--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [Addiction's] not about placating the bad…" description: "\"[Addiction's] not about placating the bad dog - it's about feeding the good dog. You still have to feed the bad dog, but only enough so that the ASPCA ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/robert-downey-jr-3620_addiction_addiction-s-not-about-placating-the-bad_2457770.jpg" --- # \[Addiction's\] not about placating the bad dog - it's about… ![“[Addiction's] not about placating the bad dog - it's about feeding the good dog. You still have to feed the bad dog, but only enough so that the ASPCA doesn't bring you up on charges.” quote by Robert Downey, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/robert-downey-jr-3620_addiction_addiction-s-not-about-placating-the-bad_2457770.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/robert-downey-jr-3620_addiction_addiction-s-not-about-placating-the-bad_2457770.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/robert-downey-jr-3620_addiction_addiction-s-not-about-placating-the-bad_2457770.jpg) > “\[Addiction's\] not about placating the bad dog - it's about feeding the good dog. You still have to feed the bad dog, but only enough so that the ASPCA doesn't bring you up on charges.” [Robert Downey, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-downey-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Addiction management involves feeding the good impulses while keeping the harmful ones under control. **In simple terms:** Control bad habits by feeding good ones. Key Takeaway Nurture positive habits, limit harmful ones. Themes addiction self-control habit formation Mood candid reflective Type self-help philosophical When to use this quote - recovery programs - daily routines - support groups Key Concepts psychology behavioral health Questions to Reflect On - What "good dog" habits can you strengthen? - How do you set limits for the "bad dog"? A Different Perspective Balancing both can be complex and risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) ## Related quotes > [You know I’m the first rapper to adopt a tabby cat. You know I adopted straight from the ASPCA, you feel me? 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It all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/music-is-my-personal-addiction-so-much-of-everything-i-ve-done-has/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) Bella James > [Religious work is one of the best ways to keep from facing your reality if you are Christian, if you are using it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-miller/religious-work-is-one-of-the-best-ways-to-keep-from-facing-your/) [Keith Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-miller/) > [Cold sweats, hallucinations I wanna speed to stop. The hell I'm going through The addiction's taking you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bullet-for-my-valentine/cold-sweats-hallucinations-i-wanna-speed-to-stop-the-hell-i-m-going/) [Bullet For My Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bullet-for-my-valentine/) > [As addictions go, reading is among the cleanest, easiest to feed, happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/as-addictions-go-reading-is-among-the-cleanest-easiest-to-feed/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“Alcoholism is a choice... not a life sentence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-norman/alcoholism-is-a-choice-not-a-life-sentence/) David Norman > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Browse all 2,134 Addiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "[Addiction's] not about placating the bad dog - it's about feeding the good dog. 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