Chains...They bind us, whether we want them to or not. But a heart without chains would have nothing to hold it, might simply blow away.

We forge the chains we wear in life.

Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains
And they ain't the kind that you can see
Woh these chains of love got a hold on me yeah.

The chains that bind us most closely are the ones we have broken.

He... was attached by ties stronger than reason could break — chains, forged by habit, which it would be cruel to attempt to loosen.

The heart is an infinity of massive chains, chaining little handfuls of air.

These five links stand out in the chain that binds our will. They hold us, guide us, coerce us — And we rattle them still. ~The Bern Seer~

"Funny thing about chains," he said. "They're everywhere, once you know how to look for them. I like chains.
When Cara laughed at this, he shook his chest, causing the hundreds of golden links that hung there to sparkle in the firelight.
"There's lots of kinds of chains," he continued. "You can't see most of them, the ones that bind folks together. But people build them, link by link, Sometimes the links are weak, snap like this one did. That's another funny thing, now that I think of it. Sometimes when you mend a chain, the place where you fix it is strongest of all."
As he spoke, he held up the chain, which was whole again. Passing the amulet to Cara, he said, "Never was a chain that couldn't be broken. Sometimes it's even a good idea.

Q: I have read that you also, at least sometimes, had a chain around your neck, and you were tied to a tree?

It is our duty to fight for our freedom.
It is our duty to win.
We must love each other and support each other.
We have nothing to lose but our chains.

Even that has its reason; it is often better to be in chains than to be free.

Tethered heart, free spirit. — If one tethers one's heart severely and imprisons it, one can give one's spirit many liberties.

"You are fettered," said Scrooge, trembling. "Tell me why?"
"I wear the chain I forged in life," replied the Ghost. "I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it."

The whole world yearns after freedom, yet each creature is in love with his chains; this is the first paradox and inextricable knot of our nature.