--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is base in kind, and born to be a slave." description: "\"Is base in kind, and born to be a slave.\" — William Cowper" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c5/william-cowper-779_base_is-base-in-kind-and-born-to-be-a-slave-2_2561873.png" --- # Is base in kind, and born to be a slave. ![“Is base in kind, and born to be a slave.” quote by William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c5/william-cowper-779_base_is-base-in-kind-and-born-to-be-a-slave-2_2561873.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c5/william-cowper-779_base_is-base-in-kind-and-born-to-be-a-slave-2_2561873.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c5/william-cowper-779_base_is-base-in-kind-and-born-to-be-a-slave-2_2561873.png) > “Is base in kind, and born to be a slave.” [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature is inherently flawed, destined for servitude to lower impulses. **In simple terms:** People are naturally prone to bad habits. Key Takeaway Recognize and work against innate flaws. Themes human nature flaws selfcontrol Mood thoughtful philosophical Type moral reflective When to use this quote - personal growth - ethical decisions - selfdiscipline Key Concepts moral philosophy determinism Questions to Reflect On - What impulses dominate you? - Can you change your nature? A Different Perspective Not all traits are immutable; change is possible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Base](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/base/) [Base Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/base-kind-1612751/) [Be a slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-a-slave/) [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Born Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born-slave-991533/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-born-1612750/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) ## Related quotes > [Not only was I not born to be a slave; I was not born to hope to become the equal of the slave master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/not-only-was-i-not-born-to-be-a-slave-i-was-not-born-to-hope-to-2/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The man who asks of freedom anything other than itself is born to be a slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-man-who-asks-of-freedom-anything-other-than-itself-is-born-to-be/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Without Ace of Base, I kind of feel Backstreet Boys would have never found their sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-carter/without-ace-of-base-i-kind-of-feel-backstreet-boys-would-have-never/) [Nick Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-carter/) > [I think there are some people who are just kind of born to create drama and then capitalise on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-cibrian/i-think-there-are-some-people-who-are-just-kind-of-born-to-create/) [Eddie Cibrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-cibrian/) > [I was born a slave, but nature gave me a soul of a free man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toussaint-louverture/i-was-born-a-slave-but-nature-gave-me-a-soul-of-a-free-man/) [Toussaint Louverture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toussaint-louverture/) > [I could, as a free man, look across the bay toward the Eastern Shore where I was born a slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-could-as-a-free-man-look-across-the-bay-toward-the-eastern-shore/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Christ preaches only servitude and dependence... True Christians are made to be slaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/christ-preaches-only-servitude-and-dependence-true-christians-are/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [If you're not confident in the authority of the Scriptures, you will be a slave to what sounds right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/if-you-re-not-confident-in-the-authority-of-the-scriptures-you-will/) [Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/) > [In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/in-giving-freedom-to-the-slave-we-assure-freedom-to-the-free/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Everyone wants a happy life without difficulties or suffering. We create many of the problems we face. No one intentionally creates problems, but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/everyone-wants-a-happy-life-without-difficulties-or-suffering-we/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Abraham Lincoln recognized that we could not survive as a free land when some men could decide that others were not fit to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/abraham-lincoln-recognized-that-we-could-not-survive-as-a-free-land/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/knowledge-makes-a-man-unfit-to-be-a-slave/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Once a man has tasted freedom he will never be content to be a slave. That is why I believe that this frightfulness we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-a-man-has-tasted-freedom-he-will-never-be-content-to-be-a-slave/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Neither should men study war with a view to the enslavement of those who do not deserve to be enslaved; but first of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/neither-should-men-study-war-with-a-view-to-the-enslavement-of-those/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“Freedom is for the educated people who fought for it. We were slaves of the English, now we will be slaves of the educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khushwant-singh/freedom-is-for-the-educated-people-who-fought-for-it-we-were-slaves/) [Khushwant Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khushwant-singh/) ## More by William Cowper > [And hast thou sworn on every slight pretence, Till perjuries are common as bad pence, While thousands, careless of the damning sin, Kiss the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/and-hast-thou-sworn-on-every-slight-pretence-till-perjuries-are/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [No wild enthusiast could rest, till half the world like him was possessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/no-wild-enthusiast-could-rest-till-half-the-world-like-him-was/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Admirals extolled for standing still, or doing nothing with a deal of skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/admirals-extolled-for-standing-still-or-doing-nothing-with-a-deal-of/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [“The good we never miss we rarely prize”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/the-good-we-never-miss-we-rarely-prize/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Thus happiness depends, as nature shows, less on exterior things than most suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/thus-happiness-depends-as-nature-shows-less-on-exterior-things-than/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Stamps God's own name upon a lie just made, To turn a penny in the way of trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/stamps-god-s-own-name-upon-a-lie-just-made-to-turn-a-penny-in-the-way/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [But oars alone can ne'er prevail To reach the distant coast; The breath of Heaven must swell the sail, Or all the toil is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/but-oars-alone-can-ne-er-prevail-to-reach-the-distant-coast-the/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [“Nature is but a name for an effect whose cause is God"...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/nature-is-but-a-name-for-an-effect-whose-cause-is-god/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [But conversation, choose what theme we may, And chiefly when religion leads the way, Should flow, like waters after summer show'rs, Not as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/but-conversation-choose-what-theme-we-may-and-chiefly-when-religion/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Remorse, the fatal egg that pleasure laid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/remorse-the-fatal-egg-that-pleasure-laid/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [“When we don't pray, we quit the fight. Prayer keeps the Christian's armor bright. And Satan trembles when he sees. The weakest saint upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/when-we-don-t-pray-we-quit-the-fight-prayer-keeps-the-christian-s/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [But animated nature sweeter still, to soothe and satisfy the human ear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/but-animated-nature-sweeter-still-to-soothe-and-satisfy-the-human-ear/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [A fretful temper will divide the closest knot that may be tied, by ceaseless sharp corrosion; a temper passionate and fierce may suddenly your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/a-fretful-temper-will-divide-the-closest-knot-that-may-be-tied-by/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Ten thousand casks, Forever dribbling out their base contents, Touch'd by the Midas finger of the state, Bleed gold for ministers to sport away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/ten-thousand-casks-forever-dribbling-out-their-base-contents-touch-d/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [The art of poetry is to touch the passions, and its duty to lead them on the side of virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/the-art-of-poetry-is-to-touch-the-passions-and-its-duty-to-lead-them/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) [Explore all 371 William Cowper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) ## More Base quotes > [Companies are bought for their revenue, customer base, technology, or people. 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