--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Consider the cattle, grazing as they pass…" description: "\"“Consider the cattle, grazing as they pass you by: they do not know what is meant by yesterday or today, they leap about, eat, rest, digest, leap about..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abc/friedrich-nietzsche-15_day-to-day_consider-the-cattle-grazing-as-they-pass_945855.jpg" --- # Consider the cattle, grazing as they pass you by: they do… ![“Consider the cattle, grazing as they pass you by: they do not know what is meant by yesterday or today, they leap about, eat, rest, digest, leap about again, and so from morn till night and from day to day, fettered to the moment and its pleasure or displeasure, and thus neither melancholy nor…” quote by Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abc/friedrich-nietzsche-15_day-to-day_consider-the-cattle-grazing-as-they-pass_945855.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abc/friedrich-nietzsche-15_day-to-day_consider-the-cattle-grazing-as-they-pass_945855.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abc/friedrich-nietzsche-15_day-to-day_consider-the-cattle-grazing-as-they-pass_945855.jpg) > ““Consider the cattle, grazing as they pass you by: they do not know what is meant by yesterday or today, they leap about, eat, rest, digest, leap about again, and so from morn till night and from day to day, fettered to the moment and its pleasure or displeasure, and thus neither melancholy nor bored. This is a hard sight for man to see; for, though he thinks himself better than the animals because he is human, he cannot help envying them their happiness – what they have, a life neither bored nor painful, is precisely what he wants, yet he cannot have it because he refuses to be like an animal… \[Man\] also wonders at himself, that he cannot learn to forget but clings relentlessly to the past: however far and fast he may run, this chain runs with him. And it is a matter for wonder: a moment, now here and then gone, nothing before it came, again nothing after it has gone, nonetheless returns as a ghost and disturbs the peace of a later moment. A leaf flutters from the scroll of time, floats away – and suddenly floats back again and falls into the man’s lap. Then the man says ‘I remember’ and envies the animal, who at once forgets and for whom every moment really dies, sinks back into night and fog and is extinguished forever.”” [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Animals live in the present, free from past‑anchored suffering; humans suffer because they cling to memory and future expectations, preventing true contentment. **In simple terms:** Animals enjoy present moments; humans are trapped by memory and longing. Key Takeaway Practice present‑moment awareness to reduce suffering. Themes present‑moment contentment memory existential angst Mood reflective philosophical Type contemplative inspirational When to use this quote - meditation - stress reduction - creative work - daily routines Key Concepts philosophy psychology mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How can you honor the past while staying present? - What practices help you let go of lingering regrets? A Different Perspective Complete detachment from past may be unrealistic and hinder learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals-human-343562/) [Consider Cattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consider-cattle-1650534/) [Day to day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-to-day/) [Envies Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envies-animal-1650535/) [Every moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-moment/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Like Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-animal/) [Man Thinks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-thinks/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Consider the cattle, grazing as they pass you by. 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This is a hard sight for man to see; for, though he thinks himself better than the animals because he is human, he cannot help envying them their happiness – what they have, a life neither bored nor painful, is precisely what he wants, yet he cannot have it because he refuses to be like an animal… [Man] also wonders at himself, that he cannot learn to forget but clings relentlessly to the past: however far and fast he may run, this chain runs with him. And it is a matter for wonder: a moment, now here and then gone, nothing before it came, again nothing after it has gone, nonetheless returns as a ghost and disturbs the peace of a later moment. A leaf flutters from the scroll of time, floats away – and suddenly floats back again and falls into the man’s lap. 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