--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nature places a simple constraint on…" description: "\"Nature places a simple constraint on those who leave the flock to go their own way: they get eaten. In society it's a bit more complicated. Nonetheless..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/david-bayles-13995_admonition_nature-places-a-simple-constraint-on-tho_1348459.jpg" --- # Nature places a simple constraint on those who leave the… ![“Nature places a simple constraint on those who leave the flock to go their own way: they get eaten. In society it's a bit more complicated. Nonetheless the admonition stands: avoiding the unknown has considerable survival value. Society, nature, and artmaking tend to produce guarded creatures.” quote by David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/david-bayles-13995_admonition_nature-places-a-simple-constraint-on-tho_1348459.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/david-bayles-13995_admonition_nature-places-a-simple-constraint-on-tho_1348459.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c49/david-bayles-13995_admonition_nature-places-a-simple-constraint-on-tho_1348459.jpg) > “Nature places a simple constraint on those who leave the flock to go their own way: they get eaten. In society it's a bit more complicated. Nonetheless the admonition stands: avoiding the unknown has considerable survival value. Society, nature, and artmaking tend to produce guarded creatures.” [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Venturing alone invites danger; avoiding the unknown offers safety, yet creativity thrives on risk. **In simple terms:** Going alone is risky but essential for creativity. Key Takeaway Balance risk with caution to grow creatively. Themes creativity risk survival individualism Mood cautious encouraging Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - solo projects - experimental art - career decisions Key Concepts artistic process social dynamics innovation Questions to Reflect On - When is it worth taking creative risks? - How to mitigate potential setbacks? A Different Perspective Risk can lead to failure and isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [“No sheep may leave the flock," he said to anyone who would listen, "unless he comes back again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonie-swann/no-sheep-may-leave-the-flock-he-said-to-anyone-who-would-listen/) [Leonie Swann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonie-swann/) > [“A vocation is a never-ending mission. In other words, a refined way of avoiding the unknown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andr-s-neuman/a-vocation-is-a-never-ending-mission-in-other-words-a-refined-way-of/) [Andrés Neuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andr-s-neuman/) > [The factor stringing together individuals, society and nature is missing from today's educational system. That factor is spiritual values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/the-factor-stringing-together-individuals-society-and-nature-is/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [What we opprobriously call stupidity, though not an enlivening quality in common society, is nature's favorite resource for preserving steadiness of conduct and consistency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/what-we-opprobriously-call-stupidity-though-not-an-enlivening-quality/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The goal now is a socialist, redistributionist society, which is nature's proper steward and society's only hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/the-goal-now-is-a-socialist-redistributionist-society-which-is-nature/) [David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/) > [Religion, Society, and Nature--these are the three struggles of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/religion-society-and-nature-these-are-the-three-struggles-of-man/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [It is a singular capriciousness of the human mind, that after all the admonitions we have had from experience on this head, there should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/it-is-a-singular-capriciousness-of-the-human-mind-that-after-all-the/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Harsh reproof is like a violent storm, soon washed down the channel; but friendly admonitions, like a small shower, pierce deep, and bring forth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-chamberlain/harsh-reproof-is-like-a-violent-storm-soon-washed-down-the-channel/) [Roger Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-chamberlain/) > [Admonition never sinks so deeply on the heart as in the hour of trial; young, amiable as you are, life teems, I doubt not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-maria-roche/admonition-never-sinks-so-deeply-on-the-heart-as-in-the-hour-of-trial/) [Regina Maria Roche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-maria-roche/) > [Lastly, I would address one general admonition to all: that they consider what are the true ends of knowledge, and that they seek it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/lastly-i-would-address-one-general-admonition-to-all-that-they/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Reprehension is a kind of middle thing betwixt admonition and correction: it is sharpe admonition, but a milde correction. It is rather to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gouge/reprehension-is-a-kind-of-middle-thing-betwixt-admonition-and/) [William Gouge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gouge/) > [Far and away the most futile admonition Christ ever offered was when he said, 'Have no care for tomorrow. Don't worry about whether you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/far-and-away-the-most-futile-admonition-christ-ever-offered-was-when/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [Everyone interested in licensing our field might note that the reason licensing has been invented is to protect the public, not designers or clients.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-glaser/everyone-interested-in-licensing-our-field-might-note-that-the-reason/) [Milton Glaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-glaser/) > [“gentle admonition." "Gentle admonition! Do you call that gentle admonition? Why, uncle, you are enough to frighten most people to death with your fury.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-d-e-n-southworth/gentle-admonition-gentle-admonition-do-you-call-that-gentle/) [E.D.E.N. Southworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-d-e-n-southworth/) > [The best preservative to keep the mind in health is the faithful admonition of a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-best-preservative-to-keep-the-mind-in-health-is-the-faithful/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) ## More by David Bayles > [The seed of your next artwork lies embedded in the imperfections of your current piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/the-seed-of-your-next-artwork-lies-embedded-in-the-imperfections-of/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [The seed of your next artwork lies embedded in the imperfections of your current piece. Such imperfections are your guides - valuable, objective, non-judgmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/the-seed-of-your-next-artwork-lies-embedded-in-the-imperfections-of-2/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“But the important point here is not that you have — or don’t have — what other artists have, but rather that it doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/but-the-important-point-here-is-not-that-you-have-or-don-t-have-what/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“In essence, art lies embedded in the conceptual leap between pieces, not in the pieces themselves. And simply put, there’s a greater conceptual jump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/in-essence-art-lies-embedded-in-the-conceptual-leap-between-pieces/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“But while mastering technique is difficult and time-consuming, it’s still inherently easier to reach an already defined goal — a “right answer” — than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/but-while-mastering-technique-is-difficult-and-time-consuming-it-s/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“There were counter-protests, of course, and in the end Mapplethorpe’s work was exhibited, but the message to the arts community was clear: stray too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/there-were-counter-protests-of-course-and-in-the-end-mapplethorpe-s/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [Tolerance for uncertainty is the prerequisite to succeeding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/tolerance-for-uncertainty-is-the-prerequisite-to-succeeding/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [Art is a high calling - fears are coincidental. Coincidental, sneaky and disruptive, we might add, disguising themselves variously as laziness, resistance to deadlines,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/art-is-a-high-calling-fears-are-coincidental-coincidental-sneaky-and/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“Sometimes to see your work’s rightful place you have to walk to the edge of the precipice and search the deep chasms. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/sometimes-to-see-your-work-s-rightful-place-you-have-to-walk-to-the/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“Fears arise when you look back, and they arise when you look ahead. If you're prone to disaster fantasies, you may even find yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/fears-arise-when-you-look-back-and-they-arise-when-you-look-ahead-if/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“But is the Mona Lisa really art? Well then, what about an undetectably perfect copy of the Mona Lisa? That comparison (however sneaky) points…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/but-is-the-mona-lisa-really-art-well-then-what-about-an-undetectably/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [The hardest part of art-making is living your life in such a way that your work gets done-over and over-and that means, among other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/the-hardest-part-of-art-making-is-living-your-life-in-such-a-way-that/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“In making art you need to give yourself room to respond authentically, both to your subject matter and to your materials. Art happens between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/in-making-art-you-need-to-give-yourself-room-to-respond-authentically/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“Uncertainty is the essential, inevitable and all-pervasive companion to your desire to make art. And tolerance for uncertainty is the prerequisite to succeeding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/uncertainty-is-the-essential-inevitable-and-all-pervasive-companion/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“HENRY JAMES once proposed three questions you could productively put to an artist’s work. The first two were disarmingly straightforward: What was the artist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/henry-james-once-proposed-three-questions-you-could-productively-put/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) [Explore all 48 David Bayles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) ## More Admonition quotes > [The best preservative to keep the mind in health is the faithful admonition of a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-best-preservative-to-keep-the-mind-in-health-is-the-faithful/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [“gentle admonition." "Gentle admonition! Do you call that gentle admonition? Why, uncle, you are enough to frighten most people to death with your fury.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-d-e-n-southworth/gentle-admonition-gentle-admonition-do-you-call-that-gentle/) [E.D.E.N. Southworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-d-e-n-southworth/) > [Everyone interested in licensing our field might note that the reason licensing has been invented is to protect the public, not designers or clients.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-glaser/everyone-interested-in-licensing-our-field-might-note-that-the-reason/) [Milton Glaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-glaser/) > [Far and away the most futile admonition Christ ever offered was when he said, 'Have no care for tomorrow. Don't worry about whether you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/far-and-away-the-most-futile-admonition-christ-ever-offered-was-when/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [Reprehension is a kind of middle thing betwixt admonition and correction: it is sharpe admonition, but a milde correction. It is rather to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gouge/reprehension-is-a-kind-of-middle-thing-betwixt-admonition-and/) [William Gouge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gouge/) > [Lastly, I would address one general admonition to all: that they consider what are the true ends of knowledge, and that they seek it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/lastly-i-would-address-one-general-admonition-to-all-that-they/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Admonition never sinks so deeply on the heart as in the hour of trial; young, amiable as you are, life teems, I doubt not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-maria-roche/admonition-never-sinks-so-deeply-on-the-heart-as-in-the-hour-of-trial/) [Regina Maria Roche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-maria-roche/) > [Harsh reproof is like a violent storm, soon washed down the channel; but friendly admonitions, like a small shower, pierce deep, and bring forth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-chamberlain/harsh-reproof-is-like-a-violent-storm-soon-washed-down-the-channel/) [Roger Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-chamberlain/) > [It is a singular capriciousness of the human mind, that after all the admonitions we have had from experience on this head, there should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/it-is-a-singular-capriciousness-of-the-human-mind-that-after-all-the/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Keep Looking Up was my life's admonition I can do little else in my present position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-horkheimer/keep-looking-up-was-my-life-s-admonition-i-can-do-little-else-in-my/) Jack Horkheimer > [What I mean by the Muse is that unimpeded clearness of the intuitive powers, which a perfectly truthful adherence to every admonition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-fuller/what-i-mean-by-the-muse-is-that-unimpeded-clearness-of-the-intuitive/) [Margaret Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-fuller/) > [There needs to be an order of office, but in every single office that is presented in the Scriptures there is the personal emphasis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/there-needs-to-be-an-order-of-office-but-in-every-single-office-that/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [To arrive at perfection, a man should have very sincere friends or inveterate enemies; because he would be made sensible of his good or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogenes/to-arrive-at-perfection-a-man-should-have-very-sincere-friends-or/) [Diogenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogenes/) > [This whole process of education is to be religious, and not only religious, but Christian. And as Christianity is the only true religion, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hodge/this-whole-process-of-education-is-to-be-religious-and-not-only/) [Charles Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hodge/) > [The function of education has never been to free the mind and the spirit of man, but to bind them; and to the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-henry/the-function-of-education-has-never-been-to-free-the-mind-and-the/) [Jules Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-henry/) Browse all 65 Admonition quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nature places a simple constraint on those who leave the flock to go their own way: they get eaten. In society it's a bit more complicated. Nonetheless the admonition stands: avoiding the unknown has considerable survival value. 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