--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A mule will labor ten years willingly and…" description: "\"A mule will labor ten years willingly and patiently for you, for the privilege of kicking you once.\" — William Faulkner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/william-faulkner-306_kicking_a-mule-will-labor-ten-years-willingly-an_1654688.png" --- # A mule will labor ten years willingly and patiently for… ![“A mule will labor ten years willingly and patiently for you, for the privilege of kicking you once.” quote by William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/william-faulkner-306_kicking_a-mule-will-labor-ten-years-willingly-an_1654688.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/william-faulkner-306_kicking_a-mule-will-labor-ten-years-willingly-an_1654688.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/william-faulkner-306_kicking_a-mule-will-labor-ten-years-willingly-an_1654688.png) > “A mule will labor ten years willingly and patiently for you, for the privilege of kicking you once.” [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Faulkner uses a mule’s patient labor and eventual rebellion as a metaphor for exploited labor that may turn on its master. **In simple terms:** Exploited workers may eventually revolt. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect those who serve you. Themes labor power dynamics rebellion Mood cautionary poetic Type social ethical When to use this quote - workplace management - social justice - leadership Key Concepts exploitation trust Questions to Reflect On - How do you reward loyal contributors? - What signs indicate brewing discontent? A Different Perspective Not all rebellion is violent; subtle resistance exists. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Mules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mules/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) ## Related quotes > [She was so ugly she could make a mule back away from an oat bin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/she-was-so-ugly-she-could-make-a-mule-back-away-from-an-oat-bin/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I grew up hard. I picked cotton and plowed with the mule and fixed the cars and played with the guitar and the piano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pinetop-perkins/i-grew-up-hard-i-picked-cotton-and-plowed-with-the-mule-and-fixed-the/) [Pinetop Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pinetop-perkins/) > [She would be a new person, she vowed. They said no matter how far a mule travels it can never come back a horse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/she-would-be-a-new-person-she-vowed-they-said-no-matter-how-far-a/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You’re going to have to learn to ride a horse on your own, Phaedra', he said. 'It will make the journey faster.' 'The mule…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/you-re-going-to-have-to-learn-to-ride-a-horse-on-your-own-phaedra-he/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [I have opinions on everything. I'm a stubborn old mule. The biggest problem is keeping my mouth shut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika/i-have-opinions-on-everything-i-m-a-stubborn-old-mule-the-biggest/) [Mika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika/) > [The North African mule talks always of his mother's brother, the horse, but never of his father, the donkey, in favor of others supposedly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-geertz/the-north-african-mule-talks-always-of-his-mother-s-brother-the-horse/) [Clifford Geertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-geertz/) > [There's no education in the second kick of a mule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rayburn/there-s-no-education-in-the-second-kick-of-a-mule/) [Sam Rayburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-rayburn/) > [My favorite animal is the mule. He has more horse sense than a horse. He knows when to stop eating - and he knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/my-favorite-animal-is-the-mule-he-has-more-horse-sense-than-a-horse/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [There is nothing to be learned from the second kick of a mule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-nothing-to-be-learned-from-the-second-kick-of-a-mule/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“People skills are useless with cats, because cats are immune to training, and do whatever they decide in any situation... And most importantly they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-advise/people-skills-are-useless-with-cats-because-cats-are-immune-to/) Will Advise > [Where's Amy?" Ian put in. "Will you please get her to call that Evan character? He rings here twenty times a day. He's either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/where-s-amy-ian-put-in-will-you-please-get-her-to-call-that-evan/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [The National Park Service shot a mule in the face. He survived but had trouble swallowing and often food came out of his nose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleveland-amory/the-national-park-service-shot-a-mule-in-the-face-he-survived-but-had/) [Cleveland Amory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleveland-amory/) > [One has fear in front of a goat, in back of a mule, and on every side of a fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/one-has-fear-in-front-of-a-goat-in-back-of-a-mule-and-on-every-side/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [My mother always told me the best way to learn to deal with a man was to learn to ride a mule. She said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/my-mother-always-told-me-the-best-way-to-learn-to-deal-with-a-man-was/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [I'm just a mule with blinders on, I can't help myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-white/i-m-just-a-mule-with-blinders-on-i-can-t-help-myself/) [Wayne White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-white/) ## More by William Faulkner > [“The river itself is not a hundred yards across, and pa and Vernon and Vardaman and Dewey Dell are the only things in sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-river-itself-is-not-a-hundred-yards-across-and-pa-and-vernon-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [The quality an artist must have is objectivity in judging his work, plus the honesty and courage not to kid himself about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-quality-an-artist-must-have-is-objectivity-in-judging-his-work/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“Luster returned, wearing a stiff new straw hat with a colored band and carrying a cloth cap. The hat seemed to isolate Luster's skull,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/luster-returned-wearing-a-stiff-new-straw-hat-with-a-colored-band-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-man-is-immortal-simply-because-he-will/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“What matters is at the end of life, when you're about to pass into oblivion, that you've at least scratched 'Kilroy was here,' on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/what-matters-is-at-the-end-of-life-when-you-re-about-to-pass-into/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I've got to feel the pencil and see the words at the end of the pencil,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-ve-got-to-feel-the-pencil-and-see-the-words-at-the-end-of-the-pencil/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [And