Meaning & Analysis
If an animal deliberately presents itself as a vulnerable sheep, a predatory wolf will inevitably prey upon and consume it.
Insights
Vulnerability and Exploitation
This proverb is a warning about the dangers of projecting weakness or passivity. It suggests that individuals who act naive, submissive, or overly gentle in a competitive environment will be exploited or harmed by those who are ruthless and opportunistic.
The Peril of Passivity
It underscores the idea that failing to be assertive or to stand up for oneself is a form of self-sabotage. By choosing passivity, one essentially invites aggression and becomes complicit in their own downfall.
Survival in a Predatory World
The proverb reflects a worldview akin to social Darwinism, where the strong and assertive survive by preying on the weak. It advises that to avoid becoming a victim, one must avoid appearing weak.
Self-Inflicted Misfortune
It highlights how a person's behavior and self-perception can actively create their own misfortune. 'Making oneself' a sheep is a conscious or subconscious choice, and the proverb holds the individual accountable for the resulting consequences.
Archetypal Symbolism
The proverb leverages the ancient archetypal symbolism of the sheep (representing meekness, innocence, and victimhood) and the wolf (symbolizing predatory aggression and cunning). This dichotomy provides a powerful and instantly recognizable moral framework, contrasting the dangers of passivity with the realities of a predatory world.
A Worldly Counter-Narrative
This proverb offers a starkly pragmatic and somewhat cynical view of social dynamics, functioning as a counterpoint to religious or moral teachings that praise meekness (e.g., 'the meek shall inherit the earth'). It suggests that in the secular, competitive world, such virtues can be liabilities that invite exploitation.
Psychology of Victimhood
From a psychological perspective, the proverb warns against adopting a victim mentality. The act of 'making oneself a sheep' implies a self-imposed state of helplessness that can attract those with predatory or exploitative tendencies, highlighting the role of self-perception in interpersonal power dynamics.
Political Realism
The proverb serves as a timeless warning in political and social contexts. It suggests that nations, groups, or individuals who project weakness or fail to defend their interests are likely to be dominated or taken advantage of by more aggressive entities, reflecting a realist view of power.
Rhetorical Devices
Metaphor
The central metaphor powerfully equates human behaviors with animal archetypes—the passive person as a 'sheep' and the aggressor as a 'wolf'—to create a vivid and memorable warning.
Cause and Effect
The proverb is structured as a clear cause-and-effect statement ('He that makes... shall be...'), emphasizing the inevitable and direct consequences of choosing a passive stance.
Symbolism
The use of 'sheep' and 'wolf' taps into deep-seated cultural symbols of innocence versus predation, allowing the proverb to convey its complex social warning with immediate clarity and impact.
Transcription
Quotations
He .. that will needs be a sheepe, cannot greatly grudge to be bitten with a Fox.
It was wont to be said by way of a Prouerbe; Hee that will be made a sheepe, shall find wolues inough.
(will be vsed as a sheepe).
If men become sheepe the wolfe will deuoure them.
If a man make himselfe a sheepe, the wolfe will deuoure him.
The man who makes himself a sheep, The wolf will eat, whilst he doth sleep.
(a sheepe, the woolfe will catch him).
(eaten of the wolfe).
(a Sheep, the Wolf will eat him).
Who makes himself a sheep, the woolf will worry him.
*He that is gentle, and puts up affronts and injuries shall be sure to be loaden.
Cross References
- See DÜR., II, no. 70.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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