The bond with a true dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth will ever be.
Konrad LorenzRead
Barking dogs may occasionally bite, but laughing men hardly ever shoot!
Interpretation
What this quote means
Barking dogs symbolize threats that rarely act, while laughing men represent those who are less likely to cause harm.
This quote by Konrad Lorenz highlights the difference between apparent aggression and actual danger. The metaphor of barking dogs illustrates how those who make noise might seem threatening but are often harmless. Conversely, laughter suggests a sense of calm and friendliness, implying that those who are genuinely joyful and non-threatening are least likely to pose a danger. It serves as a reminder to interpret actions and intentions with care, recognizing that the loudest threats are often benign.
Themes
ThreatsAggressionLaughterPerceptionDanger
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting, to encourage understanding, I shared this quote to suggest that the most vocal critics might not be the biggest threats.
More from Konrad Lorenz
All quotes βWhenever we find, in two forms of life that are unrelated to each other, a similarity of form or of behaviour patterns which relates to more than a few minor details, we assume it to be caused by parallel adaptation to the same life-preserving function.
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I grew up in the large house and the larger garden of my parents in Altenberg. They were supremely tolerant of my inordinate love for animals.
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More than any other product of human scientific culture scientific knowledge is the collective property of all mankind.
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In nature we find not only that which is expedient, but also everything which is not so inexpedient as to endanger the existence of the species.
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Most people have forgotten how to live with living creatures, with living systems and that, in turn, is the reason why man, whenever he comes into contact with nature, threatens to kill the natural system in which and from which he live.
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