Animal kingdom Quote by Jane Prowse
““Think about Praying Mantis. The deadliest ninja predator. Why isn't his animus a lion or a polar bear - two of the most successful killing machines in the animal kingdom? The answer is that these animals would not be right for him. Think how a praying mantis is invisible on a leaf, how they are carnivores who will devour their own species. The female will even eat her own partner once they've mated and, as hatchlings, their first meal is often one of their own siblings. These are the things that matter to Praying Mantis - and if you study his attributes, they are elements that will help you defeat him.””
About This Quote
The quote uses the praying mantis as a metaphor for choosing strategies that fit one's unique strengths rather than imitating more obvious, powerful models.
In simple terms: Choose tactics that suit your nature, not just the strongest examples.
Key Takeaway
Align actions with personal attributes.
Themes
strategy
adaptation
self‑awareness
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
advisory
metaphorical
When to use this quote
- business planning
- personal development
- team leadership
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
metaphor
evolutionary biology
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What unique traits can you leverage instead of copying the “strongest” examples?
- How does aligning strategy with innate strengths improve outcomes?
A Different Perspective
Mimicking dominant models may ignore crucial personal or contextual factors.
![“[Materialism] seeks the primary and most simple state of matter, and then tries to develop all the others from it; ascending from mere mechanism, to chemism, to polarity, to the vegetable and to the animal kingdom. And if we suppose this to have been done, the last link in the chain would be…” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/88c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_animal-kingdom_materialism-seeks-the-primary-and-most-s_50402.jpg)
