---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yet they enjoy the high. In the surest…"
description: "\"“Yet they enjoy the high. In the surest sign that selenium actually makes them go mad, cattle grow addicted to locoweed despite its awful side effects ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/sam-kean-10876_addiction_yet-they-enjoy-the-high-in-the-surest-si_1309576.jpg"
---

#  Yet they enjoy the high. In the surest sign that selenium…

![“Yet they enjoy the high. In the surest sign that selenium actually makes them go mad, cattle grow addicted to locoweed despite its awful side effects and eat it to the exclusion of anything else. It’s animal meth.” quote by Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/sam-kean-10876_addiction_yet-they-enjoy-the-high-in-the-surest-si_1309576.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/sam-kean-10876_addiction_yet-they-enjoy-the-high-in-the-surest-si_1309576.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/sam-kean-10876_addiction_yet-they-enjoy-the-high-in-the-surest-si_1309576.jpg)

> ““Yet they enjoy the high. In the surest sign that selenium actually makes them go mad, cattle grow addicted to locoweed despite its awful side effects and eat it to the exclusion of anything else. It’s animal meth.””

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

## About This Quote

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

Animals can develop addictive behaviors toward toxic substances, illustrating how natural chemicals can hijack reward pathways.

**In simple terms:** Cattle become addicted to a harmful plant, showing nature’s paradox.

Key Takeaway

Recognize that even natural substances can be harmful when misused.

Themes

addiction toxicology biology behavior

Mood

cautionary scientific

Type

educational informative

When to use this quote

- agricultural management
- public health policy
- wildlife conservation

Key Concepts

Reward circuitry chemical dependence environmental risk

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do organisms seek harmful substances?
- How can we mitigate such addictions in wildlife?

A Different Perspective

Addiction may be hard to reverse once established.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Addicted Locoweed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addicted-locoweed-4328859/) [Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Animal Meth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-meth-4328858/) [Cattle Grow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cattle-grow-4328861/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Locoweed Despite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locoweed-despite-4328860/) [Mad Cattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mad-cattle-4328862/) [Side effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/side-effects/)

## Related quotes

> [Some trees flourish, others die. Some cattle grow strong, others are taken by wolves. Some men are born rich enough and dumb enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marston/some-trees-flourish-others-die-some-cattle-grow-strong-others-are/)

[John Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marston/)

> [Apparently, an undocumented side effect of dope is a gross overestimation of one's own intelligence. Dopers become convinced they've hidden their stash so well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/apparently-an-undocumented-side-effect-of-dope-is-a-gross/)

[Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/)

> [“But love’s not just the drug; it’s also the dealer. Love wants love in return, am I right, Olly? Like drugs, the highs look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/but-love-s-not-just-the-drug-it-s-also-the-dealer-love-wants-love-in/)

[David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/)

> [Expertise is great, but it has a bad side effect: It tends to create the inability to accept new ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-williams/expertise-is-great-but-it-has-a-bad-side-effect-it-tends-to-create/)

[Dean Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-williams/)

> [But that's a side effect of alcohol, isn't it? Stopping to think about other people is not on the bar menu.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-king/but-that-s-a-side-effect-of-alcohol-isn-t-it-stopping-to-think-about/)

[A.S. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-king/)

> [I continually still fight every day for my life, not only still battling mental health problems but battling multiple sclerosis, which also has depression…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/i-continually-still-fight-every-day-for-my-life-not-only-still/)

[Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/)

> [“Since I am writing a book about depression, I am often asked in social situations to describe my own experiences, and I usually end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/since-i-am-writing-a-book-about-depression-i-am-often-asked-in-social/)

[Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/)

> [“We have witnessed hundreds of clients and patients damage their metabolic and hormonal health through low-carb diets. It is becoming increasingly apparent that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-whitten/we-have-witnessed-hundreds-of-clients-and-patients-damage-their/)

[Ari Whitten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-whitten/)

> [“I think falling in love should come with a warning label: CAUTION - side effects may include breaking up, accompanied by heartache, severe mood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kacvinsky/i-think-falling-in-love-should-come-with-a-warning-label-caution-side/)

[Katie Kacvinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kacvinsky/)

> [While receiving radiation treatment for a thyroid illness, I had refused to take beta-blockers - a medication that would have eased its side effects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-devers/while-receiving-radiation-treatment-for-a-thyroid-illness-i-had/)

[Gail Devers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-devers/)

> [Maca boosts sex drive like crazy. And if there's any side effect, some people just have to stop taking it because they get so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/maca-boosts-sex-drive-like-crazy-and-if-there-s-any-side-effect-some/)

[Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/)

> [There are always potential side effects for every vaccine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/there-are-always-potential-side-effects-for-every-vaccine/)

[Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/)

> [I think of my body as a side effect of my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/i-think-of-my-body-as-a-side-effect-of-my-mind/)

[Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/)

> [Antidepressants are the biggest fraud in the world. Number one, Prozac gives you a royal soft-on like you wouldn't believe, and number two you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-evans/antidepressants-are-the-biggest-fraud-in-the-world-number-one-prozac/)

[Robert Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-evans/)

> [“I rubbed my forehead. ‘‘And just why do you expect Neptune to listen to me?’’ ‘‘He’ll listen because you’re you, Mayling! You’re important now! You’re a celebrity!’’ ‘‘What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-macalister/i-rubbed-my-forehead-and-just-why-do-you-expect-neptune-to-listen-to/)

[Katie MacAlister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-macalister/)

