There is an old and wise parable that you may have heard. It goes like this:
One day an old Cherokee man sits down with his grandson to teach him about life.
โA fight is going on inside of me,โ he says to the boy. โItโs a terrible fight between two wolves. One is evil โ he is full of rage, jealousy, arrogance, greed, sorrow, regret, lies, laziness, and self-pity.โ
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He continues, โThe other is good โ he is filled with love, joy, peace, generosity, truth, empathy, courage, humility, and faith. This same fight is going on inside the hearts of everyone, including you.โ
The grandson thinks about this for a few minutes, and then asks his grandfather, โWhich wolf wins?โ
The old Cherokee simply replies, โThe one you feed.โ
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There is Another Version to This Story …
Thereโs another intriguing ending to this two wolves Cherokee story. Hereโs how it goes:
The grandson thinks about this for a few minutes, and then asks his grandfather, โWhich wolf wins?โ
The old Cherokee simply replies, โThey both win if you feed them right.โ
“You see, if I starve one wolf, the other will become imbalanced with power. If I choose to feed only the light wolf, the shadow one will become ravenous and resentful. He will hide around every corner and wait for my defenses to lower, then attack. He will be filled with hatred and jealousy and will fight the light wolf endlessly.“
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“But if I feed both, in the right way, at the right time, they will live side-by-side in harmony. There will be no more inner battle. Instead, there will be inner peace. And when thereโs peace, there is wisdom. The goal of life, my son, is to respect this balance of life, for when you live in balance, you can serve the Great Spirit within. When you put an end to the battle inside, you are free.”
The Meaning of the Two Wolves Storyย
Thereโs a reason why I like the second version of the two wolves story better: it makes sense. It honors what the Taoists refer to as the yin yang โ or the sacred balance of life. The Buddhists also refer to this as the Middle Way (a path that embraces being both human and divine).ย
This alternative point of view brings us to the essential meaning of the two wolves story: it is a parable that’s a teaching, path, and prescription in one. Not only does it teach us about the basic nature of humanity and that peace is within our grasp, but it also prescribes the wisest action and thereby gives us a path to follow.
What do we do with these two seemingly opposing forces within us? How do we handle the paradox of being both sacred and wild? What do we do with our โhigherโ and โlowerโ traits?
The answer is to embrace both and seek balance โ to feed both wolves within us โin the right way, at the right time.โ
Unlike the first version of the story, we are not going to extremes. Instead, we are walking the Middle Way โ the path of harmony and therefore peace.
If you really think about it, if the โgoodโ part within us was truly loving, why would it tolerate us ignoring, rejecting, and condemning the โbadโ part within us? Wouldnโt it feel compassion for that part and want to help it somehow?
How to Feed Both Wolves Within You

โWhen you put an end to the battle inside, you are freeโ we read in the two wolves story.
What benefit is it to be pulled apart internally and constantly at war with oneself? How can we listen to our higher calling when we are stewing in inner turmoil? Why show favoritism to only one side of us, when the other will eventually catch up with us?
To stop this internal war, we need to honor both sides of our nature.ย
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This philosophy is echoed in the profoundly important psychological discovery made by renowned Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. He proposed that we have numerous sides of our nature and we all possess a dark side known as the Shadow Self.ย
The Shadow Wolf = the Shadow Self
Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is.
โ Carl Jung
What happens when we repress (or push out of consciousness) something that pisses us off? Eventually, itโs going to come back and bite us on the ass. We all instinctively know this.
Think of it like a volcano. The more magma is withheld within the volcano, the more it rises to the surface due to the internal pressure. Sooner or later itโs going to explode.ย
The same applies to us as humans: we all think, feel, and do things that are either shamed by our parents, rejected by our peers, or condemned by society. These shunned traits get buried away within us to form what is known as the Shadow Self.
But just because such traits are buried away and become unconscious, it doesnโt mean that they totally disappear. In fact, theyโre always there looming in the background, waiting to be acknowledged โ just like the shadow wolf.
The thing is, we tend to both forget about these buried parts and actively suppress, reject, deny, and disown them. After all, if these inner parts got us in trouble, made us feel upset, or caused our parents to withdraw their love, why the hell would we want to face them? Isnโt the best thing to continue banishing and even hating them for the pain they create?
The Perils of Avoiding the Shadow Wolf
In response to the question I’ve just posed, thatโs where the two wolves story comes into the picture: it teaches us that avoiding our Shadows isn’t a smart idea. After all: โIf I choose to feed only the light wolf โฆ the shadow one will become ravenous and resentful. He will hide around every corner and wait for my defenses to lower, then attack.โ
Carl Jung phrases this in another eloquent way:
The brighter the light, the darker the shadow.
In other words, the more attention you lavish on your โgoodโ side, the more your โbadโ side is neglected. Your Shadow Self will grow in direct proportion to your lighter brighter side. This is basic physics.
