---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The pigs and sheep you see walking around…"
description: "\"“The pigs and sheep you see walking around today are zombies compared to their effervescent ancestors on the Ark. They’ve had the stuffing knocked out ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/julian-barnes-522_pigs_the-pigs-and-sheep-you-see-walking-aroun_2402000.jpg"
---

#  The pigs and sheep you see walking around today are…

![“The pigs and sheep you see walking around today are zombies compared to their effervescent ancestors on the Ark. They’ve had the stuffing knocked out of them. And some of them, like the turkey, have to endure the further indignity of having the stuffing put back into them – before they are braised…” quote by Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/julian-barnes-522_pigs_the-pigs-and-sheep-you-see-walking-aroun_2402000.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/julian-barnes-522_pigs_the-pigs-and-sheep-you-see-walking-aroun_2402000.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/julian-barnes-522_pigs_the-pigs-and-sheep-you-see-walking-aroun_2402000.jpg)

> ““The pigs and sheep you see walking around today are zombies compared to their effervescent ancestors on the Ark. They’ve had the stuffing knocked out of them. And some of them, like the turkey, have to endure the further indignity of having the stuffing put back into them – before they are braised or boiled.””

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Modern animals have been domesticated to the point of losing their natural vigor, becoming passive and altered from their ancestors.

**In simple terms:** Domestication dulls animals' original energy.

Key Takeaway

Consider the impact of domestication on animal welfare.

Themes

animal welfare domestication heritage

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

philosophical satirical

When to use this quote

- zoo management
- food industry
- conservation education

Key Concepts

evolutionary change ethical treatment

Questions to Reflect On

- Should we preserve natural traits in domesticated species?
- How does this affect our view of food?

A Different Perspective

Animals may suffer loss of identity and agency.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Having Stuffing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-stuffing-6018368/) [Pigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pigs/) [Pigs Sheep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pigs-sheep-1804788/) [Stuffing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuffing/) [Stuffing Knocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuffing-knocked-6018369/) [Walking around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walking-around/)

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[Catherine Tresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-tresa/)

> [From paying off friends' tax bills to rescuing stray dogs and stuffing £20 notes into the hands of homeless people, I can't get rid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-burchill/from-paying-off-friends-tax-bills-to-rescuing-stray-dogs-and-stuffing/)

[Julie Burchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-burchill/)

> [“Real ballplayers pass the stuffing by rolling it up in a ball and batting it across the table with a turkey leg.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-swyers/real-ballplayers-pass-the-stuffing-by-rolling-it-up-in-a-ball-and/)

[Tom Swyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-swyers/)

> [“It's too bad we're not all teddy bears. More stuffing would only make us cuter and cuddlier.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/it-s-too-bad-we-re-not-all-teddy-bears-more-stuffing-would-only-make/)

[Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/)

> [Over the years I've tweaked my stuffing recipe many times, adding a variety of ingredients like sauteed wild mushrooms, dried cherries, fresh chevre, toasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-douglas/over-the-years-i-ve-tweaked-my-stuffing-recipe-many-times-adding-a/)

[Tom Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-douglas/)

> [Were having something a little different this year for Thanksgiving. Instead of a turkey, were having a swan. You get more stuffing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/were-having-something-a-little-different-this-year-for-thanksgiving/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [May your stuffing be tasty May your turkey plump, May your potatoes and gravy Have nary a lump. May your yams be delicious And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-your-stuffing-be-tasty-may-your-turkey-plump-may-your-potatoes/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It's so important that you don't put the stuffing in the bird, where in order for the stuffing to get cooked you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ina-garten/it-s-so-important-that-you-don-t-put-the-stuffing-in-the-bird-where/)

[Ina Garten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ina-garten/)

> [If your so upset with being fat. Then why are you still stuffing your face?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-your-so-upset-with-being-fat-then-why-are-you-still-stuffing-your/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Chestnuts in stuffing tastes like someone chewed up a tree branch and then French-kissed it into your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/chestnuts-in-stuffing-tastes-like-someone-chewed-up-a-tree-branch-and/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

## More by Julian Barnes

> [“You put together two things that have not been put together before. And the world is changed. People may not notice at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-put-together-two-things-that-have-not-been-put-together-before/)

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> [“I settled into a contented routine of working, spending my free time with Veronica and, back in my student room, wanking explosively to fantasies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/i-settled-into-a-contented-routine-of-working-spending-my-free-time/)

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> [The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/the-greatest-patriotism-is-to-tell-your-country-when-it-is-behaving/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [“There is only good vodka and very good vodka—there is no such thing as bad vodka.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/there-is-only-good-vodka-and-very-good-vodka-there-is-no-such-thing/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [Alice Munro can move characters through time in a way that no other writer can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/alice-munro-can-move-characters-through-time-in-a-way-that-no-other/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [How rarely do our emotions meet the object they seem to deserve? How hopelessly we signal; how dark the sky; how big the waves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/how-rarely-do-our-emotions-meet-the-object-they-seem-to-deserve-how/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [You put together two people who have not been put together before. Sometimes it is like that first attempt to harness a hydrogen balloon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-put-together-two-people-who-have-not-been-put-together-before/)

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[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [“And what percentage of people take up the option to die off?’ She looked at me, her glance telling me to be calm. ‘Oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/and-what-percentage-of-people-take-up-the-option-to-die-off-she/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

[Explore all 454 Julian Barnes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

## More Pigs quotes

> [Television series are like the stock market. There's room for bears and bulls but no room for pigs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/television-series-are-like-the-stock-market-there-s-room-for-bears/)

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> [I am not a pig farmer. The pigs had a great time, but I didn't make any money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-am-not-a-pig-farmer-the-pigs-had-a-great-time-but-i-didn-t-make-any/)

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> [I'd rather not deal with such questions, because anyway it's like shearing a pig - lots of screams but little wool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/i-d-rather-not-deal-with-such-questions-because-anyway-it-s-like/)

[Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/)

> [“Were archaeologists really such a sex-starved lot as all that? Did pigs really sweat?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-russell/were-archaeologists-really-such-a-sex-starved-lot-as-all-that-did/)

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[Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/)

> [The man in the coon skin cap in the pig pen wants eleven dollar bills, you've only got ten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-man-in-the-coon-skin-cap-in-the-pig-pen-wants-eleven-dollar-bills/)

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> [In my mind, it is certainly much nicer to end on a high note rather than on a Stout Pig.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-my-mind-it-is-certainly-much-nicer-to-end-on-a-high-note-rather/)

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[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I thought I would call myself a pig before the viewer could, so they could only think more of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-koons/i-thought-i-would-call-myself-a-pig-before-the-viewer-could-so-they/)

[Jeff Koons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-koons/)

> [My boarding school experience was the only thing I had strong enough feelings to write about for hundreds and hundreds of pages. I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/my-boarding-school-experience-was-the-only-thing-i-had-strong-enough/)

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