proverb · Legacy record
The caribou feeds the wolf, but it is the wolf that makes the caribou grows strong.
The caribou feeds the wolf, but it is the wolf that makes the caribou grows strong.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A caribou feeding a wolf and the wolf strengthening the caribou make opposing effects seem reciprocal. The saying gives tension or challenge a developmental role.
What the words are saying
The source’s irregular grammar is retained. A qualified image reading does not establish a specific ecological mechanism or prove that predation and adversity benefit every individual. It should not justify harm or tell someone suffering that their difficulty is necessary for strength.
Everyday example
A reader examines the reciprocal-effects image without turning it into proof that harmful pressure is beneficial.
When to use it
Use it as a qualified analogy with ecological and moral claims separated.
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What it does not mean
No verified biological mechanism, inevitable strengthening or justification for harm is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 32; PDF page 11; collection label: Eskimo
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Eskimo