I had been told from school onwards that the best definition of a human being was man the tool-maker - yet I had just watched a chimp tool-maker in action. I remember that day as vividly as if it was yesterday. Jane Goodall More Quotes by Jane Goodall More Quotes From Jane Goodall Science demands objective factual evidence - proof; spiritual experience is subjective and leads to faith. Jane Goodall proof demand spiritual It's been proven by quite a few studies that plants are good for our psychological development. If you green an area, the rate of crime goes down. Torture victims begin to recover when they spend time outside in a garden with flowers. So we need them, in some deep psychological sense, which I don't suppose anybody really understands yet. Jane Goodall garden flower needs People don't believe that their actions really and truly are going to make a difference. But kids get it. They know. And they get all excited about the difference they're making. Jane Goodall differences believe kids We seem to have lost the wisdom of the indigenous people, which dictated that in any major decision, the first consideration was 'How will this decision we're making today affect our people in the future? These days, decisions are made based on the bottom line. Jane Goodall environmental decision people One cannot watch chimpanzee infants for long without realizing that they have the same emotional need for affection and reassurance as human children. Jane Goodall emotional long children Certainly, if you look at human behavior around the world, you have to admit that we can be very aggressive. Jane Goodall behavior looks world There are an awful lot of scientists today who believe that before very long we shall have unraveled all the secrets of the universe. There will be no puzzles anymore. To me, it'd be really, really tragic because I think one of the most exciting things is this feeling of mystery, feeling of awe, the feeling of looking at a little live thing and being amazed by it and how it has emerged through these hundreds of years of evolution and there it is and it is perfect and why. Jane Goodall nature believe thinking From my perspective, I absolutely believe in a greater spiritual power, far greater than I am, from which I have derived strength in moments of sadness or fear. That's what I believe, and it was very, very strong in the forest. Jane Goodall strong spiritual believe My family has very strong women. My mother never laughed at my dream of Africa, even though everyone else did because we didn't have any money, because Africa was the 'dark continent', and because I was a girl. Jane Goodall girl mother dream You may not believe in evolution, and that is all right. How we humans came to be the way we are is far less important than how we should act now to get out of the mess we have made for ourselves. Jane Goodall important may believe We have a responsibility toward the other life-forms of our planet whose continued existence is threatened by the thoughtless behavior of our own human species. . . . Environmental responsibility – for if there is no God, then, obviously, it is up to us to put things right. Jane Goodall environmental behavior responsibility Lasting change is a series of compromises. And compromise is all right, as long your values don't change. Jane Goodall compromise change long Someday we shall look back on this dark era of agriculture and shake our heads. How could we have ever believed that it was a good idea to grow our food with poisons? Jane Goodall agriculture dark ideas There would be very little point in my exhausting myself and other conservationists themselves in trying to protect animals and habitats if we weren't at the same time raising young people to be better stewards. Jane Goodall earth-day animal people Especially now when views are becoming more polarized, we must work to understand each other across political, religious and national boundaries. Jane Goodall political religious views So long as we continued to attach more importance to our own narrow group membership than to the 'global village' we would propagate prejudice and ignorance. There was absolutely no harm in being part of a small group - indeed, with our hunter-gatherer band mentality it gave comfort, provided us with an inner circle of friends who could be utterly trusted, who were absolutely reliable. It helped give us peace of mind. The danger came only from drawing that sharp line, digging that ditch, laying that minefield, between our own group and any other group that thought differently. Jane Goodall drawing circles ignorance Become as knowledgeable as possible. Jane Goodall knowledgeable My mother always taught us that if people don't agree with you, the important thing is to listen to them. But if you've listened to them carefully and you still think that you're right, then you must have the courage of your convictions. Jane Goodall taught-us mother thinking Be assured that our individual actions, collectively, make a huge difference. Jane Goodall environment differences action As human beings, we can encompass a vague feeling of what the universe is, and all in this funny little brain here - so there has to be something more than just brain, it has to be something to do with spirit as well. Jane Goodall brain feelings littles
