Animals Quote by Mark Twain
““Man is the Reasoning Animal. Such is the claim. I think it is open to dispute. Indeed, my experiments have proven to me that he is the Unreasoning Animal... In truth, man is incurably foolish. Simple things which other animals easily learn, he is incapable of learning. Among my experiments was this. In an hour I taught a cat and a dog to be friends. I put them in a cage. In another hour I taught them to be friends with a rabbit. In the course of two days I was able to add a fox, a goose, a squirrel and some doves. Finally a monkey. They lived together in peace; even affectionately. Next, in another cage I confined an Irish Catholic from Tipperary, and as soon as he seemed tame I added a Scotch Presbyterian from Aberdeen. Next a Turk from Constantinople; a Greek Christian from Crete; an Armenian; a Methodist from the wilds of Arkansas; a Buddhist from China; a Brahman from Benares. Finally, a Salvation Army Colonel from Wapping. Then I stayed away for two whole days. When I came back to note results, the cage of Higher Animals was all right, but in the other there was but a chaos of gory odds and ends of turbans and fezzes and plaids and bones and flesh--not a specimen left alive. These Reasoning Animals had disagreed on a theological detail and carried the matter to a Higher Court.””
About This Quote
The speaker satirically argues that humans, unlike other animals, fail to learn simple cooperation and instead descend into conflict over trivial differences.
In simple terms: Humans are irrational and conflict‑prone.
Reasoning does not guarantee harmony.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- multicultural gatherings
- team building
- interfaith dialogues
- political debates
- conflict resolution workshops
Key Concepts
Practical Applications
- illustrating limits of rationality
- highlighting need for empathy
Questions to Reflect On
- What conditions enable humans to cooperate despite differences?
- How does satire reveal truths about societal divisions?
Some may contend that humans can achieve cooperation through shared goals and institutions, contrary to the claim of inherent folly.