Political Quotes

Frederick Douglass: Give him a bad master, and he aspires to a good master; give him a good master, and he wishes to become his own master.

On the recordJanuary 1, 1855
Give him a bad master, and he aspires to a good master; give him a good master, and he wishes to become his own master.
Said by
Frederick Douglass

Editor's note · Context

Douglass articulates a fundamental truth about human nature under slavery, explaining that any improvement in conditions only intensifies the desire for complete self-ownership.

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