proverb · Words worth keeping
When a fox hears a rabbit screaming it comes running, but not to help.
When a fox hears a rabbit screaming it comes running, but not to help.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying brings a fox toward a screaming rabbit while denying a helpful motive. As an analogy, an apparently attentive response may serve the responder’s interest.
Example
Someone considers what an offer involves instead of taking a prompt response as proof of generosity.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
But not to help challenges judging intent from arrival alone. A useful application can assess an actual offer’s terms without assuming every helper is predatory. The supplied claim that human nature is wicked goes beyond the image and is not established here.
When to use it
Use it to examine evidence of motives in a specific offer.
Keep in mind
No universal human motive or animal-behaviour claim is verified.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their 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
- Date unknown