“Ethically they had arrived at the conclusion that man’s supremacy over the lower animals meant not that the former should prey upon the latter, but that the higher should protect the lower, and that there should be mutual aid between the two as between man and man.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: M. K. Gandhi, An Autobiography (c.1925-29); recounting the ethical-vegetarian view that human supremacy means protecting, not preying on, lower animals.
About this quote
Standing higher on the ladder is treated as an obligation, not a license. Real superiority shows up as protection of whatever is weaker and more dependent, with help flowing both ways rather than one side simply feeding on the other. Power earns its name by guarding, not by preying.
When to use it
- A farmer who could work his animals to exhaustion instead rests and feeds them well beyond the bare requirement.
- A senior engineer uses her leverage to shield junior teammates from blame rather than to offload it onto them.
- Strong swimmers in a rescue class are taught their skill exists to pull others out of the water, not to show off.