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ยป Home ยป Turning Inwards

The Two Wolves Story (Here’s its Deeper Meaning)

by Mateo Sol ยท Updated: Sep 21, 2024 ยท 100 Comments

Two wolves story image
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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.

โ€œA fight is going on inside of me,โ€ he says to the boy. โ€œItโ€™s 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, โ€œThe 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, โ€œWhich wolf wins?โ€

The old Cherokee simply replies, โ€œThe one you feed.โ€

Table of contents

  • There is Another Version to This Story …
  • The Meaning of the Two Wolves Story ย 
  • How to Feed Both Wolves Within You
  • What Are the Origins of This Story?

There is Another Version to This Story …

There are two wolves inside you

Thereโ€™s another intriguing ending to this two wolves Cherokee story. Hereโ€™s how it goes:

The grandson thinks about this for a few minutes, and then asks his grandfather, โ€œWhich wolf wins?โ€

The old Cherokee simply replies, โ€œThey 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 thereโ€™s 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 

Inside you there are two wolves image

Thereโ€™s 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 โ€˜higherโ€™ and โ€˜lowerโ€™ traits?

The answer is to embrace both and seek balance โ€“ to feed both wolves within us โ€œin 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 โ€˜goodโ€™ part within us was truly loving, why would it tolerate us ignoring, rejecting, and condemning the โ€˜badโ€™ part within us? Wouldnโ€™t it feel compassion for that part and want to help it somehow?

How to Feed Both Wolves Within You

Two wolves story image

โ€œWhen 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

Two wolves story image

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, itโ€™s 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 itโ€™s 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 doesnโ€™t mean that they totally disappear. In fact, theyโ€™re 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? Isnโ€™t 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, thatโ€™s where the two wolves story comes into the picture: it teaches us that avoiding our Shadows isn’t a smart idea. After all: โ€œIf I choose to feed only the light wolf โ€ฆ 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 โ€˜goodโ€™ side, the more your โ€˜badโ€™ side is neglected. Your Shadow Self will grow in direct proportion to your lighter brighter side. This is basic physics.

Just look at Newtonโ€™s 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. Thereโ€™s 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

Image of a white wolf with golden eyes

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 โ€˜foodโ€™) 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.

You can click on any one of the links in the previous few paragraphs to get started.

What Are the Origins of This Story?

Inside you there are two wolves

So, who wrote the two wolves story anyway?ย 

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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 Godโ€™s 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 wouldnโ€™t be able to challenge him).ย 

Native Wisdom or Urban Legend?

While itโ€™s hard to say what happened definitively, the original emphasis on โ€œgoodโ€ and โ€œevilโ€ (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 โ€˜lightโ€™ wolf and โ€˜shadowโ€™ 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, itโ€™s 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, thereโ€™s a reason why such an archetypal story has stuck around for so long: thereโ€™s 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? Iโ€™d love to hear below.

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About Mateo Sol

Mateo Sol is a spiritual educator, guide, entrepreneur, and co-founder of one of the most influential and widely read spiritual websites on the internet. Born into a family with a history of drug addiction and mental illness, he was taught about the plight of the human condition from a young age. His mission is to help others experience freedom, wholeness, and peace in all stages of life. [Read More]

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  1. Wayne says

    July 05, 2020 at 2:27 am

    Really great story. Thank you for it.

    Reply
    • Mateo Sol says

      July 24, 2022 at 3:32 pm

      I’m glad you liked it Wayne!

      Reply
  2. Davette says

    May 26, 2020 at 5:58 am

    I found an unfinished drawing of a wolf I had done over 30 years ago in a box stored away from many moves. I actually liked it being unfinished and thought to myself how it was really like 2 wolves. I had heard the first version of this story but am connected more to the second regarding balince….its a time in my life I am desperately seeking that. How awesome these 2 wolves showed up after so many decades to give me this message
    I had about 40 people see it and so many said to leave it unfinished.
    Thank you!!
    Lori Davette Ince

    Reply
    • Torie says

      July 24, 2022 at 10:36 pm

      I appreciate reading the alternate ending for this parable. Feeding, or giving awareness to, our shadow side is essential to enable us to feel empowered by our ability to face our own darkness. The shadow is our ego, so in bringing awareness to it in the smallest measure, allows us to shed light on it and choose how to proceed. This process is empowering which then feeds our light. I wonder if the use of wolves in this parable inherently evokes a sense of competition and therefore does not fully allow people to see the truth of the power of awareness in the present moment.

