What does the idiom wolf in sheep's clothing mean. Wolf in sheep's clothing - what does it mean? Signs that someone is a wolf in sheep's clothing

Work in any competitive field long enough and you're bound to run into a wolf in sheep's clothing. This is a powerful image.

The shepherd watches over his flock to protect it from harm. He drives away any predator that tries to break into the pack. A smart wolf, dressed in sheepskin as a disguise, can slip past a vigilant shepherd and enter the flock undetected.

This story is not just a colorful description. This is a warning to everyone, a reminder that a wolf in sheep's clothing may be around. He may appear innocent, but he has ulterior motives. He will use different tactics to mask his intentions.

A person who is kind to you but discusses you behind your back is a wolf in disguise. A wolf in sheep's clothing can steal your idea and then pass it off as his own for a reward.

Wearing a disguise has its benefits

People don't manipulate others unless they get something out of it. Hiding their intentions gives wolves the ability to manipulate other people to further their own goals. They know what they are trying to do will not be popular if they are honest.

They can do what they want with less hindrance if they take action. Until people find out the true motives, the wolf will already have what he wants. That is why it is so important to recognize lies in time.

Signs that someone is a wolf in sheep's clothing

They live to take, not to share. Wolves use humans as stepping stones to get what they want. They don't care what happens to anyone else. A wolf at work can make you look bad during a presentation in order to appear better against someone else's background.

Wolves look cute on the outside, but they will show you their teeth. If the wolves reveal their true identities, humans will not contact them. They develop a friendly image, but they cannot maintain it 24/7. Eventually, they will reveal their aggressive qualities. A wealthy person who enjoys breaking the law may make significant charitable donations to convince people that he is kind and caring. These donations largely get him out of trouble, but don't change his essence.

Professional manipulators

Wolves manipulate emotions to get what they want. Wolves know they can get ahead by appealing to your emotions. They know what you need and give you enough to keep you calm and obedient. Imagine that your boss is a wolf in sheep's clothing and you want to ask for a vacation. He may try to play on your guilt and insecurity so that you can skip vacations or take fewer days off.

The wolf will charm you first. Wolves are specialists at manipulating the people around them. They are interested in what you do, but you get the impression that they do not care.

It may be a colleague who decides to be your friend, but in the end he will throw all the responsibility on you.

Wolf Methods

When they see you getting upset, they will surprise you with something to charm you further. Then they will continue to do whatever they want.

Their stories are full of holes. A direct question is the surest way to make them squirm. When this person tries to come up with a story, he improvises. A classic example of this is significant differences in readings.

How to find a wolf

Study how they react in certain situations, or try creating the right situation to see how they react.

A candidate for a vacant position may tell you that he is always positive and thinks of himself as a team player. This is what every employer wants to hear. During the interview, ask the candidates to work in groups to solve the problem, to see how they handle the situation. Positioning himself as a team player must be able not only to give orders, but also to cooperate with teammates.

The wolf will tell you everything that ultimately benefits him. Gather evidence to support or refute this and see what happens. Chances are, when you're working towards the same result that he wants, he'll act like your best friend. If you do not agree, he will become aggressive.

How to be?

Trying to expose a potential wolf, especially if you are one of the sheep, can bring you some problems. Pretense will end, and real aggression can replace it.

There is nothing wrong with asking questions for the sake of uncovering the truth. The safety of everyone in your group is at risk. Since wolves often make up stories, ask for details, ask again.

Because wolves always pretend to be something they are not, they usually don't have a well thought out reason for what they say. During the discussion, the wolves will not understand the root of the problem.

They may also tell you what you want to hear, but when asked for more information, they have nothing to add. Their knowledge is superficial.

Wolves are everywhere

We want to believe that everyone has the best intentions, but this is not always the case.

A wolf in sheep's clothing can be found in almost any setting. You cannot get rid of it, but it is in your power to find it. So, you can not fall into traps.

It seems to us that this popular expression has always existed. But in fact, its primary source is the Gospel of Matthew.

It was there that the words first sounded from the lips of Christ: "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inside they are ravenous wolves."

The Savior uttered this phrase during the Sermon on the Mount, in which the main postulates of His teaching were sounded. It is obvious that Christ paid special attention to the danger of false prophets, and this is not accidental.

In the first century AD, the Jews were waiting for the coming of the promised Messiah. And, of course, there were quite a few who wanted to impersonate Him. Someone was just a swindler, and someone sincerely believed that he had the right to speak on behalf of God. Prophets and impostors literally filled the country.

