--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Better to shun the bait than struggle in…" description: "\"Better to shun the bait than struggle in the snare.\" — William Blake" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/william-blake-397_bait_better-to-shun-the-bait-than-struggle-in_2109344.jpg" --- # Better to shun the bait than struggle in the snare. ![“Better to shun the bait than struggle in the snare.” quote by William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/william-blake-397_bait_better-to-shun-the-bait-than-struggle-in_2109344.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/william-blake-397_bait_better-to-shun-the-bait-than-struggle-in_2109344.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/william-blake-397_bait_better-to-shun-the-bait-than-struggle-in_2109344.jpg) > “Better to shun the bait than struggle in the snare.” [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoiding temptation is wiser than confronting a trap that you have already entered. **In simple terms:** Avoid bait, avoid trouble. Key Takeaway Steer clear of temptation. Themes self‑control prevention wisdom Mood cautious reflective Type advice moral When to use this quote - personal relationships - financial decisions - online safety - health habits Key Concepts ethics temptation avoidance Questions to Reflect On - What temptations do you ignore? - How do you recognize a snare before it ensnares you? A Different Perspective Even if you avoid bait, you may still encounter other risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) ## Related quotes > [“Better shun the bait, than struggle in the snare. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/better-shun-the-bait-than-struggle-in-the-snare/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [The bait is the means to get the fish where you want it, catch the fish and you forget the bait. The snare is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/the-bait-is-the-means-to-get-the-fish-where-you-want-it-catch-the/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [The devil's snare does not catch you, unless you are first caught by the devil's bait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose/the-devil-s-snare-does-not-catch-you-unless-you-are-first-caught-by/) [Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose/) > ['Come hither, my boy, tell me what thou seest there?' 'A fool tangled in a religious snare.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/come-hither-my-boy-tell-me-what-thou-seest-there-a-fool-tangled-in-a/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [The sober people of America are weary of the fluctuating policy which has directed the public councils. They have seen with regret and indignation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-sober-people-of-america-are-weary-of-the-fluctuating-policy-which/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [He can best avoid a snare who knows how to set one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/he-can-best-avoid-a-snare-who-knows-how-to-set-one/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [FREE animals of the jungle/air/sea/mountains are called 'wild', 'savage', 'vicious', 'beasts' who defend themselves and their own territories from greedy, ruthless 'brave' men armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adela-popescu/free-animals-of-the-jungle-air-sea-mountains-are-called-wild-savage/) [Adela Popescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adela-popescu/) > [Hunting and fishing involve killing animals with devices (such as guns) for which the animals have not evolved natural defenses. No animal on earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-bekoff/hunting-and-fishing-involve-killing-animals-with-devices-such-as-guns/) [Marc Bekoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-bekoff/) > [Satan, who is a wonderful contriver of delusions, is constantly laying snares to entrap ignorant and heedless people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/satan-who-is-a-wonderful-contriver-of-delusions-is-constantly-laying/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Where did he go!” he bellowed, gloved hands clenching. “I had him in a snare that would take Alexander the Great a lifetime to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/where-did-he-go-he-bellowed-gloved-hands-clenching-i-had-him-in-a/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [The wolf dreads the pitfall, the hawk suspects the snare, and the kite the covered hook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/the-wolf-dreads-the-pitfall-the-hawk-suspects-the-snare-and-the-kite/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [When we kissed, it didn't matter that I had been a wolf hours ago, or that I would be a wolf again. It didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/when-we-kissed-it-didn-t-matter-that-i-had-been-a-wolf-hours-ago-or/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [I'm a Gemini, so there's two people in me. Straight up. There's the nerd who is totally zoned out in the studio, EQ-ing this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/i-m-a-gemini-so-there-s-two-people-in-me-straight-up-there-s-the-nerd/) [G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/) > [Devil’s Snare, Devil’s Snare . . . what did Professor Sprout say? — it likes the dark and the damp —” “So light a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/devil-s-snare-devil-s-snare-what-did-professor-sprout-say-it-likes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And as she jogged out of sight, they could hear her muttering, "Tentacula. Devil's Snare. And Snargaluff pods. Yes, I'd like to see Death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-as-she-jogged-out-of-sight-they-could-hear-her-muttering/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by William Blake > [Poetry fettered, fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/poetry-fettered-fetters-the-human-race-nations-are-destroyed-or/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Where any view of money exists, art cannot be carried on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/where-any-view-of-money-exists-art-cannot-be-carried-on/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [God only acts and is, in existing beings or men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/god-only-acts-and-is-in-existing-beings-or-men/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Kill not the moth nor butterfly, For the Last Judgement draweth nigh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/kill-not-the-moth-nor-butterfly-for-the-last-judgement-draweth-nigh/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [The world of imagination is the world of eternity. It is the divine bosom into which we shall all go after death of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-world-of-imagination-is-the-world-of-eternity-it-is-the-divine/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Imagination is the real and eternal world of which this vegetable universe is but a faint shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/imagination-is-the-real-and-eternal-world-of-which-this-vegetable/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Painters are noted for being dissipated and wild.