--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As much as possible, it is useful to…" description: "\"“As much as possible, it is useful to think of all other beings as being just like me. Every living being strives for happiness. Every being wants to a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63f/david-michie-21837_animals_as-much-as-possible-it-is-useful-to-thin_1250561.jpg" --- # As much as possible, it is useful to think of all other… ![“As much as possible, it is useful to think of all other beings as being just like me. Every living being strives for happiness. Every being wants to avoid all forms of suffering. They are not just objects or things to be used for our benefit. You know, Mahatma Gandhi once said: 'The greatness of a…” quote by David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63f/david-michie-21837_animals_as-much-as-possible-it-is-useful-to-thin_1250561.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63f/david-michie-21837_animals_as-much-as-possible-it-is-useful-to-thin_1250561.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63f/david-michie-21837_animals_as-much-as-possible-it-is-useful-to-thin_1250561.jpg) > ““As much as possible, it is useful to think of all other beings as being just like me. Every living being strives for happiness. Every being wants to avoid all forms of suffering. They are not just objects or things to be used for our benefit. You know, Mahatma Gandhi once said: 'The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”” [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author urges empathy toward all beings, recognizing shared desires for happiness and avoidance of suffering, and suggests moral progress is measured by humane treatment of animals. **In simple terms:** Treat all beings with empathy and respect. Key Takeaway Practice empathy toward all living beings. Themes compassion ethics animal rights humanity Mood concerned inspired Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - dietary choices - policy advocacy - education - community activism Key Concepts philosophy moral psychology environmental ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance human needs with animal welfare? - What actions reflect true moral progress? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex ecological and cultural contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gandhi/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living Strives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-strives-3939914/) [Nation Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation-moral-772675/) [Strives Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strives-happiness-3939913/) [Think Beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-beings-498556/) [Useful Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useful-think-1020479/) ## Related quotes > [I can't speak for others, but I find the fundamental idea that a life worth living is one during which one strives every day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massimo-pigliucci/i-can-t-speak-for-others-but-i-find-the-fundamental-idea-that-a-life/) [Massimo Pigliucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massimo-pigliucci/) > [The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-greatness-of-a-nation-and-its-moral-progress-can-be-judged-by-the-4/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” —GANDHI It’s”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/the-greatness-of-a-nation-and-its-moral-progress-can-be-judged-by-the-2/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [“What a terrible mistake, thought Drogo, perhaps everything is like that — we think there are beings like ourselves around us and instead there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dino-buzzati/what-a-terrible-mistake-thought-drogo-perhaps-everything-is-like-that/) [Dino Buzzati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dino-buzzati/) > [In what terms should we think of these beings, nonhuman yet possessing so very many human-like characteristics? How should we treat them? Surely we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/in-what-terms-should-we-think-of-these-beings-nonhuman-yet-possessing/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I don't even think of chimps as animals. I think of them as beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-don-t-even-think-of-chimps-as-animals-i-think-of-them-as-beings/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [It's presumptuous for us to think we are the only beings in the cosmos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-gossett-jr/it-s-presumptuous-for-us-to-think-we-are-the-only-beings-in-the-cosmos/) [Louis Gossett, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-gossett-jr/) > [It is always useful to think badly about people one has exploited or plans to exploit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/it-is-always-useful-to-think-badly-about-people-one-has-exploited-or/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Mistakes are at the very base of human thought, embedded there, feeding the structure like root nodules. If we were not provided with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/mistakes-are-at-the-very-base-of-human-thought-embedded-there-feeding/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [“I like to be busy,” she says. “And useful. I think those are pretty basic human desires—don’t you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baker-kline/i-like-to-be-busy-she-says-and-useful-i-think-those-are-pretty-basic/) [Christina Baker Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baker-kline/) > [I think critics are very useful. But I think that they, in a way, betray their position when they stop people looking for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/i-think-critics-are-very-useful-but-i-think-that-they-in-a-way-betray/) [Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/) > [I found that whenever I encountered a situation, rather than just reacting to it, it was tremendously useful to think carefully about how I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-found-that-whenever-i-encountered-a-situation-rather-than-just/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“It is more useful to think in terms of themes that pervade many activities, such as low cost, a particular notion of customer service,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-porter/it-is-more-useful-to-think-in-terms-of-themes-that-pervade-many/) [Michael E. