--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Fox, when hee cannot reach the…" description: "\"The Fox, when hee cannot reach the grapes, saies they are not ripe.\" — George Herbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/george-herbert-107_foxes_the-fox-when-hee-cannot-reach-the-grapes_1988273.jpg" --- # The Fox, when hee cannot reach the grapes, saies they are… ![“The Fox, when hee cannot reach the grapes, saies they are not ripe.” quote by George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/george-herbert-107_foxes_the-fox-when-hee-cannot-reach-the-grapes_1988273.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/george-herbert-107_foxes_the-fox-when-hee-cannot-reach-the-grapes_1988273.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/george-herbert-107_foxes_the-fox-when-hee-cannot-reach-the-grapes_1988273.jpg) > “The Fox, when hee cannot reach the grapes, saies they are not ripe.” [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Illustrates rationalizing failure by devaluing what cannot be attained. **In simple terms:** Disparage what you can't get. Key Takeaway Avoid self‑deception. Themes pride self‑deception failure Mood cynical analytical Type aphilosophical inspirational When to use this quote - sales - personal setbacks - goal setting Key Concepts cognitive bias rationalization Questions to Reflect On - Why do we diminish unattainable goals? - How can we accept loss gracefully? A Different Perspective May prevent learning from disappointment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Foxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foxes/) [Grapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grapes/) [Grapes Saies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grapes-saies-3433007/) [Reach Grapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reach-grapes-3433006/) [Ripe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ripe/) [Saies Ripe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saies-ripe-3433008/) ## Related quotes > [I thought these grapes were ripe, but I see now they are quite sour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/i-thought-these-grapes-were-ripe-but-i-see-now-they-are-quite-sour/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [You want hot days to get your fruit ripe but then you want it to cool off nicely at night so that the grapes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-bledsoe/you-want-hot-days-to-get-your-fruit-ripe-but-then-you-want-it-to-cool/) [Drew Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-bledsoe/) > [On my cornice linger the ripe black grapes ungathered; Children fill the groves with the echoes of their glee, Gathering tawny chestnuts, and shouting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-bryant/on-my-cornice-linger-the-ripe-black-grapes-ungathered-children-fill/) [William C. Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-bryant/) > [Purple as tulips in May, mauve into lush velvet, purple as the stain blackberries leave on the lips, on the hands, the purple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/purple-as-tulips-in-may-mauve-into-lush-velvet-purple-as-the-stain/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [A discerning man, when he eats grapes, takes only the ripe ones and leaves the sour. Thus also the discerning mind carefully marks the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-climacus/a-discerning-man-when-he-eats-grapes-takes-only-the-ripe-ones-and/) [John Climacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-climacus/) > [The tartness of his face sours ripe grapes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-tartness-of-his-face-sours-ripe-grapes/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I'm one of the little foxes that spoil the grapes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-one-of-the-little-foxes-that-spoil-the-grapes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Hee that eats the hard shall eate the ripe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/hee-that-eats-the-hard-shall-eate-the-ripe/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Hee that hath a Fox for his mate, hath neede of a net at his girdle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/hee-that-hath-a-fox-for-his-mate-hath-neede-of-a-net-at-his-girdle/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Amiens was taken by the Fox, and retaken by the Lion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/amiens-was-taken-by-the-fox-and-retaken-by-the-lion/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [The Fox knowes much, but more he that catcheth him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-fox-knowes-much-but-more-he-that-catcheth-him/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Spring comes with joyous laugh, and song, and sunshine, and the burnt sacrifice of the over-ripe boot and the hoary overshoe. The cowboy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wilson-nye/spring-comes-with-joyous-laugh-and-song-and-sunshine-and-the-burnt/) [Edgar Wilson Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wilson-nye/) > [The online education space, especially in higher education, is ripe for disruption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-screwvala/the-online-education-space-especially-in-higher-education-is-ripe-for/) [Ronnie Screwvala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-screwvala/) > [“Neither's the one you get, less you want me to see if your apple's ripe, yet. - Yoren”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/neither-s-the-one-you-get-less-you-want-me-to-see-if-your-apple-s/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“On the third day, she smelled the fruit as soon as she came in. She followed the scent to the kitchen, and the peach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/on-the-third-day-she-smelled-the-fruit-as-soon-as-she-came-in-she/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) ## More by George Herbert > [Sum up at night what thou hast done by day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/sum-up-at-night-what-thou-hast-done-by-day/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Beare with evill, and expect good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/beare-with-evill-and-expect-good/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [ In the house of a Fidler, all fiddle. \[In the house of the fiddler all fiddle.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-the-house-of-a-fidler-all-fiddle-in-the-house-of-the-fiddler-all/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [By all means use some time to be alone, salute thyself, see what thy soul doth wear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/by-all-means-use-some-time-to-be-alone-salute-thyself-see-what-thy/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Every one is weary, the poore in seeking, the rich in keeping, the good in learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/every-one-is-weary-the-poore-in-seeking-the-rich-in-keeping-the-good/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [He is a great Necromancer, for he asks counsel counsell of the Dead (i.e. books).