      Reply
  3. Mia says

    May 10, 2020 at 8:03 pm

    I came across the first version a few years back, maybe 10, as it was printed on a paper shopping bag of a “nature/holistic/spiritual” type of retail store. At the time, it really resonated in me. (just divorced, I guess I needed to restrain all the darkness). Today, as I was reading you, I realized you’ve presented a much more powerful version (#2), one that reminds us of how ‘whole’ we are in truth and how wonderful it is to walk through life embracing both. Thanks for all the insight, the reflection to come, and links, Mateo.
    Mia

    Reply
  4. Dave says

    May 01, 2020 at 7:52 pm

    I find the TURN in the story(s) is where the the grandson’s question is about winning.
    Winning is reflected back in the first version, but is transformed beyond winning in the second ending.
    Winning is not the point.

    Reply
  5. Julie says

    April 25, 2020 at 6:29 am

    I have recently began experiencing what different feelings and personality traits are in reality, both light and dark, positive and negative. This article has helped me tremendously in my continued work toward inner peace, inner balance. I canโ€™t wait to continue on my journey! Thank you for what youโ€™re doing!

    Reply
    • Mateo Sol says

      April 25, 2020 at 9:50 am

      I cant wait to see what you uncover along the journey Julie :)

      Reply
  6. AmythestWolf says

    April 21, 2020 at 8:20 am

    I totally agree with you on all points in this article. I like the 2nd version as well. We have to have balance or we become thrown off internally as well as externally. If one doesn’t acknowledge & accept their shadow side they are living in denial which only eats at you mentally because deep down they know it’s there but they try to hide it for what ever reason.

    I personally have a lot of shadow work that needs to be done and honestly it scares me to death. I know how deep my shadows go and I am concerned once I start to work on that part of me I’ll end up hurting myself or someone close to me. However, I know if I do not work on those parts I will never be able to fulfill my life purpose. And I am not as going as I used to be so I don’t have another 40-50 yrs to play around. I cant actually say that no one knows how much time they have no matter their current age, lol.
    Anyways, great article, as usual, Thank you so much for writing it.

    Reply
  7. Navisa says

    April 18, 2020 at 11:01 pm

    It was so illuminating , how can we share it on Instagram ?

    Reply
    • Best817ch says

      July 25, 2022 at 4:37 am

      I always kept this to myself because, who wants to admit to being bad? The struggle of the two wolves is greater than I had thought until one day I realized that there are moments when I know I have made the wrong decision, but then there are most days when I know I have done right. And so I felt like I kept that little secret within myself that only I knew I am bad while appreciating the good inside of me.

      Reply
  8. Voula says

    April 18, 2020 at 10:23 am

    I loved this story! Although I had never heard of either version, the second one provides a lot of insight into our human nature. I agree that we all possess light and dark impulses and that they must both be acknowledged and dealt with in healthy ways or they may become destructive to others or self-destructive. Also, if we try to deny a part of ourselves, we are not allowing ourselves to feel whole. I know it is difficult to deal with our shadow side, as it has certainly taken me awhile to do this, but I am currently doing some inner child work and dealing with my personal traumas. I feel that this will bring me greater freedom, as well as wisdom and forgiveness. Thank you for this wonderful article!

    Reply
  9. Nick says

    April 18, 2020 at 2:14 am

    I love this story, but I didn’t know the other version, which I prefer, especially as it is in line with the process I am going through right now. These “coincidences” are really marvelous. Thank you

    Reply
    • Mateo Sol says

      April 18, 2020 at 9:20 am

      Synchronicity has a wonderful way of showing itself when we least expect :). Thank you Nick, I’m grateful to be able to share a different take on the story.

      Reply
      • Susanne says

        May 30, 2021 at 3:39 pm

        Shadowwork has been deeply meaningful on my personal journey. It is what opened access to Light work for me. I couldn’t begin to love myself bc my shadow was obscuring the path. Keeping balance between the two as described in the second version of the story is challenging for me at times. Selfcompassion is what I found to ground me best when exploring the darkness within myself. Thank you for your dedication to sharing your wisdom.

        Reply
  10. Coreena says

    March 26, 2020 at 12:49 am

    I really enjoyed this story! Where I personally remain stuck is I don’t know much about my shadow self. It’s either buried so deep I have a lot of work to do or I have been feeding both wolves properly. Took one of the tests and it said “Love” is my shadow. Does that mean I have trouble receiving Love because it is part of my shadow? I’m certain it’s not giving love, because that is definately my white wolf.

    Reply
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