--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A fight is going on inside me,\" said an…" description: "\"A fight is going on inside me,\" said an old man to his son. \"It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/wendy-mass-2733_arrogance_a-fight-is-going-on-inside-me-said-an-ol_217465.jpg" --- # A fight is going on inside me," said an old man to his… ![“A fight is going on inside me," said an old man to his son. "It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is good. he is joy…” quote by Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/wendy-mass-2733_arrogance_a-fight-is-going-on-inside-me-said-an-ol_217465.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/wendy-mass-2733_arrogance_a-fight-is-going-on-inside-me-said-an-ol_217465.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/wendy-mass-2733_arrogance_a-fight-is-going-on-inside-me-said-an-ol_217465.jpg) > “A fight is going on inside me," said an old man to his son. "It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is good. he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you." The son thought about it for a minute and then asked, "Which wolf will win?" The old man replied simply, "The one you feed.” [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The internal battle between negative and positive traits is decided by which emotions we nurture. **In simple terms:** Feed the good wolf to cultivate virtue. Key Takeaway Nurture positive emotions. Themes inner conflict morality choice Mood inspirational thoughtful Type parable motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - parenting - leadership - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology spirituality values Questions to Reflect On - Which emotions do you feed daily? - How can you shift focus to positive traits? A Different Perspective Positive focus can be hard when negative emotions dominate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) [Benevolence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benevolence/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [False pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-pride/) [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) [Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Inferiority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inferiority/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Lion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lion/) [Love hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-hope/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peace love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-love/) [Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Resentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resentment/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-pity/) [Serenity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serenity/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Two wolves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-wolves/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wolf/) ## Related quotes > [“A Cherokee elder was teaching his young grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsalagi-tale/a-cherokee-elder-was-teaching-his-young-grandson-about-life-a-fight/) Tsalagi Tale > [An old man was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them,A battle is raging inside me ...it is a terrible fight between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asad/an-old-man-was-teaching-his-grandchildren-about-life-he-said-to-them/) [Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asad/) > [There two wolves always fighting inside you . One is evil, full of anger, sorrow, regret, greed, self-pity and false pride. The other is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-two-wolves-always-fighting-inside-you-one-is-evil-full-of-anger/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“An old Cherokee man was teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he told the boy. “It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shayne-silvers/an-old-cherokee-man-was-teaching-his-grandson-about-life-a-fight-is/) [Shayne Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shayne-silvers/) > [“There’s an old Cherokee legend about two wolves at war. It’s good food for thought on the topic of self-control. One night a grandfather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-schacht/there-s-an-old-cherokee-legend-about-two-wolves-at-war-it-s-good-food/) [Darlene Schacht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-schacht/) > [“. A terrible battle between two wolves. One wolf is bad - pride, jealousy, greed. The other wolf is good - kindness, hope, truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristan-bancks/a-terrible-battle-between-two-wolves-one-wolf-is-bad-pride-jealousy/) Tristan Bancks > [“In my heart, there are two wolves: a wolf of love and a wolf of hate. It all depends on which one I feed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/in-my-heart-there-are-two-wolves-a-wolf-of-love-and-a-wolf-of-hate-it/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“There is a battle of two wolves inside us all. One is evil: it is anger, envy, greed, arrogance, jealousy, resentment, lies. The other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-stevens/there-is-a-battle-of-two-wolves-inside-us-all-one-is-evil-it-is-anger/) Angela Stevens > [“One day, a young boy went up to his grandfather, who was an old Cherokee chief. ‘Edudi?’ the boy asked. ‘Why are you so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/one-day-a-young-boy-went-up-to-his-grandfather-who-was-an-old/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life.94 “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/an-old-cherokee-is-teaching-his-grandson-about-life-94-a-fight-is/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [He who owns a hundred sheep must fight with fifty wolves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/he-who-owns-a-hundred-sheep-must-fight-with-fifty-wolves/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [ “And it is I, Raksha \[The Demon\], who answers. The man's cub is mine, Lungri—mine to me! He shall not be killed. He shall… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/and-it-is-i-raksha-the-demon-who-answers-the-man-s-cub-is-mine-lungri-2/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“Father Wolf looked on amazed. He had almost forgotten the days when he won Mother Wolf in fair fight from five other wolves, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/father-wolf-looked-on-amazed-he-had-almost-forgotten-the-days-when-he/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [There's no one to blame for false pride, tellin' lies, tryin' to hide. From feelin' the pain, I know you don't wanna feel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kem/there-s-no-one-to-blame-for-false-pride-tellin-lies-tryin-to-hide/) [Kem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kem/) > [Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/ring-out-false-pride-in-place-and-blood-the-civic-slander-and-the/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) ## More by Wendy Mass > [“Always keep your eyes open. Don't block your own sunshine. Be filled with wonder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/always-keep-your-eyes-open-don-t-block-your-own-sunshine-be-filled/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [A wise man once remarked that we can count how many seeds are in the apple, but not how many apples are in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/a-wise-man-once-remarked-that-we-can-count-how-many-seeds-are-in-the/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [Everything we think we know is really only perceived by our senses,' he explains patiently. 