--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be able to laugh and to be merciful…" description: "\"To be able to laugh and to be merciful are the only things that make man better than the beast\" — Ruskin Bond" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/ruskin-bond-1864_able_to-be-able-to-laugh-and-to-be-merciful-a_2423816.png" --- # To be able to laugh and to be merciful are the only things… ![“To be able to laugh and to be merciful are the only things that make man better than the beast” quote by Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/ruskin-bond-1864_able_to-be-able-to-laugh-and-to-be-merciful-a_2423816.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/ruskin-bond-1864_able_to-be-able-to-laugh-and-to-be-merciful-a_2423816.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/ruskin-bond-1864_able_to-be-able-to-laugh-and-to-be-merciful-a_2423816.png) > “To be able to laugh and to be merciful are the only things that make man better than the beast” [Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Laughter and mercy are presented as uniquely human traits that elevate us above animals. **In simple terms:** Humor and kindness make us human. Key Takeaway Cultivate compassion and humor daily. Themes humanity compassion humor Mood thoughtful inspirational Type ethical motivational When to use this quote - interpersonal relationships - conflict resolution - mental health - education Key Concepts moral development emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - Can humor be learned? - How does mercy change social dynamics? A Different Perspective Some may argue animals also show empathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Beast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beast/) [Better Beast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-beast-5642474/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh/) [Laugh Merciful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh-merciful-6143368/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Man Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-better/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Merciful Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merciful-things-6143369/) ## Related quotes > [There is not a better beast on the earth to serve man both in labor and companionship then a horse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-kuhn/there-is-not-a-better-beast-on-the-earth-to-serve-man-both-in-labor/) [Joanna Kuhn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-kuhn/) > [When he is best, he is a little worse than a man; and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/when-he-is-best-he-is-a-little-worse-than-a-man-and-when-he-is-worst/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [In honest truth, a name given to a man is no better than a skin given to him; what is not natively his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/in-honest-truth-a-name-given-to-a-man-is-no-better-than-a-skin-given/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [It doth make a man better,' quoth Robin Hood, 'to bear of those noble men so long ago. 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