--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Example is a dangerous lure: where the…" description: "\"Example is a dangerous lure: where the wasp got through the gnat sticks fast.\" — Jean de La Fontaine" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df4/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_dangerous_example-is-a-dangerous-lure-where-the-wa_109769.jpg" --- # Example is a dangerous lure: where the wasp got through… ![“Example is a dangerous lure: where the wasp got through the gnat sticks fast.” quote by Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df4/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_dangerous_example-is-a-dangerous-lure-where-the-wa_109769.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df4/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_dangerous_example-is-a-dangerous-lure-where-the-wa_109769.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df4/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_dangerous_example-is-a-dangerous-lure-where-the-wa_109769.jpg) > “Example is a dangerous lure: where the wasp got through the gnat sticks fast.” [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Illustrates how a small, seemingly harmless example can mask a larger, more dangerous problem, leading to complacency. **In simple terms:** Small examples can hide bigger threats. Key Takeaway Beware of superficial analogies. Themes perception danger analogy caution Mood cautious thoughtful Type proverb fable When to use this quote - evaluating safety protocols - teaching scientific method - political rhetoric analysis Key Concepts cognitive bias risk assessment Practical Applications - use critical questioning when presented with examples - cross‑check with broader data Questions to Reflect On - When does an example clarify versus oversimplify? - How can we test the validity of an analogy? A Different Perspective Sometimes a simple example is precisely what is needed to illustrate a complex issue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) [Dangerous Lure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous-lure-1307620/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [Example Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example-dangerous-1307622/) [Gnat Sticks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gnat-sticks-1307621/) [Gnats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gnats/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Lure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lure/) [Lure Wasp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lure-wasp-1307619/) [Sticks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks/) [Wasps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasps/) ## Related quotes > [I'm gonna say it one more time. We are Georgia Southern. Our colors are blue and white. We call ourselves the Bald Eagles. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erk-russell/i-m-gonna-say-it-one-more-time-we-are-georgia-southern-our-colors-are/) [Erk Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erk-russell/) > [If we may credit certain hints contained in the lives of the saints, love raises the spirit above the sphere of reverence and worship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/if-we-may-credit-certain-hints-contained-in-the-lives-of-the-saints/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [“Don’t you swat away my concerns like they’re gnats around your ears.” He got to his feet as well. “Don’t you dare make light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-robb/don-t-you-swat-away-my-concerns-like-they-re-gnats-around-your-ears/) [J.D. Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-robb/) > [“however, while the gnats were swarming like locusts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-lorson/however-while-the-gnats-were-swarming-like-locusts/) [M.F. Lorson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-lorson/) > [Guitar playing, as currently understood, has more to do with sports than it does to do with music. It's an Olympic challenge type of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/guitar-playing-as-currently-understood-has-more-to-do-with-sports/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Linnæus, setting out for Lapland, surveys his "comb" and "spare shirt," "leathern breeches" and "gauze cap to keep off gnats," with as much complacency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/linn-us-setting-out-for-lapland-surveys-his-comb-and-spare-shirt/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [There is a reference in Aristotle to a gnat produced by larvae engendered in the slime of vinegar. This must have been Drosophila.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-sturtevant/there-is-a-reference-in-aristotle-to-a-gnat-produced-by-larvae/) [Alfred Sturtevant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-sturtevant/) > [When the sun shines let foolish gnats make sport, But creep in crannies when he hides his beams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/when-the-sun-shines-let-foolish-gnats-make-sport-but-creep-in/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [By his machines man can dive and remain under water like a shark; can fly like a hawk in the air; can see atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/by-his-machines-man-can-dive-and-remain-under-water-like-a-shark-can/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I think we have the attention span of a gnat. You know, with cell phones and Twitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-daniels/i-think-we-have-the-attention-span-of-a-gnat-you-know-with-cell/) [Jeff Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-daniels/) > [Television is a triumph of equipment over people,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/television-is-a-triumph-of-equipment-over-people/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [With the single exception of Park Lane, every north-south route in London slows traffic to the pace of a wounded gnat with pleurisy struggling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/with-the-single-exception-of-park-lane-every-north-south-route-in/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [Surely all God's people, however serious or savage, great or small, like to play. Whales and elephants, dancing, humming gnats, and invisibly