Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote / Image

Quote image editor Elias Canetti

Back to previous page

“If gazelles had a religion and the lion was their god they could, in order to appease his appetite, voluntarily surrender one of their number to him. This is exactly what happens among men: religious sacrifice springs from a state of crowd fear. It serves to halt the pursuit and, for a while, stil the hunger of the hostile power.” — Elias Canetti

Quote 1080 x 1350 Instagram portrait
More
Platforms
Pure ratios
If gazelles had a religion and the lion was their god they could, in order to appease his appetite, voluntarily surrender one of their number to him. This is exactly what happens among men: religious sacrifice springs from a state of crowd fear. It serves to halt the pursuit and, for a while, stil the hunger of the hostile power.
— Elias Canetti