Man Is a Wolf to Man (And What to Do About It)

I find myself often reflecting on this axiom. Everywhere I look I see it (… does that make me a pessimist? A realist?).

The origin of Man is a Wolf to Man is debatable. “It appeared in a popular Roman proverb by Plautus (dead 184 B. C.), in his Asinaria. Thomas Hobbes later used it in his De cive, Epistola dedicatoria.” More currently some attribute it to Sigmund Freud in the context that Homo Homi Lupus (Man is a Wolf to Man) “… reveals men as savage beasts to whom the thought of sparing their own kind is alien,” and man’s aggressiveness “… lies in wait for some provocation.” Man will do anything to save (or to advance) themselves.

To combat the urge to be a wolf, there are approaches we can take and things we can do.

First:

1. Recognize that this is nothing new — it’s been going on since the beginning of time, think Cain and Abel. It’s life, deal with it.

2. Choose wisely — another common axiom comes to mind; you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. A relevant verse is “Iron Sharpens Iron,” Proverbs 27:17.

3. Seek out positivity — actively and deliberately recognize, reward, and even record examples of positive human interaction. Another axiom comes to mind, “see something say something”.

4. Be relational with other people, not transactional. When you witness a good thing, tell someone, write a thank you note, make that phone call, let the person know they impacted you.

5. Do your part to not be a wolf.

6. Remember it’s all relative, one person’s wolf is another’s pet dog.

More specifically:

7. Volunteer — help others.

8. Read books — to learn and expand one’s perspective; educate oneself to the position and struggle so of others.

9. Apologize — if you harm someone, ask forgiveness, both from them and for yourself.

10. Find a better pack (letting nature take its course with the old one as some people are more comfortable being wolves than human); paraphrasing Ryan Holiday, “Avoid the mob.”

For me, I love wolves, always have (the actual wolf, not the metaphor). It troubles me that this beautiful, nomadic, and timeless animal is hijacked as a symbol of evil, violence, or ill will. Being human, we are blessed with reason, compassion, and insight. Hence one can resist the urge to engage our animalistic core to affect other humans. Know too that everyone is facing a battle of their own, they don’t need others to add to that pain.

In the words of Victor Frankel (from Man’s Search for Meaning), “the purpose of life is to help someone else find their purpose.”