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/painters-are-noted-for-being-dissipated-and-wild/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Time is the mercy of Eternity; without Time's swiftness Which is the swiftest of all things, all were eternal torment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/time-is-the-mercy-of-eternity-without-time-s-swiftness-which-is-the/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [The difference between a bad artist and a good one is: the bad artist seems to copy a great deal; the good one really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-difference-between-a-bad-artist-and-a-good-one-is-the-bad-artist/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Cruelty has a human heart, and jealousy a human face. Terror, the human form divine, And secrecy, the human dress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/cruelty-has-a-human-heart-and-jealousy-a-human-face-terror-the-human/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [A dead body revenges not injuries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/a-dead-body-revenges-not-injuries/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Those who restrain desire, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained; and the restrainer or reason usurps its place & governs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/those-who-restrain-desire-do-so-because-theirs-is-weak-enough-to-be/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [To generalize is to be an idiot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/to-generalize-is-to-be-an-idiot/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [THE POISON TREE I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-poison-tree-i-was-angry-with-my-friend-i-told-my-wrath-my-wrath/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [The bird a nest the spider a web the human friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-bird-a-nest-the-spider-a-web-the-human-friendship/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) [Explore all 592 William Blake quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) ## More Bait quotes > [Good things come to those who hustle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-noll/good-things-come-to-those-who-hustle/) [Chuck Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-noll/) > [So, Diana thought, that was the bait she had to lay out for Jack. Of course. What else? He might lust for Diana, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-grant/so-diana-thought-that-was-the-bait-she-had-to-lay-out-for-jack-of/) [Michael Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-grant/) > [Every man has his price. This is not true. But for every man there exists a bait which he cannot resist swallowing. To win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-man-has-his-price-this-is-not-true-but-for-every-man-there/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Sitting still and wishing Makes no person great; The good Lord sends the fishing, But you must dig the bait!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hoole/sitting-still-and-wishing-makes-no-person-great-the-good-lord-sends/) Daryl Hoole > [As children, we dug for worms or we used crawdads for bait. We caught catfish, or crappies, a delicous fish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-bryant/as-children-we-dug-for-worms-or-we-used-crawdads-for-bait-we-caught/) [Anita Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-bryant/) > [When you fish for love, bait with your heart, not your brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/when-you-fish-for-love-bait-with-your-heart-not-your-brain/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The finer the bait, the shorter the wait!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gorshin/the-finer-the-bait-the-shorter-the-wait/) [Frank Gorshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gorshin/) > [Pleasure is the bait of sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/pleasure-is-the-bait-of-sin/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Stand in despair anywhere old-growth forest has been clear-felled. All life has been replaced by blackened, poisoned desolation. Animals and birds have either fled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cundall/stand-in-despair-anywhere-old-growth-forest-has-been-clear-felled-all/) [Peter Cundall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cundall/) > [Nile perch are enormous but lethargic fish, easy to catch once they have taken your bait. Some are bright golden yellow, some grey pink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kuki-gallmann/nile-perch-are-enormous-but-lethargic-fish-easy-to-catch-once-they/) Kuki Gallmann > [“he remained absolutely convinced that his way of life was no worse than mine, only different, pointing out in the process certain inconsistencies: Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-hall/he-remained-absolutely-convinced-that-his-way-of-life-was-no-worse/) [Ron Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-hall/) > [A fisherman does not bait his hook with food he likes. He uses food the fish likes. So with boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baden-powell-de-aquino/a-fisherman-does-not-bait-his-hook-with-food-he-likes-he-uses-food/) [Baden Powell de Aquino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baden-powell-de-aquino/) > [The scheme of separate confederacies, which will always multiply the chances of ambition, will be a never failing bait to all such influential characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/the-scheme-of-separate-confederacies-which-will-always-multiply-the/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [We are assailed by the temptation of the love of money. If you wish to acquire riches ? they are the bait of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pachomius-the-great/we-are-assailed-by-the-temptation-of-the-love-of-money-if-you-wish-to/) [Pachomius the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pachomius-the-great/) > [“I could be held back just by being needed. Please try not to need me. That's the worst bait of all to a lonely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-could-be-held-back-just-by-being-needed-please-try-not-to-need-me/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) Browse all 241 Bait quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Better to shun the bait than struggle in the snare.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Blake" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/better-to-shun-the-bait-than-struggle-in-the-snare/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bait" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/better-to-shun-the-bait-than-struggle-in-the-snare/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/william-blake-397_bait_better-to-shun-the-bait-than-struggle-in_2109344.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/william-blake-397_bait_better-to-shun-the-bait-than-struggle-in_2109344.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c1/william-blake-397_bait_better-to-shun-the-bait-than-struggle-in_2109344.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Better to shun the bait than struggle in the snare.” — William Blake", "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": "William Blake", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Better to shun the bait than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/better-to-shun-the-bait-than-struggle-in-the-snare/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/better-to-shun-the-bait-than-struggle-in-the-snare/#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 } } ] } ```