Christians believe that it was Jesus of Nazareth who was the real Messiah, but how did they distinguish Him from other, false teachers?

The fact is that the very preaching of Jesus was unique. Unlike Him, false prophets called people not to the Kingdom of God, but to achieve ordinary earthly goals. For example, to an uprising against the rule of Rome. As a result, their sermons ended in senseless violence and death of people... Seeking salvation not in God, but in human power, they doomed themselves and their followers to death and oblivion.

Already after the Resurrection of Christ, one of the most wise and respected Jewish rabbis-Pharisees, Gamaliel, urged fellow believers not to persecute Christians. He recalled the fate of the false prophets of that time, saying: "If this is a human cause, it will destroy itself, and if it is God's, nothing can destroy it."

And so it happened. The gospel survived despite all attempts to destroy Christianity. The followers of Christ outnumber all other religions in the world. Well, the names of false prophets are forgotten, or are known only to historians.

However, despite this, the words of the Savior from the Sermon on the Mount have not lost their relevance to this day. After all, people who cover up their dangerous ideas with beautiful words, and sometimes even with the name of God, are enough, alas, even today.

Therefore, learning to distinguish between them is one of the major tasks for a Christian.

Wolf in sheep's clothing

Razg. Unapproved About a hypocrite who hides his evil intentions under the mask of virtue. BTS, 146, 1500; SHZF 2001, 42. /i> Goes back to the Gospel. FSRYA, 76; F 1, 73; DP, 50; BMS 1998, 94-95.

Big dictionary of Russian sayings. - M: Olma Media Group. V. M. Mokienko, T. G. Nikitina. 2007 .

See what "Wolf in sheep's clothing" is in other dictionaries:

From the Bible.. In the Gospel of Matthew (ch. 7, v. 15) it says: "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inside they are ravenous wolves." Allegorically: about a hypocrite, about an insidious person who pretends to be kind, complacent. ... ... Dictionary of winged words and expressions

See hypocrite... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M .: Russian dictionaries, 1999. wolf in sheep's clothing n., number of synonyms: 5 ... Synonym dictionary

WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING- who is an Evil, ferocious person, pretending to be meek and harmless, a dangerous hypocrite. This means that the person (X) hides his true goals, his own cruelty under the guise of gentleness and kindness. Speaks with disapproval. informal ✦ X wolf in a sheepskin coat… Phraseological dictionary of the Russian language

Wolf in sheep's clothing- wing. sl. The expression arose from the Gospel: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves" (Mat. 7:15). It is used as a characteristic of a hypocrite hiding his bad intentions behind a mask ... ... Universal additional practical explanatory dictionary by I. Mostitsky

Wolf in sheep's clothing- disapproved. about a hypocrite who hides his evil intentions under the mask of virtue. The expression goes back to the text of the Gospel: "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15)... Phraseology Handbook

Wolf in sheep's clothing- About a hypocrite, a person who hides his bad intentions, actions under the guise of virtue ... Dictionary of many expressions

Wolf in sheep's clothing- Obsolete. A person who covers his bad intentions, actions with a mask of virtue, is a hypocrite; Wolf in sheep's clothing. No, not worthy, decided Fr. Spiridon. What a shepherd I am ... A wolf in sheep's clothing, not a shepherd (Mom's Sibiryak. Temptation of Father Spiridon) ... Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language

Art is half sacred. Wed You then, I think ... honored me: they wanted, they say, to bring me under criminality, a swindler, a wolf in sheep's clothing .... Boborykin. Vasily Terkin. 2, 4. Cf. Evil thoughts are visible in the close, The wolf is noble in sheep's wool. Lomonosov.… … Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary

- (or: skin). Wolf in sheepskin. See fanaticism hypocrisy A wolf in a sheep's coat (skin). Wolf under the sheepskin. See DIRECTLY DICKING…

See Know the wolf and in the sheep's coat... IN AND. Dal. Proverbs of the Russian people

Books

• The Fifth Sheep, Harriet Grundman. The book "The Fifth Sheep" is included in the "White Crows" list of outstanding books of the world, compiled annually by the International Children's Library in Munich. ...One evening, Lina carefully examined ...
• In love and very dangerous, or Who framed the fluffy bunny, Polina Raevskaya. You will have an incredible journey into the world of intrigue, love, betrayal and beauty, where everything changes at an incredible speed, and everything is not what it seems at first glance ... Sofia Altufyeva - ...