---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He who abstains from anything animate…"
description: "\"He who abstains from anything animate ... will be much more careful not to injure those of his own species. For he who loves the genus will not hate an..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6e/porphyry-67976_animal_he-who-abstains-from-anything-animate-wi_3074564.jpg"
---

#  He who abstains from anything animate ... will be much…

![“He who abstains from anything animate ... will be much more careful not to injure those of his own species. For he who loves the genus will not hate any species of animals.” quote by Porphyry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6e/porphyry-67976_animal_he-who-abstains-from-anything-animate-wi_3074564.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6e/porphyry-67976_animal_he-who-abstains-from-anything-animate-wi_3074564.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6e/porphyry-67976_animal_he-who-abstains-from-anything-animate-wi_3074564.jpg)

> “He who abstains from anything animate ... will be much more careful not to injure those of his own species. For he who loves the genus will not hate any species of animals.”

Porphyry

## About This Quote

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

Respect for all living beings stems from loving the whole genus, preventing harm to any species.

**In simple terms:** Loving all life prevents cruelty.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate universal compassion.

Themes

ethics animal rights philosophy compassion universalism

Mood

reflective serious

Type

philosophical ethical

When to use this quote

- environmental activism
- dietary choices
- animal welfare advocacy
- education
- policy making

Key Concepts

Moral philosophy speciesism interconnectedness

Questions to Reflect On

- Can you extend love beyond humans consistently?
- What practical steps reflect this ethic?

A Different Perspective

Human self-interest may conflict with universal compassion.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animal cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-cruelty/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/)

## Related quotes

> [If a man deliberately abstains from wine to such an extent that he does serious harm to his nature, he will not be free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/if-a-man-deliberately-abstains-from-wine-to-such-an-extent-that-he/)

[Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/)

> [“If one abstains in just sex, he will end up being ‘God’. If one becomes immersed in sex, he will go straight to hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/if-one-abstains-in-just-sex-he-will-end-up-being-god-if-one-becomes/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [Blessed is the man, who having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/blessed-is-the-man-who-having-nothing-to-say-abstains-from-giving/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [“The Catholic alpha male abstains from sexual intercourse and childcare even though there is no genetic or ecological reason for him to do so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-catholic-alpha-male-abstains-from-sexual-intercourse-and/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [A total abstainer is one who abstains from everything but abstention, and especially from inactivity in the affairs of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/a-total-abstainer-is-one-who-abstains-from-everything-but-abstention/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [“New Rule: Stop leaving couches on the sidewalk. Besides being lazy and ugly, it's animal cruelty. You teach your dog not to pee on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-stop-leaving-couches-on-the-sidewalk-besides-being-lazy-and/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [“This much is sure: as the humanemeconomy asserts its own power, it's own logic, and it's essential decency, an an older order is passing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-pacelle/this-much-is-sure-as-the-humanemeconomy-asserts-its-own-power-it-s/)

[Wayne Pacelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-pacelle/)

> [Let none count themselves wise who have not with the nerves of their imagination felt the pain of the vivisected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cowper-powys/let-none-count-themselves-wise-who-have-not-with-the-nerves-of-their/)

[John Cowper Powys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cowper-powys/)

> [“Organic production has a particular challenge since the ideology of organic production and the expectations from consumers include that the food is produced in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid-agen-s/organic-production-has-a-particular-challenge-since-the-ideology-of/)

Sigrid Agenäs

> [I had bought two male chimps from a primate colony in Holland. They lived next to each other in separate cages for several months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiaan-barnard/i-had-bought-two-male-chimps-from-a-primate-colony-in-holland-they/)

[Christiaan Barnard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiaan-barnard/)

> [“One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and not be held responsible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/one-of-the-most-dangerous-things-that-can-happen-to-a-child-is-to/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [One night I couldn't sleep and I was up and just Googling random stuff and I'm like, 'Hmmm, PETA.' I saw all the videos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellie-pickler/one-night-i-couldn-t-sleep-and-i-was-up-and-just-googling-random/)

[Kellie Pickler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellie-pickler/)

> [The Tories claim that they have changed. Their stance on foxhunting makes it absolutely clear that they haven't. They know the public doesn't agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/the-tories-claim-that-they-have-changed-their-stance-on-foxhunting/)

[Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/)

> [Death and Famine and War and Pollution continued biking towards Tadfield. And Grievous Bodily Harm, Cruelty To Animals, Things Not Working Properly Even After…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/death-and-famine-and-war-and-pollution-continued-biking-towards/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

## More by Porphyry

> [The Gods have proclaimed Christ to have been most pious, but the Christians are a confused and vicious sect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porphyry/the-gods-have-proclaimed-christ-to-have-been-most-pious-but-the/)

Porphyry

> [“In the aether I appear in fiery forms, And in the aer I sit in a silvery chariot; earth reigns in my black brood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porphyry/in-the-aether-i-appear-in-fiery-forms-and-in-the-aer-i-sit-in-a/)

Porphyry

> [Pythagoras based musical education in the first place on certain melodies and rhythm that exercised a healing, a purifying influence on the human actions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porphyry/pythagoras-based-musical-education-in-the-first-place-on-certain/)

Porphyry

Explore all 4 Porphyry quotes

## More Animal quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/)

Mak\_786

> [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/)

[Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/)

[Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/)

> [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/)

[Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/)

> [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/)

[Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/)

> [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/)

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

> [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/)

[Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/)

[Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "He who abstains from anything animate ... will be much more careful not to injure those of his own species. For he who loves the genus will not hate any species of animals.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Porphyry"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porphyry/he-who-abstains-from-anything-animate-will-be-much-more-careful-not/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Animal"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porphyry/he-who-abstains-from-anything-animate-will-be-much-more-careful-not/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6e/porphyry-67976_animal_he-who-abstains-from-anything-animate-wi_3074564.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6e/porphyry-67976_animal_he-who-abstains-from-anything-animate-wi_3074564.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6e/porphyry-67976_animal_he-who-abstains-from-anything-animate-wi_3074564.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He who abstains from anything animate ... will be much more careful not to injure those of his own species…” — Porphyry",
                "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": "Porphyry",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/porphyry/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "He who abstains from anything animate...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porphyry/he-who-abstains-from-anything-animate-will-be-much-more-careful-not/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porphyry/he-who-abstains-from-anything-animate-will-be-much-more-careful-not/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
