If you put 100 black ants and 100 red ants in a glass jar, nothing will happen.
But if you shake the jar violently, the ants will start fighting and killing each other.
The real enemy is not the red ant or the black ant, but the person who shook the jar.
“If you shake the jar, the red ants will blame the black ants, and the black ants will blame the red ants.
But the real enemy is the person who shook the jar.”
Meaning and Application
- The story illustrates how outside agitation, manipulation, or provocation can turn peaceful groups against each other.
- It is commonly used to explain how media, politicians, corporations, or “elite agitators” can sow division among people who would otherwise coexist.
- The parable asks us to look beyond the surface conflict and ask: “Who’s shaking the jar? Who benefits from our division?”
Origin and Notes
- This story circulates widely online (memes, social media, motivational talks).
- It’s sometimes incorrectly attributed to various authors or historical sources, but its origin appears to be folk wisdom or an anonymous internet parable—no specific ancient text or famous author.
- It’s a powerful visual metaphor for engineered polarization, psyops, and “divide and conquer” tactics.
