proverb · Legacy record
The hare was angry with the mountain, but the mountain was unaware of it.
The hare was angry with the mountain, but the mountain was unaware of it.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A hare angry at an unaware mountain contrasts intense feeling with an object unaffected by it. The saying asks whether a response reaches what it is directed toward.
What the words are saying
The animal scene is figurative, not a claim that mountains or hares share human emotions. A responsible reading can examine a misdirected reaction without declaring anger pointless in every case. Anger may identify injustice and guide a relevant action or request for support.
Everyday example
Someone redirects frustration toward a practical issue they can address while recognising the feeling itself.
When to use it
Use it to examine the target and effect of a reaction.
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What it does not mean
No universal futility of anger or duty to dismiss a justified concern 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 506; PDF page 47; collection label: Ottoman Empire/Turkey
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Ottoman Empire/Turkey