Beast Quote by Sally Carrighar
“There were too many lemmings - that was the core of their difficulty. None wanted solitude, but a crowd of this size was a torment. Being sensitive little beasts, they became overstimulated by superfluous numbers of their own kind. They had tried to escape, but with pitiable irony, all tried to escape together.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Life of Animals by Sally Carrighar, 1952
A large group can become overwhelming, causing stress and loss of individuality, making collective escape futile.
In simple terms: Too many together cause stress and hinder escape.
Key Takeaway
Balance group size with personal space.
Themes
social dynamics
stress
individuality
Mood
anxious
reflective
Type
observational
analytical
When to use this quote
- wildlife observation
- team management
- crowd control
- psychology research
Key Concepts
herding behavior
overstimulation
collective action
Questions to Reflect On
- How does crowd size affect individual well‑being?
- What strategies reduce overstimulation in groups?
A Different Perspective
Large groups may still suffer from coordination failures despite shared goals.
![“Part of the problem was that I couldn't seem to get past the fact that I hadn't tried to escape from Kas. Even in France, when he'd left me on my own for several days, I'd carried on working [as a prostitute] and doing all the things he'd told me to d. And although I knew that it was because of…” quote by Sophie Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b16/sophie-hayes-58674_abuse_part-of-the-problem-was-that-i-couldn-t_1315864.jpg)
![“No visiting angel, or explorer from another planet, could have guessed that this bland orb [Earth] teemed with vermin, with world-mastering, self-torturing, incipiently angelic beasts.” quote by Olaf Stapledon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d65/olaf-stapledon-9950_angel_no-visiting-angel-or-explorer-from-anoth_12107.jpg)
