hatred, will never be free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-muller/he-who-by-causing-pain-to-others-wishes-to-obtain-pleasure-for/)

[Max Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-muller/)

> [When there is pain, the animal instinct is 'fight or flight' (i.e., to either strike back or run away) - reflect instead. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/when-there-is-pain-the-animal-instinct-is-fight-or-flight-i-e-to/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [It's time to take my life back from the people that are causing my pain and making me unhappy. This is my life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nylle/it-s-time-to-take-my-life-back-from-the-people-that-are-causing-my/)

[Nylle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nylle/)

> [Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/because-only-then-does-one-feel-that-all-is-as-it-should-be-and-that/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [I won't let you keep (keep) hurting me, if you gone keep causing me pain. I won't let you keep (keep) hurting me, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmine-sullivan/i-won-t-let-you-keep-keep-hurting-me-if-you-gone-keep-causing-me-pain/)

[Jazmine Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmine-sullivan/)

[Browse all 24 Causing pain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causing-pain/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“He realized that he was manacled hand and foot with fetters that were only more intolerable because they consisted of nothing more substantial than the dread of causing pain.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "W. Somerset Maugham"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/he-realized-that-he-was-manacled-hand-and-foot-with-fetters-that-were/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Causing pain"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/he-realized-that-he-was-manacled-hand-and-foot-with-fetters-that-were/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/w-somerset-maugham-237_causing-pain_he-realized-that-he-was-manacled-hand-an_749582.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/w-somerset-maugham-237_causing-pain_he-realized-that-he-was-manacled-hand-an_749582.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/w-somerset-maugham-237_causing-pain_he-realized-that-he-was-manacled-hand-an_749582.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He realized that he was manacled hand and foot with fetters that were only more intolerable because they…” — W. Somerset Maugham",
                "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": "W. Somerset Maugham",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“He realized that he was manacled...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/he-realized-that-he-was-manacled-hand-and-foot-with-fetters-that-were/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/he-realized-that-he-was-manacled-hand-and-foot-with-fetters-that-were/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```