sure enough, even waiting will end...if you can just wait long enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/and-sure-enough-even-waiting-will-end-if-you-can-just-wait-long-enough/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-believe-that-man-will-not-merely-endure-he-will-prevail-he-is/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/never-be-afraid-to-raise-your-voice-for-honesty-and-truth-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/to-understand-the-world-you-must-first-understand-a-place-like/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“What modren ideas?” pap said. “I didn’t know there was but one idea about work—until it is done, it ain’t done, and when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/what-modren-ideas-pap-said-i-didn-t-know-there-was-but-one-idea-about/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“It was only as he put his hand on the door that he became aware of complete silence beyond it, a silence which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-was-only-as-he-put-his-hand-on-the-door-that-he-became-aware-of/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“She has no mother because fatherblood hates with love and pride, but motherblood with hate loves and cohabits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/she-has-no-mother-because-fatherblood-hates-with-love-and-pride-but/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“Byron listened quietly, thinking to himself how people everywhere are about the same, but that it did seem that in a small town, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/byron-listened-quietly-thinking-to-himself-how-people-everywhere-are/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“It was too late. Maybe yesterday, while I was still a child, but not now. I knew too much, had seen too much, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-was-too-late-maybe-yesterday-while-i-was-still-a-child-but-not-now/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) [Explore all 673 William Faulkner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) ## More Kicking quotes > [The thing about kicking is, it's not as competitive as other positions, but I feel like I am a competitor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-gostkowski/the-thing-about-kicking-is-it-s-not-as-competitive-as-other-positions/) [Stephen Gostkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-gostkowski/) > [She feels like kicking out all the windows And setting fire to this life She could change everything about her using colors bold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/she-feels-like-kicking-out-all-the-windows-and-setting-fire-to-this/) [Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/) > [If people are kicking you in the behind, at least you're in front of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/if-people-are-kicking-you-in-the-behind-at-least-you-re-in-front-of/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Life will drag us kicking and screaming to our destiny if we try to escape it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/life-will-drag-us-kicking-and-screaming-to-our-destiny-if-we-try-to/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [Misogyny is still very much alive and kicking in the world of football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulrika-jonsson/misogyny-is-still-very-much-alive-and-kicking-in-the-world-of-football/) [Ulrika Jonsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulrika-jonsson/) > [They stay kicking it with me like a field goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/they-stay-kicking-it-with-me-like-a-field-goal/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [I want to do character driven epic storylines with Throne of Atlantis kicking off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-johns/i-want-to-do-character-driven-epic-storylines-with-throne-of-atlantis/) [Geoff Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-johns/) > [Kicking a police car? Really?' Caleb shrugged. 'Car offended me. It was sitting right where I wanted to stand. What would you do?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/kicking-a-police-car-really-caleb-shrugged-car-offended-me-it-was/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“Ambition makes you look pretty ugly Kicking, squealing, gucci little piggy ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ambition-makes-you-look-pretty-ugly-kicking-squealing-gucci-little/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a children's author, reviewers are generally very nice to you. I only ever wrote one adult book and received such a kicking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/as-a-children-s-author-reviewers-are-generally-very-nice-to-you-i/) [Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/) > [Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/man-you-should-have-seen-them-kicking-edgar-allan-poe/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Has it ever occurred to you that parents are nothing but overgrown kids until their children drag them into adulthood? Usually kicking and screaming?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/has-it-ever-occurred-to-you-that-parents-are-nothing-but-overgrown/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Life is about KICKING ASS and not KISSING IT!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-about-kicking-ass-and-not-kissing-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I sort of went into the TV thing kicking and screaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candice-olson/i-sort-of-went-into-the-tv-thing-kicking-and-screaming/) [Candice Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candice-olson/) > [Basically it starts with four months of training, just basic stretching, kicking and punching. Then you come to the choreography and getting ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keanu-reeves/basically-it-starts-with-four-months-of-training-just-basic/) [Keanu Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keanu-reeves/) Browse all 451 Kicking quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A mule will labor ten years willingly and patiently for you, for the privilege of kicking you once.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Faulkner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/a-mule-will-labor-ten-years-willingly-and-patiently-for-you-for-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Kicking" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/a-mule-will-labor-ten-years-willingly-and-patiently-for-you-for-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/william-faulkner-306_kicking_a-mule-will-labor-ten-years-willingly-an_1654688.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/william-faulkner-306_kicking_a-mule-will-labor-ten-years-willingly-an_1654688.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/william-faulkner-306_kicking_a-mule-will-labor-ten-years-willingly-an_1654688.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A mule will labor ten years willingly and patiently for you, for the privilege of kicking you once.” — William Faulkner", "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": "William Faulkner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A mule will labor ten years...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/a-mule-will-labor-ten-years-willingly-and-patiently-for-you-for-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/a-mule-will-labor-ten-years-willingly-and-patiently-for-you-for-the/#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 } } ] } ```