Advantage Quote by Hans Zinsser
![“... [I]nfectious disease is merely a disagreeable instance of a widely prevalent tendency of all living creatures to save themselves the bother of building, by their own efforts, the things they require. Whenever they find it possible to take advantage of the constructive labors of others, this is…” quote by Hans Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0c7/hans-zinsser-34557_advantage_i-nfectious-disease-is-merely-a-disagree_1503200.jpg)
“... [I]nfectious disease is merely a disagreeable instance of a widely prevalent tendency of all living creatures to save themselves the bother of building, by their own efforts, the things they require. Whenever they find it possible to take advantage of the constructive labors of others, this is the path of least resistance. The plant does the work with its roots and its green leaves. The cow eats the plant. Man eats both of them; and bacteria (or investment bankers) eat the man. ...”
About This Quote
Source Book: Microbe and Man, 1935
Organisms tend to avoid effort by exploiting others' work, a strategy seen across nature and society.
In simple terms: Living things often use what others produce instead of making it themselves.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and mitigate reliance on others' labor.
Themes
exploitation
efficiency
interdependence
survival
economics
Mood
cautious
analytical
critical
Type
observational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- business strategy
- public health policy
- environmental management
- personal productivity
Key Concepts
parasitism
public goods
free rider problem
resource allocation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does reliance on others' work affect long‑term stability?
- When is exploiting others' labor ethically justified?
A Different Perspective
Such shortcuts can create dependency and reduce resilience.
![“If your blood is formed from eating the foods I teach [fruits and green-leaf vegetables] your soul will shout for joy and triumph over all misery of life. For the first time you will feel a vibration of vitality through your body (like a slight electric current) that shakes you delightfully.” quote by Arnold Ehret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8cd/arnold-ehret-55306_blood_if-your-blood-is-formed-from-eating-the_494645.jpg)
![“It is with the [head louse and body louse] that we are chiefly concerned, and they are so closely related that, even now, by an occasional mésalliance resulting from the meetings of young people about the neck band, a body louse may go native and interbreed with a head louse. The crab louse we may…” quote by Hans Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7d6/hans-zinsser-34557_young-people_it-is-with-the-head-louse-and-body-louse_1442761.jpg)
![“Medical historians have cited many observations which they regarded as indicating the ancient existence of syphilis; but most of these, on close scrutiny, turn out to be unconvincing […] Ozanam quotes two sonnets from a Florentine poet—one entitled ‘De Matrona,’ the other 'Ad Priapum'—which he…” quote by Hans Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0f5/hans-zinsser-34557_history_medical-historians-have-cited-many-obser_1854315.jpg)
![“The Archbishop [Thomas Becket] was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral on the evening of the twenty-ninth of December. The body lay in the Cathedral all night, and was prepared for burial on the following day. The Archbishop was dressed in an extraordinary collection of clothes. He had on a large…” quote by Hans Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3ff/hans-zinsser-34557_archbishop_the-archbishop-thomas-becket-was-murdere_2861244.jpg)
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
