It's not easy to live up to what it means to be human. What is a human being? A thinking, mortal creature. Our ability to think separates us from wild animals. It also separates us from sheep and similar animals. So be careful not to act like a wild beast. If you do, you've lost your humanity. You've failed to live up to your nature. Make sure you don't act like a sheep either. If you do, you've also lost what makes you human. What do we do when we act like sheep? When we're greedy, lustful, reckless, dirty, or thoughtless — we've sunk to the level of sheep. What have we lost? Our ability to think. When we're aggressive, harmful, emotional, and violent — we've sunk to the level of wild beasts. Some of us become big wild beasts. Others become small, nasty little beasts. At that point, we might as well say, 'Let a lion eat me.' In all these ways, we destroy our promise to act like human beings.
It is no common (easy) thing to do this only, to fulfil the promise of a man's nature. For what is a man? The answer is, A rational and mortal being. Then by the rational faculty from whom are we separated? From wild beasts. And from what others? From sheep and like animals. Take care then to do nothing like a wild beast; but if you do, you have lost the character of a man; you have not fulfilled your promise. See that you do nothing like a sheep; but if you do, in this case also the man is lost. What then do we do as sheep? When we act gluttonously, when we act lewdly, when we act rashly, filthily, inconsiderately, to what have we declined? To sheep. What have we lost? The rational faculty. When we act contentiously and harmfully and passionately and violently, to what have we declined? To wild beasts. Consequently some of us are great wild beasts, and others little beasts, of a bad disposition and small, whence we may say, Let me be eaten by a lion. But in all these ways the promise of a man acting as a man is destroyed.