--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When an ostrich buries its head in the…" description: "\"“When an ostrich buries its head in the sand as danger approaches, it very likely takes the happiest course. It hides the danger, and then calmly says ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/peirce-269048_peirce_when-an-ostrich-buries-its-head-in-the-s_2181926.jpg" --- # When an ostrich buries its head in the sand as danger… ![“When an ostrich buries its head in the sand as danger approaches, it very likely takes the happiest course. It hides the danger, and then calmly says there is no danger; and if it feels perfectly sure there is none, why should it raise its head to see?” quote by Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/peirce-269048_peirce_when-an-ostrich-buries-its-head-in-the-s_2181926.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/peirce-269048_peirce_when-an-ostrich-buries-its-head-in-the-s_2181926.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b1/peirce-269048_peirce_when-an-ostrich-buries-its-head-in-the-s_2181926.jpg) > ““When an ostrich buries its head in the sand as danger approaches, it very likely takes the happiest course. It hides the danger, and then calmly says there is no danger; and if it feels perfectly sure there is none, why should it raise its head to see?”” [Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peirce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An ostrich hides its head in sand, convincing itself there is no danger, illustrating denial and false safety. **In simple terms:** Denial creates false safety like an ostrich hiding its head. Key Takeaway Face reality instead of denying it. Themes denial safety perception danger psychology Mood cautious reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - decision making - stress management - personal safety Key Concepts cognitive bias self‑deception risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - What dangers do you ignore? - How can you confront hidden risks? A Different Perspective Denial can be harmful if not addressed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ostrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ostrich/) [Ostrich Buries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ostrich-buries-4717216/) [Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peirce-141794/) [Raise Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raise-head-878424/) [Sand Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sand-danger-4717218/) [Says Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says-danger-4717217/) ## Related quotes > [“Just close your eyes and try to think it over You realize I'm not the man you know, girl I hypotize ya I paralyze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-allen/just-close-your-eyes-and-try-to-think-it-over-you-realize-i-m-not-the/) [Kris Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-allen/) > [“The appearance of Professor Benjamin Peirce, whose long gray hair, straggling grizzled beard and unusually bright eyes sparkling under a soft felt hat, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-elwood-byerly/the-appearance-of-professor-benjamin-peirce-whose-long-gray-hair/) [William Elwood Byerly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-elwood-byerly/) > [“…Peirce’s theory of signs—there are no prerepresentational objects out there. Things are themselves signs: their being signs is a condition of their being things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/peirce-s-theory-of-signs-there-are-no-prerepresentational-objects-out/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [When you become very ill - raise your head. You will definitely see the sunlight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-barrymore/when-you-become-very-ill-raise-your-head-you-will-definitely-see-the/) [Drew Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-barrymore/) > [I don't know why, but everybody thinks that I'm short. When they see me for the first time, women are always surprised to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-don-t-know-why-but-everybody-thinks-that-i-m-short-when-they-see-me-2/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [“Pierce Hutton gave him a highly amused smile as they went over updated security information from the oil rig in the Caspian Sea. “So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-palmer/pierce-hutton-gave-him-a-highly-amused-smile-as-they-went-over/) [Diana Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-palmer/) > [ “\[Benjamin Peirce's\] lectures were not easy to follow. They were never carefully prepared. The work with which he rapidly covered the blackboard was very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-elwood-byerly/benjamin-peirce-s-lectures-were-not-easy-to-follow-they-were-never/) [William Elwood Byerly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-elwood-byerly/) > [Why are you still keeping your head down? why don't you want to raise your head to look up the sky? No matter the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sessah-odai-sadick/why-are-you-still-keeping-your-head-down-why-don-t-you-want-to-raise/) [Sessah-Odai Sadick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sessah-odai-sadick/) > [“Those that aspire to raise their head above the crowd are most likely to have it shot off.