## More by Sam Kean

> [“So while Pauling struggled with his model, Watson and Crick turned theirs inside out, so the negative phosphorus ions wouldn’t touch. This gave them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/so-while-pauling-struggled-with-his-model-watson-and-crick-turned/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [So if big enough droplets fell far enough fast enough, someone floating right near the metallic hydrogen layer inside Jupiter maybe, just maybe, could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/so-if-big-enough-droplets-fell-far-enough-fast-enough-someone/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [Mendeleev, unlike the squeamish Meyer, had balls enough to predict that new elements would be dug up. Look harder, you chemists and geologists, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/mendeleev-unlike-the-squeamish-meyer-had-balls-enough-to-predict-that/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Lithium regulates the proteins that control the body’s inner clock. This clock runs, oddly, on DNA, inside special neurons deep in the brain. Special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/lithium-regulates-the-proteins-that-control-the-body-s-inner-clock/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Despite the earnest belief of most of his fans, Einstein did not win his Nobel Prize for the theory of relativity, special or general.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/despite-the-earnest-belief-of-most-of-his-fans-einstein-did-not-win/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“The irony is too rich not to point out. When arranging the different human races in tiers, from just below the angels to just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/the-irony-is-too-rich-not-to-point-out-when-arranging-the-different/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Think of the most fussy science teacher you ever had. The one who docked your grade if the sixth decimal place in your answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/think-of-the-most-fussy-science-teacher-you-ever-had-the-one-who/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“For his part, Mendeleev scanned Lecoq de Boisbaudran’s data on gallium and told the experimentalist, with no justification, that he must have measured something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/for-his-part-mendeleev-scanned-lecoq-de-boisbaudran-s-data-on-gallium/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Sir Isaac Newton famously said that he had achieved everything by standing on the shoulders of giants—the scientific men whose findings he built upon.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/sir-isaac-newton-famously-said-that-he-had-achieved-everything-by/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“If certain bacteria, fungi, or algae inch across something made of copper, they absorb copper atoms, which disrupt their metabolism (human cells are unaffected).…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/if-certain-bacteria-fungi-or-algae-inch-across-something-made-of/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Scarily, cadmium is not even the worst poison among the elements. It sits above mercury, a neurotoxin. And to the right of mercury sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/scarily-cadmium-is-not-even-the-worst-poison-among-the-elements-it/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Somehow, though, life turned that danger around, and this former poison became essential. It may sound trite, but this reversal always reminds me of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/somehow-though-life-turned-that-danger-around-and-this-former-poison/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Since before even the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians, human beings used the stars and seasons to track time and record their most important moments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/since-before-even-the-ancient-egyptians-and-babylonians-human-beings/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Today alpha equals 1/137.0359 or so. Regardless, its value makes the periodic table possible. It allows atoms to exist and also allows them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/today-alpha-equals-1-137-0359-or-so-regardless-its-value-makes-the/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

> [“Furthermore, because silicon packs on more protons than carbon, it's bulkier, like carbon with fifty extra pounds. Sometimes that's not a big deal. Silicon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/furthermore-because-silicon-packs-on-more-protons-than-carbon-it-s/)

[Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

[Explore all 58 Sam Kean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/)

## More Addiction quotes

> [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/)

[Robbin Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbin-crosby/)

> [“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time... Creative people probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-idea-that-creative-endeavor-and-mind-altering-substances-are/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [I really think the disease aspect gets lost when you're talking about alcoholism and addiction; it's not like you're battling leukemia or a heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-irsay/i-really-think-the-disease-aspect-gets-lost-when-you-re-talking-about/)

[Jim Irsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-irsay/)

> [I had an addiction to artificial points of success. Like being able to run for this or run for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/i-had-an-addiction-to-artificial-points-of-success-like-being-able-to/)

[Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/)

> [“Addictions are just symptoms of underlying issues, and in my view Nikki self-medicated the emotional pain of his childhood, and being away from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/addictions-are-just-symptoms-of-underlying-issues-and-in-my-view/)

[Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/)

> [“Oil. The great addiction of the civilized world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-warren/oil-the-great-addiction-of-the-civilized-world/)

[Andrew Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-warren/)

> [“They say when you fall in love in love with someone that person becomes like a drug,an addiction you don't want to live without.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-when-you-fall-in-love-in-love-with-someone-that-person/)

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

> [Addictions - Run to Jesus instead of running to your addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/addictions-run-to-jesus-instead-of-running-to-your-addiction/)

[Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/)

> [Music is my personal addiction. So much of everything I've done has only been to open more doors for the music itself. 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "“Yet they enjoy the high. In the surest sign that selenium actually makes them go mad, cattle grow addicted to locoweed despite its awful side effects and eat it to the exclusion of anything else. It’s animal meth.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sam Kean"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/yet-they-enjoy-the-high-in-the-surest-sign-that-selenium-actually/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Addiction"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/yet-they-enjoy-the-high-in-the-surest-sign-that-selenium-actually/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/sam-kean-10876_addiction_yet-they-enjoy-the-high-in-the-surest-si_1309576.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/sam-kean-10876_addiction_yet-they-enjoy-the-high-in-the-surest-si_1309576.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e0/sam-kean-10876_addiction_yet-they-enjoy-the-high-in-the-surest-si_1309576.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Yet they enjoy the high. In the surest sign that selenium actually makes them go mad, cattle grow addicted…” — Sam Kean",
                "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": "Sam Kean",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Yet they enjoy the high. In...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/yet-they-enjoy-the-high-in-the-surest-sign-that-selenium-actually/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/yet-they-enjoy-the-high-in-the-surest-sign-that-selenium-actually/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