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White and soft like a little mop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/i-wrote-my-first-poem-about-a-bunny-bunny-bunny-hop-hop-hop-white-and/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [“You won’t get what you want, Rory Swenson, until you see what you need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/you-won-t-get-what-you-want-rory-swenson-until-you-see-what-you-need/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [“... sometimes grandmothers need to do what they think is best for their grandson and practically adopted granddaughter by opening their eyes to different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/sometimes-grandmothers-need-to-do-what-they-think-is-best-for-their/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [So we stand there, part of a crowd a thousand people strong, beaming up at the sky with wonder. I knew with a sudden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/so-we-stand-there-part-of-a-crowd-a-thousand-people-strong-beaming-up/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [Whoa!" she says as I plow into her. " What are you DOING? Get off me!" I hang on tight. "Can't a girl just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/whoa-she-says-as-i-plow-into-her-what-are-you-doing-get-off-me-i-hang/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [(T)he world is broken up into pieces, and...it's up to everyone to help put it all back together. It's about recognizing the spark of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/t-he-world-is-broken-up-into-pieces-and-it-s-up-to-everyone-to-help/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [LOVE NEVER WAITS BUT SOMETIMES IT OKKAY TO WAIT ON LOVE!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/love-never-waits-but-sometimes-it-okkay-to-wait-on-love/) [WENDY MASS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [“Max clapped his hands. “Go, go, go!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/max-clapped-his-hands-go-go-go/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [The meaning of life is to give life a meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/the-meaning-of-life-is-to-give-life-a-meaning/) [wendy mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [“Wisdom is found in the least expected places.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/wisdom-is-found-in-the-least-expected-places/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [The oversized chairs are white; the walls, covered with occasional landscape paintings, are white; and the plush carpet is the whitest of all. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/the-oversized-chairs-are-white-the-walls-covered-with-occasional/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) [Explore all 148 Wendy Mass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) ## More Arrogance quotes > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [wishes for sons by Lucille Clifton i wish them cramps. i wish them a strange town and the last tampon. I wish them no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-clifton/wishes-for-sons-by-lucille-clifton-i-wish-them-cramps-i-wish-them-a/) [Lucille Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-clifton/) > [The structure of the Swiss ruling class is rock-hard, and unchanged since the time of Napoleon. They sit on their mountains and lecture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ziegler/the-structure-of-the-swiss-ruling-class-is-rock-hard-and-unchanged/) [Jean Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ziegler/) > [What you see of me on TV and all of that, that is me - that's truly how I feel. I'm just multiplying it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-corbin/what-you-see-of-me-on-tv-and-all-of-that-that-is-me-that-s-truly-how/) [Baron Corbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-corbin/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Never mistake someones quietness for their arrogance as you can surely miss out on an awsome personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-mistake-someones-quietness-for-their-arrogance-as-you-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/most-of-us-think-of-pride-as-self-centeredness-conceit-boastfulness/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [“I was consumed by a selfishness and arrogance that I didn't dare let go of until I found a new persona to hide behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/i-was-consumed-by-a-selfishness-and-arrogance-that-i-didn-t-dare-let/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [Arrogance is the outgrowth of prosperity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/arrogance-is-the-outgrowth-of-prosperity/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [Timing and arrogance are decisive factors in the successful use of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-mannes/timing-and-arrogance-are-decisive-factors-in-the-successful-use-of/) [Marya Mannes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-mannes/) > [Some say work smarter, not harder, but the wisest are both. Whether you're more of a hard worker or a smart worker, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-tatem/some-say-work-smarter-not-harder-but-the-wisest-are-both-whether-you/) [Colby Tatem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-tatem/) > [Closed some doors, not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenz-jeffrey/closed-some-doors-not-because-of-pride-incapacity-or-arrogance-but/) [Frenz Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenz-jeffrey/) > [My success isn't a result of arrogance - it's a result of belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-mcgregor/my-success-isn-t-a-result-of-arrogance-it-s-a-result-of-belief/) [Conor McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-mcgregor/) > [“...a great man who is vicious will only be a great doer of evil, and a rich man who is not liberal will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cervantes/a-great-man-who-is-vicious-will-only-be-a-great-doer-of-evil-and-a/) Miguel Cervantes > [An increasing number of people are growing uncomfortable with the gulf between the world's rich and the poor. Ostentatiously splashing your money around simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalle-lasn/an-increasing-number-of-people-are-growing-uncomfortable-with-the/) [Kalle Lasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalle-lasn/) [Browse all 1,418 Arrogance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A fight is going on inside me,\" said an old man to his son. \"It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is good. he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. 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