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leif-herrgesell/those-that-aspire-to-raise-their-head-above-the-crowd-are-most-likely/) [Leif Herrgesell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leif-herrgesell/) > [I have seen landscapes . . . which, under a particular light, make me feel that at any moment a giant might raise his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/i-have-seen-landscapes-which-under-a-particular-light-make-me-feel/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“2.1 Abduction No, we’re not talking about kidnapping but, rather, an important dimension of scientific and ordinary as well as philosophical rationality. Consider the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/2-1-abduction-no-we-re-not-talking-about-kidnapping-but-rather-an/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [Always look at the good things in life, & never dwell on what causes our head to stay down. If we keep our head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mzz-trini/always-look-at-the-good-things-in-life-never-dwell-on-what-causes-our/) [Mzz Trini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mzz-trini/) > [ \[Before the time of Benjamin Peirce it never occurred to anyone that mathematical research\] was one of the things for which a mathematical department… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-the-time-of-benjamin-peirce-it-never-occurred-to-anyone-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“For Peirce, inquiry is always communal—it is the median of many observations that gives the position of the star—and the last analysis really is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/for-peirce-inquiry-is-always-communal-it-is-the-median-of-many/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [If you ever get caught sleeping on the job...slowly raise your head and say 'In Jesus name, amen.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-ever-get-caught-sleeping-on-the-job-slowly-raise-your-head-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Ostrich quotes > [America cannot be an ostrich with its head in the sand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/america-cannot-be-an-ostrich-with-its-head-in-the-sand/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [“Damn her he said to himself. What good does it do my risking my life? She doesn't care whether we own an ostrich or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/damn-her-he-said-to-himself-what-good-does-it-do-my-risking-my-life/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [OSTRICH, n. A large bird to which (for its sins, doubtless) nature has denied that hinder toe . . . . The absence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/ostrich-n-a-large-bird-to-which-for-its-sins-doubtless-nature-has/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [I ate ostrich. I'm not very proud of it. I was going through a very experimental period and probably during foot and mouth. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dervla-kirwan/i-ate-ostrich-i-m-not-very-proud-of-it-i-was-going-through-a-very/) [Dervla Kirwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dervla-kirwan/) > [Madness is the WHO staring into the abyss and denying it is there. Madness is an ostrich who sticks her head in the sand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/madness-is-the-who-staring-into-the-abyss-and-denying-it-is-there/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [“ Son of a Midas You, sir, are a stupid-head Here, have an ostrich ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/son-of-a-midas-you-sir-are-a-stupid-head-here-have-an-ostrich/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [You might be a redneck if a full-grown ostrich has fewer feathers than your cowboy hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-foxworthy/you-might-be-a-redneck-if-a-full-grown-ostrich-has-fewer-feathers/) [Jeff Foxworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-foxworthy/) > [“You know what it's like, finding eight middle-aged guys having tantric sex with ostriches?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-ellis/you-know-what-it-s-like-finding-eight-middle-aged-guys-having-tantric/) [Warren Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-ellis/) > [The ostrich is the only animal officially endowed with political direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-daninos/the-ostrich-is-the-only-animal-officially-endowed-with-political/) [Pierre Daninos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-daninos/) > [Rock star, flyer than an ostrich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juelz-santana/rock-star-flyer-than-an-ostrich/) [Juelz Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juelz-santana/) > [“I just don't wanna be an ostrich. That's all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/i-just-don-t-wanna-be-an-ostrich-that-s-all/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [“Ok, so lastly all we needed to do was to dodge the stage; no way on planet Earth was I going to get up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-wilkinson/ok-so-lastly-all-we-needed-to-do-was-to-dodge-the-stage-no-way-on/) [Sophie Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-wilkinson/) > [“Why be an ostrich?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/why-be-an-ostrich/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [“ 'Tragedy admires man. Comedy feels a bit sorry for him.' We think we are kings or queens, masters of the universe or at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-blue/tragedy-admires-man-comedy-feels-a-bit-sorry-for-him-we-think-we-are/) [Debbie Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-blue/) > [A chicken grows up in a little less time than an ostrich. An ostrich takes a whole year. A chicken takes a few months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-horner/a-chicken-grows-up-in-a-little-less-time-than-an-ostrich-an-ostrich/) [Jack Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-horner/) [Browse all 24 Ostrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ostrich/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When an ostrich buries its head in the sand as danger approaches, it very likely takes the happiest course. 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