Advice Quote by Konrad Lorenz
“Visualize yourself confronted with the task of killing, one after the other, a cabbage, a fly, a fish, a lizard, a guinea pig, a cat, a dog, a monkey and a baby chimpanzee. In the unlikely case that you should experience no greater inhibitions in killing the chimpanzee than in destroying the cabbage or the fly, my advice to you is to commit suicide at your earliest possible convenience, because you are a weird monstrosity and a public danger.”
About This Quote
Source Book: On Aggression, Konrad Lorenz, 1963
The quote warns that lacking moral inhibition toward killing increasingly complex beings signals dangerous pathology, urging self‑elimination.
In simple terms: If you feel no more guilt killing a baby chimp than a cabbage, you are a threat.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and seek help for extreme desensitization.
Themes
morality
psychology
danger
self‑destruction
Mood
disturbing
urgent
Type
cautionary
ethical
When to use this quote
- clinical therapy
- ethical training
- self‑assessment
- risk assessment
Key Concepts
dehumanization
ethical decay
psychopathology
Questions to Reflect On
- What underlying factors could cause such desensitization?
- How can society intervene before tragedy?
A Different Perspective
It oversimplifies complex mental health issues and ignores possible interventions.