Just look at Newtonโs third law that states:ย
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
You want to only feed your light wolf? Sure, fine. But just be aware that your shadow wolf is also going to grow. Thereโs no way of avoiding this inconvenient truth.
There are plenty of tragic examples of people in this world who only feed the light wolf within them and ignore their shadow wolf.
Think of all the seemingly holy priests who molest children, gurus who get into sex scandals, spiritual teachers who abuse their followers, religious public figures who get caught in big lies, and those who appear to be full of light but actually have a very sadistic dark side.
This is a sad, but honest reality.ย
Furthermore, when we first start the spiritual path (and even as long-term veterans), it can be all too easy to fall into the trap of new age, feel-good, love-and-light spiritual materialism, because it looks exciting, esoteric, and sparkly.
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However, the result of feeding this ‘light wolf’ within and ignoring the dark side of us is that we can end up having experiences such as the Dark Night of the Soul or even a spiritual emergency (which throws us into full-blown existential crisis mode), which we could say is the ‘dark wolf’ within us trying to reclaim our attention.
Light Work and Shadow Work
So how do we feed both the light and shadow wolf within us?
We need to pay attention to what the two wolves story advises:
to feed both in the right way, at the right time.
Does this mean we should go out and become ax-murderers because our family has angered us to feed the shadow wolf? No, of course not!
Indulging your shadow wolf is not feeding it in the right way, at the right time. Instead, it is depriving power from your light wolf and turning your shadow wolf into a glutton.ย
Jumping to extremes is not the answer.
Instead, we need to find a way to give equal attention (or โfoodโ) to each.
Thankfully, there is a path that helps us to create this balance. It is the path of involution, inner transformation, and inner work. We can roughly divide this path into two parts: light work and shadow work (although both often overlap).
Light Work
Light work is learning how to feed our inner light wolf, the part of us that is naturally joyful, hopeful, empathetic, kind, honest, and loving. Light work involves learning how to love yourself and connect with your True Nature (Soul). Practices may include developing intuition, learning self-care, practicing gratitude, using positive affirmations, learning the art of letting go, connecting with spirit guides, healing the body, meditating, and so on.
Shadow Work
Shadow work, on the other hand, is learning how to feed our shadow wolf. When we practice shadow work we open ourselves to face, befriend, and integrate the painful shadows we find within us.
Practices may include exploring negative core beliefs, doing inner child work, doing shamanic soul retrieval, connecting with our inner archetypes/parts, journaling, working through personal and ancestral trauma, processing grief, doing emotional catharsis, and so on.ย
Practicing both light and shadow work equally will allow you to feed both wolves, thereby creating balance, harmony, peace, joy, and spiritual expansion within your life.
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What Are the Origins of This Story?
So, who wrote the two wolves story anyway?ย
It is difficult to trace back the origins of this story, yet it is often attributed to the Cherokee (Tsalagi) people. The ‘two wolves’ story is sometimes referred to as ‘Which One Do You Feed?’, ‘The Wolves Within,’ and ‘Grandfather Tells’.
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that this story truly originated amongst the Native American peoples, but instead was created as a Christian-parable-disguised-as-native-wisdom.
Take the Christian evangelists Billy Graham and John R. Bisagno for example. One of them (Bisagno) included this story in his 1965 book, The Power of Positive Praying. The other (Graham), narrated it in his 1978 book, The Holy Spirit: Activating Godโs Power in Your Life.
Some sources, such as writer Linda Caroll, claim that Graham admitted that he fabricated the whole story for a sermon. Originally the story was about the Inuit people, but because he got an outpour of negative backlash from them, he changed the story to include a Cherokee grandfather (knowing they wouldnโt be able to challenge him).ย
Native Wisdom or Urban Legend?
While itโs hard to say what happened definitively, the original emphasis on โgoodโ and โevilโ (which is a Christian concept) gives us a very non-Native American vibe.
Also, the whole emphasis on white = good, and black = evil (which I have removed from the story in this article and replaced with โlightโ wolf and โshadowโ wolf instead) has been thought by some to possess an undercurrent of racism and also Christian dogma.
Whether this story is the product of a sermon or a catchy urban legend is hard to say ultimately.
Nevertheless, despite the murky origins of this story, it has clearly evolved with us. In fact, these days, itโs most commonly shared as a meme on social media. Most likely, the second version of this two wolves story is a modern adaptation. But who knows?
Ultimately, thereโs a reason why such an archetypal story has stuck around for so long: thereโs something of deep value within it that we can all sense.
So take some time to sit with this story and reflect on what it means for you. What thoughts and feelings did it bring to the surface? Can you sense any deeper personal lessons lingering beneath the surface? There is so much medicine for the Soul in this story of the two wolves, if only we allow ourselves to be open and receptive to it.