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/he-is-a-great-necromancer-for-he-asks-counsel-counsell-of-the-dead-i/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [If all fooles had babies, wee should want fuell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/if-all-fooles-had-babies-wee-should-want-fuell/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Weight justly and sell dearely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/weight-justly-and-sell-dearely/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Could have recovered greenness?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/could-have-recovered-greenness/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [In every country dogges bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-every-country-dogges-bite/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [The back-doore robs the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-back-doore-robs-the-house/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [In cloths cheap handsomeness, doth bear the bell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-cloths-cheap-handsomeness-doth-bear-the-bell/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Foolish tongues talke by the dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/foolish-tongues-talke-by-the-dozen/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [ Spectacles are deaths Harquebuze. \[Spectacles are death's arquebuse.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/spectacles-are-deaths-harquebuze-spectacles-are-death-s-arquebuse/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [None saies his Garner is full.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/none-saies-his-garner-is-full/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) [Explore all 1,285 George Herbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) ## More Foxes quotes > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [I did not support Operation Desert Fox.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-did-not-support-operation-desert-fox/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [People realized that they could come on Fox News Sunday, and they would be well and fairly treated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brit-hume/people-realized-that-they-could-come-on-fox-news-sunday-and-they/) [Brit Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brit-hume/) > [“Man is the Reasoning Animal. Such is the claim. I think it is open to dispute. Indeed, my experiments have proven to me that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/man-is-the-reasoning-animal-such-is-the-claim-i-think-it-is-open-to/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [New Rule: There is no devil, so stop blaming your screw-ups on him. Last week, one of the biggest evangelical leaders in America, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-there-is-no-devil-so-stop-blaming-your-screw-ups-on-him-last/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Old foxes want no tutors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-fuller/old-foxes-want-no-tutors/) [Thomas Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-fuller/) > [ The only thing is that ordinarily when I do dance with \[women\] they think I am suddenly going to throw them over a table… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-kelly/the-only-thing-is-that-ordinarily-when-i-do-dance-with-women-they/) [Gene Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-kelly/) > [Calling Michelle 'Obama Barack's baby mama?' Tell me, is that acceptable? But the Obamas aren't the only targets. Fox's pattern of race-baiting and fear-mongering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/calling-michelle-obama-barack-s-baby-mama-tell-me-is-that-acceptable/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [“You are not at all like my rose," he said. "As yet you are nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/you-are-not-at-all-like-my-rose-he-said-as-yet-you-are-nothing-no-one/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [I've built a tree house; because of my architectural training, it's heavily over-designed, with an oriel window sticking out of it and flying foxes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-wise/i-ve-built-a-tree-house-because-of-my-architectural-training-it-s/) [Greg Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-wise/) > [ I certainly don't feel like I have a monopoly on \[opinions\] because I have the job at FOX - any one of a thousand… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-buck/i-certainly-don-t-feel-like-i-have-a-monopoly-on-opinions-because-i/) [Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-buck/) > [ I have to say, early on, to be fair, in the \[Barack\] Obama administration, the Obama White House said that Fox News was not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-have-to-say-early-on-to-be-fair-in-the-barack-obama-administration/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Donald Trump said he didn't think Megyn Kelly had been fair to him. But he also talked about Fox's response to this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-martin/donald-trump-said-he-didn-t-think-megyn-kelly-had-been-fair-to-him/) [Michel Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-martin/) > [All that I did," she said, "everything I tried to do. All for nothing." Nothing is done entirely for nothing, said the fox of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/all-that-i-did-she-said-everything-i-tried-to-do-all-for-nothing/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I have to say that Adam Levine is truly a daring young man to go on Twitter to bash Fox News. He's so rebellious,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/i-have-to-say-that-adam-levine-is-truly-a-daring-young-man-to-go-on/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) [Browse all 600 Foxes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foxes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Fox, when hee cannot reach the grapes, saies they are not ripe.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Herbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-fox-when-hee-cannot-reach-the-grapes-saies-they-are-not-ripe/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Foxes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-fox-when-hee-cannot-reach-the-grapes-saies-they-are-not-ripe/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/george-herbert-107_foxes_the-fox-when-hee-cannot-reach-the-grapes_1988273.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/george-herbert-107_foxes_the-fox-when-hee-cannot-reach-the-grapes_1988273.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/george-herbert-107_foxes_the-fox-when-hee-cannot-reach-the-grapes_1988273.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Fox, when hee cannot reach the grapes, saies they are not ripe.” — George Herbert", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George Herbert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Fox, when hee cannot reach...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-fox-when-hee-cannot-reach-the-grapes-saies-they-are-not-ripe/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-fox-when-hee-cannot-reach-the-grapes-saies-they-are-not-ripe/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```