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Existentialism Quote by Franz Kafka

“The hardest bones, containing the richest marrow, can be conquered only by a united crushing of all the teeth of all dogs. That of course is only a figure of speech and exaggerated; if all teeth were but ready they would not need even to bite, the bones would crack themselves and the marrow would…” quote by Franz Kafka
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““The hardest bones, containing the richest marrow, can be conquered only by a united crushing of all the teeth of all dogs. That of course is only a figure of speech and exaggerated; if all teeth were but ready they would not need even to bite, the bones would crack themselves and the marrow would be freely accessible to the feeblest of dogs. If I remain faithful to this metaphor, then the goal of my aims, my questions, my inquiries, appears monstrous, it is true. For I want to compel all dogs thus to assemble together, I want the bones to crack open under the pressure of their collective preparedness, and then I want to dismiss them to the ordinary life they love, while all by myself, quite alone, I lap up the marrow. That sounds monstrous, almost as if I wanted to feed on the marrow, not merely of bone, but of the whole canine race itself. But it is only a metaphor. The marrow that I am discussing here is no food; on the contrary, it is a poison.””

Franz Kafka

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Metamorphosis, 1915

The metaphor describes how collective effort can break down barriers, but the speaker seeks to exploit the result alone, revealing selfish ambition and the danger of toxic rewards.

In simple terms: Group effort can open opportunities, yet selfish motives can corrupt them.

Key Takeaway

Beware of exploiting collective success for personal gain.

Themes

power selfishness collective effort corruption ambition

Mood

cautious critical reflective

Type

philosophical warning analytical

When to use this quote

  • team projects
  • political movements
  • corporate mergers
  • social reforms
  • academic collaborations

Key Concepts

metaphor philosophy psychology

Questions to Reflect On

  • What motivates you to seek personal gain from group success?
  • How can groups protect themselves from exploitative members?
A Different Perspective

The speaker’s desire to monopolize the benefit may undermine trust and sustainability of cooperation.

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