Tell me, what are your thoughts about the two wolves story? What does it mean to you? Iโd love to hear below.
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Great article! Yes I have always believed the middle path is the way. The two wolves,good way of putting it! We should give equal attention to the dark and light within us.
I like the second version. All parts of us need to be acknowledged and lovingly integrated. Thank you for the timely reminder. God bless…
Thank you Thehseen :)
It is a bit of a synchronicity that this story was the email today. I was just thinking about this story over the last 2 or 3 days. I like the second version much better. Thank you for sharing.
I love when synchronicities like that happen, thank you Jenn :)
The evolved story of the two wolves cleared up a dilemma i’ve had with the original story. I didn’t like it because it promoted separation. Separation from our wounded and hurting dark wolf sides. Consequence was i detached from my source. I know i’ve spent most of my life hiding this side of myself that guilt trip culture exorcised out of my naive self. Rising consciousness has forced me to confront it and yes, love my furry little wolfie……..a metaphor for that wild inner child that knew no limits yet didn’t have the tools to deal with the craziness of current culture norms that i was being programmed to follow. Now that i’m older and wiser due to a recent cancer diagnosis, i realize i can’t hide any longer. I no longer have time to ignore the gift of sharing my awareness out of fear of not being liked, aka, being shunned by my tribe. I am not a christian while agreeing with most attributed to JC. The golden rule always resonated with me and when i practice it i am rewarded. Do onto others as you would have them do unto you. Jews, muslims, atheists, animals, the rivers and mountains, they’re all a reflection of the beauty and sacredness in everyone. It seems so simple and so basic yet so hard to live when in fear. I am an awakening male who is learning to co-exist with an inner wild and crazy, non competitive, empathetic feminine side. She scares me and i feel grateful. And if you would direct me to the donate button, i’d like to support u.
Thank you Rand for sharing your discoveries in the importance of acknowledging and integration, as you call it, your “furry little wolfie” (haha). Sometimes it takes a crisis to really shake us up to pay attention and see what matters, I love seeing the ‘perennial wisdom’ (as Huxley put it) being rediscovered over and over again through the golden rule and much more. If you’d like to support the website, we have a donation form here. I appreciate all you wild wolves and the many lessons we can learn from each other :)
This is very beautiful and very informative. And good meat to digest. Thank you.
My grandmother was full blooded Cherokee and I found your post of the varied ending and interpretation to be quite disrespectful to the wisdom of my ancestors and to other Native American tribes who share in this wisdom.
Thank you Doni for your feedback. I’m not sure how it can be disrespectful if it may be the case that the story was never really Native American at all, at least there’s no strong sources to verify this to be the case. Even if it is genuinely Native American, I’m not sure how providing an alternative ending that seems to carry deeper wisdom is disrespectful. We’re all pursuing deeper wisdom, aren’t we?
I’ve used the story of the two wolves…and repressed the thought of the shadow side and how both the kind and the shadow need to be manifested and balanced. ‘Love your take on it. Thank you, Mateo.
Diane
Thank you Diane, I’m grateful to hear you enjoyed it :)
It is like duality, everything in the world seems bi-polar… good-bad, black-white, dark-light… but truly, maybe, there is no write or wrong, maybe everything just IS … ?
That’s exactly it Marita, the whole non-dual path in spirituality focuses on this. The understanding that all extremes really exist under the same spectrum, are degrees of the very same quality. “Good” in reality just means “less bad” and “Bad” in reality means “less good”, it’s the same thing at different ends of itself that our minds see as completely separately partly due to our use of language to ‘brake down’ the world.
This version is so much better…I used to be the type of person who only fed the white wolf, because anger, resentment, jealousy…these are all “bad” and shameful things to feel. But my life was terribly out of balance and I allowed others to treat me in ways that I didn’t like because I was so “compassionate” and allowed myself to live a life I didn’t want because I was so accepting. Now I realize the black wolf is a protector and a messenger, every “negative” emotion has a positive aspect. You get angry at unfairness and injustice, you get jealous when you are not claiming the things for yourself that you really want in life, resentment arises when you don’t speak your boundaries or express your needs. We need both sides of ourselves to be in balance and at peace. Great article as always โฅ๏ธ
Thank you Carmela, I loved reading the new understanding you’ve had of the relationship between our inner two wolves, and when we allow imbalances to happen they start manifesting themselves as jealousy, anger, resentment and all other kinds of shadow qualities that disrupt our lives even more. Beautiful put, thank you for sharing.
Yes!!! Last year I dreamt of a dog with two heads, one on either end of the body (and wolf like in shape). One was angry and miserable and the other was light and joyful and kissed the angry one on the nose. I love hearing about the wolf story and seeing how it relates to my dream and the wisdom we each have inside of us. โค๏ธ
That sounds like a synchronous dream Catherine, it’s a lovely expression of the same wisdom within this story. Thank you for sharing!