"At twenty a man is a peacock, at thirty a lion, at forty a camel, at fifty a serpent, at sixty a dog, at seventy an ape, at eighty a nothing at all."

Animals
🎨 Studio 2.0

Create & Download Shareable Quote Image

Export typography-grade cards optimized for Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok stories.

Free instant export. No watermark required.

Insight & Reflection

This reflection on animals by Baltasar Gracian resonates across generations. It highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our continuous search for meaning in animals is what ultimately defines our character and our path forward.

About Baltasar Gracian

Baltasar Gracián y Morales, better known as Baltasar Gracián, was a Spanish Jesuit priest and Baroque prose writer and philosopher. He was born in Belmonte, near Calatayud (Aragón). His writings were lauded by Schopenhauer and Nietzsche.
He is best known for his book The Art of Worldly Wisdom (1647), but his novel El Criticón (1651-57) is considered his greatest work.

More quotes by Baltasar Gracian →
Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Baltasar Gracian

More about Animals

"To a teacher of languages there comes a time when the world is but a place of many words and man appears a mere talking animal not much more wonderful than a parrot."

Read more →

"We've begun to long for the pitter-patter of little feet - so we bought a dog. Well, it's cheaper, and you get more feet."

Read more →

"I've never been able to understand why a Republican contributor is a 'fat cat' and a Democratic contributor of the same amount of money is a 'public-spirited philanthropist'."

Read more →
View all Animals quotes →