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-porter/) > [“Constitutional democracy can only survive if the people of our nation are moral.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-r-cooke/constitutional-democracy-can-only-survive-if-the-people-of-our-nation/) [Ronald R. Cooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-r-cooke/) > [The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-ghandi/the-greatness-of-a-nation-and-its-moral-progress-can-be-judged-by-the/) [Mahatma Ghandi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-ghandi/) ## More by David Michie > [“Despising yourself, thinking you are no good, saying ‘I can’t do this.’ This is the mind of weakness. You must work to overcome it.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-michie/despising-yourself-thinking-you-are-no-good-saying-i-can-t-do-this/) [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) > [“the best way to achieve happiness for oneself is to give happiness to others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-michie/the-best-way-to-achieve-happiness-for-oneself-is-to-give-happiness-to/) [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) > [“I didn't know you had a cat!' she exclaimed. I am always surprised how many people make this observation-though not all are as bold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-michie/i-didn-t-know-you-had-a-cat-she-exclaimed-i-am-always-surprised-how/) [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) > [“It is most useful,” Geshe Wangpo told Sam, “to share one’s knowledge with others. 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It is-what do you say?-a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-michie/the-main-shift-you-see-is-from-placing-self-at-the-center-of-our/) [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) > [“It is to heal the body, soothe the mind, and give joy to the heart, Because it is your beloved’s lap that you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-michie/it-is-to-heal-the-body-soothe-the-mind-and-give-joy-to-the-heart/) [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) > [“lack of self-confidence was considered, in Buddhism, to be a form of laziness,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-michie/lack-of-self-confidence-was-considered-in-buddhism-to-be-a-form-of/) [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) > [“Having money means more opportunity to practice generosity,” he agrees. “Which is the true cause of wealth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-michie/having-money-means-more-opportunity-to-practice-generosity-he-agrees/) [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) > [“There's no thrilling anticipation of the day's first cup of coffee...nor the eye-closing delight of that first swallow of sauvignon blanc in the evening.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-michie/there-s-no-thrilling-anticipation-of-the-day-s-first-cup-of-coffee/) [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) > [“Every time we do something nice for someone else, even if it is a routine thing they expect, we can do so with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-michie/every-time-we-do-something-nice-for-someone-else-even-if-it-is-a/) [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) > [“It’s not what happens to you that matters, but the way you interpret things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-michie/it-s-not-what-happens-to-you-that-matters-but-the-way-you-interpret/) [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) > [“how to deal with problems in life. They are never asked for, but how we deal with them defines our future happiness or unhappiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-michie/how-to-deal-with-problems-in-life-they-are-never-asked-for-but-how-we/) [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) > [“Yes, dear reader, that’s the other reason we cats purr. Arguably, it’s the most important reason: to make you happy. Purring is our V—our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-michie/yes-dear-reader-that-s-the-other-reason-we-cats-purr-arguably-it-s/) [David Michie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) [Explore all 26 David Michie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-michie/) ## More Animals quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-need-in-a-special-way-to-work-twice-as-hard-to-help-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [“Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—“A rescue snake, she’d be quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/plenty-of-animals-had-pets-but-few-were-more-devoted-than-the-mouse/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [No creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananda-coomaraswamy/no-creature-can-attain-a-higher-grade-of-nature-without-ceasing-to/) [Ananda Coomaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananda-coomaraswamy/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) [Browse all 6,813 Animals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As much as possible, it is useful to think of all other beings as being just like me. Every living being strives for happiness. Every being wants to avoid all forms of suffering. They are not just objects or things to be used for our benefit. 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