--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wild beasts run away from dangers when…" description: "\"“Wild beasts run away from dangers when they see them. Once they have escaped, they are free of anxiety. But we are tormented by both the future and th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/donald-j-robertson-32244_animals_wild-beasts-run-away-from-dangers-when-t_1443304.jpg" --- # Wild beasts run away from dangers when they see them. Once… ![“Wild beasts run away from dangers when they see them. Once they have escaped, they are free of anxiety. But we are tormented by both the future and the past.” quote by Donald J. Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/donald-j-robertson-32244_animals_wild-beasts-run-away-from-dangers-when-t_1443304.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/donald-j-robertson-32244_animals_wild-beasts-run-away-from-dangers-when-t_1443304.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/donald-j-robertson-32244_animals_wild-beasts-run-away-from-dangers-when-t_1443304.jpg) > ““Wild beasts run away from dangers when they see them. Once they have escaped, they are free of anxiety. But we are tormented by both the future and the past.”” [Donald J. Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-robertson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Animals flee danger and feel relief; humans suffer from past and future anxieties. **In simple terms:** Animals escape danger; humans worry about past and future. Key Takeaway Practice present‑moment awareness to reduce anxiety. Themes mindfulness anxiety time perception Mood calm thoughtful Type self‑help psychology When to use this quote - meditation - journaling about fears - therapy - mindful walking Key Concepts psychology temporal cognition Questions to Reflect On - What past or future thoughts dominate your mind? - How can you anchor yourself in the present? A Different Perspective Anxiety may persist despite mindfulness; some trauma requires professional help. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wild beast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-beast/) [Wild beasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-beasts/) ## Related quotes > [From Syria even to Rome I fight with wild beasts, by land and sea, by night and by day, being bound amidst ten leopards,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/from-syria-even-to-rome-i-fight-with-wild-beasts-by-land-and-sea-by/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [Ne cherchez plus mon coeur; les be" tes l'ont mange . Don't search any further for my heart; wild beasts ate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/ne-cherchez-plus-mon-coeur-les-be-tes-l-ont-mange-don-t-search-any/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [For some are in the habit of carrying about the name in wicked guile, while they still practice things unworthy of God. You must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/for-some-are-in-the-habit-of-carrying-about-the-name-in-wicked-guile/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [There are many wild beasts on land and in the sea, but the beastliest of all is woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menander/there-are-many-wild-beasts-on-land-and-in-the-sea-but-the-beastliest/) [Menander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menander/) > [When we act pugnaciously, and injuriously, and angrily, and rudely, to what level have we degenerated? To the level of the wild beasts. Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/when-we-act-pugnaciously-and-injuriously-and-angrily-and-rudely-to/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“Much of human behavior can be explained by watching the wild beasts around us. They are constantly teaching us things about ourselves and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/much-of-human-behavior-can-be-explained-by-watching-the-wild-beasts/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Today there's more fellowship among snakes than among mankind. Wild beasts spare those with similar markings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/today-there-s-more-fellowship-among-snakes-than-among-mankind-wild/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [The truest wild beasts live in the most populous places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/the-truest-wild-beasts-live-in-the-most-populous-places/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [I can get on with wild beasts first-rate; but men rile me awfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-can-get-on-with-wild-beasts-first-rate-but-men-rile-me-awfully/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Each man's soul is a menagerie where Conscience, the animal-tamer, lives with a collection of wild beasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/each-man-s-soul-is-a-menagerie-where-conscience-the-animal-tamer/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [When among wild beasts, if they menace you, be a wild beast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/when-among-wild-beasts-if-they-menace-you-be-a-wild-beast/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [Of all wild beasts on earth or in sea, the greatest is a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menander/of-all-wild-beasts-on-earth-or-in-sea-the-greatest-is-a-woman/) [Menander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menander/) > [In short, all good things are wild and free. There is something in a strain of music, whether produced by an instrument or by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-short-all-good-things-are-wild-and-free-there-is-something-in-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Here I am, a wild beast cut off from his companions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chairil-anwar/here-i-am-a-wild-beast-cut-off-from-his-companions/) [Chairil Anwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chairil-anwar/) > [I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/i-am-writing-to-all-the-churches-to-let-it-be-known-that-i-will/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) ## More by Donald J. Robertson > [“Throughout the day, practise bringing your attention back to the present moment, rather than allowing it to wander off into daydreams, rumination about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-j-robertson/throughout-the-day-practise-bringing-your-attention-back-to-the/) [Donald J. Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-robertson/) > [“Loving your fate and joyful acceptance Epictetus actually describes a three-stage process to his students, which relates to the discipline of desire. He begins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-j-robertson/loving-your-fate-and-joyful-acceptance-epictetus-actually-describes-a/) [Donald J. Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-robertson/) > [“According to the Stoics therefore a man is free if his desires are not thwarted. However, if we only desire what is within our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-j-robertson/according-to-the-stoics-therefore-a-man-is-free-if-his-desires-are/) [Donald J. Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-robertson/) > [“It was a famous Stoic ‘paradox’ that the Sage is believed to be absolutely free, even when imprisoned or exiled by a powerful tyrant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-j-robertson/it-was-a-famous-stoic-paradox-that-the-sage-is-believed-to-be/) [Donald J. Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-robertson/) > [“The Stoics, by contrast, believed that we are essentially social creatures, with a ‘natural affection’ and ‘affinity’ for all people. This forms the basis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-j-robertson/the-stoics-by-contrast-believed-that-we-are-essentially-social/) [Donald J. Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-robertson/) > [“As social beings, it is in our relationships that we have most opportunity to flourish. 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Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-robertson/) > [“Epictetus actually says all the enmity between people is down to a single judgement of this kind, they ‘put themselves and what belongs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-j-robertson/epictetus-actually-says-all-the-enmity-between-people-is-down-to-a/) [Donald J. Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-robertson/) > [“Goodness in other people naturally arouses our affection and friendship, not because it’s of some material advantage to us, but because it’s the mirror…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-j-robertson/goodness-in-other-people-naturally-arouses-our-affection-and/) [Donald J. 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Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-robertson/) > [“Whether we realize it or not, we are all living out the lives fated for us, either willingly or reluctantly. Zeno illustrated this with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-j-robertson/whether-we-realize-it-or-not-we-are-all-living-out-the-lives-fated/) [Donald J. Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-robertson/) [Explore all 15 Donald J. Robertson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-robertson/) ## 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. 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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. 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