"People's hearts are like wild animals. They attach their selves to those that love and train them"
About this Quote
The verb pairing is the quote's quiet provocation. "Love" and "train" sit side by side, refusing the modern fantasy that care is purely spontaneous and therefore morally pure. Training suggests discipline, patience, repetition, boundaries. The subtext is both pastoral and political: if you want devotion - from a spouse, a child, a friend, a community - you don't command it, you earn it through consistent care and ethical guidance. And if you instead rule through fear, caprice, or vanity, don't be surprised when hearts bolt.
Context matters. Ali speaks from an early Islamic world where leadership was not merely administrative; it was spiritual stewardship, with real stakes in communal cohesion and justice. Read that way, the line doubles as advice to rulers and religious guides: the legitimacy of authority rests on compassion joined to moral formation. It's also a warning against manipulation. To "train" a heart can be nurture, or it can be domestication. Ali's image leaves the listener with responsibility: if hearts are wild, how you handle them reveals who you are.
Quote Details
| Topic | Love |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Talib, Ali ibn Abi. (2026, January 17). People's hearts are like wild animals. They attach their selves to those that love and train them. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/peoples-hearts-are-like-wild-animals-they-attach-38738/
Chicago Style
Talib, Ali ibn Abi. "People's hearts are like wild animals. They attach their selves to those that love and train them." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/peoples-hearts-are-like-wild-animals-they-attach-38738/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"People's hearts are like wild animals. They attach their selves to those that love and train them." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/peoples-hearts-are-like-wild-animals-they-attach-38738/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.