small mischievous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/surely-all-god-s-people-however-serious-or-savage-great-or-small-like/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [You and I and everyone else have the attention span of gnats. And that means that saying or doing anything once simply doesn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-simmons/you-and-i-and-everyone-else-have-the-attention-span-of-gnats-and-that/) [Gene Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-simmons/) > [Straining at gnats and swallowing camels is a required course in law schools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/straining-at-gnats-and-swallowing-camels-is-a-required-course-in-law/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More by Jean de La Fontaine > [Nothing is so oppressive as a secret: women find it difficult to keep one long; and I know a goodly number of men who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/nothing-is-so-oppressive-as-a-secret-women-find-it-difficult-to-keep/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [One should stick to the sort of thing for which one was made; I tried to be an herbalist, Whereas I should keep to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/one-should-stick-to-the-sort-of-thing-for-which-one-was-made-i-tried/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [ No flowery road leads to glory. \[Fr., Aucun chemin de fleurs ne conduit a la gloire.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/no-flowery-road-leads-to-glory-fr-aucun-chemin-de-fleurs-ne-conduit-a/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Nothing is as dangerous as an ignorant friend; a wise enemy is to be preferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/nothing-is-as-dangerous-as-an-ignorant-friend-a-wise-enemy-is-to-be/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [“Everyone believes very easily whatever he fears or desires.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/everyone-believes-very-easily-whatever-he-fears-or-desires/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Neither wealth or greatness render us happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/neither-wealth-or-greatness-render-us-happy/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [No favor can win gratitude from a cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/no-favor-can-win-gratitude-from-a-cat/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Love cries victory when the tears of a woman become the sole defence of her virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/love-cries-victory-when-the-tears-of-a-woman-become-the-sole-defence/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/a-person-often-meets-his-destiny-on-the-road-he-took-to-avoid-it/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [You've tried to reform what will not learn. Shut doors on traits that you wish were dead; They will open a window and return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/you-ve-tried-to-reform-what-will-not-learn-shut-doors-on-traits-that/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [We ought never to scoff at the wretched, for who can be sure of continued happiness?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/we-ought-never-to-scoff-at-the-wretched-for-who-can-be-sure-of/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Such gluttony second to none Almost ended fatally When a bone choked a wolf as he gulped what he ate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/such-gluttony-second-to-none-almost-ended-fatally-when-a-bone-choked/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Every flatterer lives at the expense of him who listens to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/every-flatterer-lives-at-the-expense-of-him-who-listens-to-him/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Cats know not how to pardon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/cats-know-not-how-to-pardon/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [The more wary you are of danger, the more likely you are to meet it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/the-more-wary-you-are-of-danger-the-more-likely-you-are-to-meet-it/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) [Explore all 166 Jean de La Fontaine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) ## More Dangerous quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-temptations-of-god-were-always-more-dangerous-for-mankind-than/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/) [Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. 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They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) [Browse all 6,450 Dangerous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Example is a dangerous lure: where the wasp got through the gnat sticks fast.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean de La Fontaine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/example-is-a-dangerous-lure-where-the-wasp-got-through-the-gnat/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dangerous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/example-is-a-dangerous-lure-where-the-wasp-got-through-the-gnat/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df4/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_dangerous_example-is-a-dangerous-lure-where-the-wa_109769.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df4/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_dangerous_example-is-a-dangerous-lure-where-the-wa_109769.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df4/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_dangerous_example-is-a-dangerous-lure-where-the-wa_109769.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Example is a dangerous lure: where the wasp got through the gnat sticks fast.” — Jean de La Fontaine", "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": "Jean de La Fontaine", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Example is a dangerous lure: where...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/example-is-a-dangerous-lure-where-the-wasp-got-through-the-gnat/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/example-is-a-dangerous-lure-where-the-wasp-got-through-the-gnat/#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 } } ] } ```