"If a donkey bray at you, don't bray at him"
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Herbert’s line is a small, sharp instrument: it cuts against the instinct to mirror stupidity with equal stupidity. The donkey is doing what donkeys do bray loudly, repetitively, and without self-awareness. The trap is thinking the right response is to match that volume. Herbert’s counsel isn’t just “be the bigger person.” It’s a tactical warning about contagion: foolishness spreads fastest when it gets a duet.
The intent sits squarely in Herbert’s world of devotional discipline and social hierarchy. As a 17th-century poet-priest, he’s writing for people trying to live inside constant provocation: petty insults, theological quarrels, public shaming. “Don’t bray back” becomes an ethic of restraint that doubles as reputational management. If you answer a donkey in kind, you grant him the dignity of a debate and you risk becoming indistinguishable from the noise you’re trying to correct.
Subtext: not every voice deserves a reply, and not every conflict is a moral arena. Herbert’s wit is in the demotion. He doesn’t elevate the adversary to “enemy” or “fool” he makes him livestock. That’s not merely contempt; it’s a reminder that some aggression is automatic, not meaningful. The smartest move is refusal: to keep your speech human.
In a culture that prized rhetoric as a marker of virtue, the line also polices the speaker. Your words are supposed to signal order, reason, self-rule. Trading brays is surrendering that identity for the cheap thrill of retaliation. Herbert’s moral is brutally modern: attention is currency; don’t spend it on nonsense.
The intent sits squarely in Herbert’s world of devotional discipline and social hierarchy. As a 17th-century poet-priest, he’s writing for people trying to live inside constant provocation: petty insults, theological quarrels, public shaming. “Don’t bray back” becomes an ethic of restraint that doubles as reputational management. If you answer a donkey in kind, you grant him the dignity of a debate and you risk becoming indistinguishable from the noise you’re trying to correct.
Subtext: not every voice deserves a reply, and not every conflict is a moral arena. Herbert’s wit is in the demotion. He doesn’t elevate the adversary to “enemy” or “fool” he makes him livestock. That’s not merely contempt; it’s a reminder that some aggression is automatic, not meaningful. The smartest move is refusal: to keep your speech human.
In a culture that prized rhetoric as a marker of virtue, the line also polices the speaker. Your words are supposed to signal order, reason, self-rule. Trading brays is surrendering that identity for the cheap thrill of retaliation. Herbert’s moral is brutally modern: attention is currency; don’t spend it on nonsense.
Quote Details
| Topic | Humility |
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