“I am not a donkey, I don’t have a field”
📅 Fri 5 December 2025 at 07:00 GMT
This is the first in a new type of posts on A Deeper Thought – the Micro Thought.
A Micro Thought is not a complete analysis, but just a – micro thought – which is interesting and perhaps useful. A Micro Thought may be the basis of a longer post in the future.
The quote “I am not a donkey, I don’t have a field” has been attributed to German sociologist Max Weber. Weber was famous for studying many different and disparate fields in great depth. In his short academic career he published extensively, writing books which are still considered foundational in many fields.
The quote expresses the reason why Weber does not stay in one field – because donkeys stay in their field, and he is not a donkey.
Rhetorically, the word donkey is a metaphor. The word field is a pun – a word with multiple meanings. In this case it can mean the physical field that a donkey is in, and it can also refer to an academic discipline.
By implication, the quote pokes fun at everyone else who does stay in their field – calling them donkeys.
I could not find an authoritative reference to Weber actually ever saying quote, so its provenance is uncertain. This adds a layer of mystery to the quote, which surely enhances its appeal.
Finally – and most importantly – Weber was a polymath – please see my previous post about polymaths and the synergies they can develop by not being confined to a single field.
This quote resonates with me personally because when people ask me why I don’t stay in my original field – Emergency Medicine – I feel like saying, “I am not a donkey, I don’t have a field.” Evidently, Weber was a good rhetorician too.
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Previously, on A Deeper Thought
 | Air Traffic Control (ATC) Principles for Area Leads in the Emergency Department 2 Apr 2026 |
 | Is Trump Serious??? 21 Feb 2026 |
 | “A Roman, a Hellene, and an Abbasid walk into a café…” 3 Feb 2026 |
 | Qaṣr: A tiny word, a big meaning, and an apology 2 Feb 2026 |
 | What My Mechanic Taught Me About Medicine 23 Dec 2025 |
 | Diagnosing a personality 8 Dec 2025 |
 | ChatGPT mistakes: a glitch in the matrix 7 Dec 2025 |
 | I label, therefore I am 6 Dec 2025 |
 | Perfect is the enemy of done 4 Dec 2025 |
 | There are no marks for showing your working 3 Dec 2025 |
