--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The animals that depend on instinct have…" description: "\"The animals that depend on instinct have an inherent knowledge of the laws of economics and of how to apply them; Man, with his powers of reason, has r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b2/james-thurber-1534_animals_the-animals-that-depend-on-instinct-have_1470581.png" --- # The animals that depend on instinct have an inherent… ![“The animals that depend on instinct have an inherent knowledge of the laws of economics and of how to apply them; Man, with his powers of reason, has reduced economics to the level of a farce which is at once funnier and more tragic than Tobacco Road.” quote by James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b2/james-thurber-1534_animals_the-animals-that-depend-on-instinct-have_1470581.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b2/james-thurber-1534_animals_the-animals-that-depend-on-instinct-have_1470581.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b2/james-thurber-1534_animals_the-animals-that-depend-on-instinct-have_1470581.png) > “The animals that depend on instinct have an inherent knowledge of the laws of economics and of how to apply them; Man, with his powers of reason, has reduced economics to the level of a farce which is at once funnier and more tragic than Tobacco Road.” [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Instinctual animals intuit economic laws, while human reason reduces economics to absurdity, highlighting a tragicomic contrast. **In simple terms:** Animals instinctively understand economics; humans overcomplicate it. Key Takeaway Recognize simplicity in complex systems. Themes economics reason humor Mood wry thoughtful Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - business decisions - policy analysis - everyday budgeting Key Concepts instinct vs. rationality social satire economic theory Questions to Reflect On - How can intuition inform economic choices? - When does rational analysis become counterproductive? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on reason can obscure basic truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Animals Depend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals-depend-5334516/) [Depend Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depend-instinct-5334517/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Farce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farce/) [Farce Funnier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farce-funnier-5334518/) [Inherent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherent/) [Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct/) [Instinct Inherent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct-inherent-4999199/) [Laws Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-economics-1349905/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Tobacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tobacco/) [Tragic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragic/) ## Related quotes > [By way of personal instinct, I have an inherent distaste for grandiose rhetorical statements, which don't have any substantive dimension to them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/by-way-of-personal-instinct-i-have-an-inherent-distaste-for-grandiose/) [Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/) > [Surely we have always acted; it is an instinct inherent in all of us. 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