---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I envy animals for two things - their…"
description: "\"I envy animals for two things - their ignorance of evil to come, and their ignorance of what is said about them.\" — Voltaire"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/861/voltaire-173_animal_i-envy-animals-for-two-things-their-igno_2575831.png"
---

#  I envy animals for two things - their ignorance of evil to…

![“I envy animals for two things - their ignorance of evil to come, and their ignorance of what is said about them.” quote by Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/861/voltaire-173_animal_i-envy-animals-for-two-things-their-igno_2575831.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/861/voltaire-173_animal_i-envy-animals-for-two-things-their-igno_2575831.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/861/voltaire-173_animal_i-envy-animals-for-two-things-their-igno_2575831.png)

> “I envy animals for two things - their ignorance of evil to come, and their ignorance of what is said about them.”

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

## About This Quote

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

Animals are blissfully ignorant of future evil and of others’ judgments, a state humans lack.

**In simple terms:** Animals don’t know future evil or gossip.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate humility about our knowledge.

Themes

ignorance humility animal perspective

Mood

contemplative melancholic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- environmental ethics

Key Concepts

epistemology ethics

Practical Applications

- self-awareness

Questions to Reflect On

- What would you gain from animal-like ignorance?
- Can ignorance be a virtue?

A Different Perspective

Humans can’t escape awareness of evil.

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[Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/)

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