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 Fraud 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”.
