Animals Quotes by Frans de Waal

Future benefits rarely figure in the minds of animals.

— Frans de Waal

The more self-aware an animal is, the more empathetic it tends to be.

— Frans de Waal

Sometimes I read about someone saying with great authority that animals have no intentions and no feelings, and I wonder, 'Doesn't this…

— Frans de Waal

There is little evidence that other animals judge the appropriateness of actions that do not directly affect themselves.

— Frans de Waal

We need to separate the process of evolution - which is, indeed, a self-serving process - and the actual motivations of animals.

— Frans de Waal

If we look straight and deep into a chimpanzee's eyes, an intelligent self-assured personality looks back at us. If they are animals,…

— Frans de Waal

There's a long tradition in Western thought that humans are not shackled by biology, whereas animals are pure instinct machines.

— Frans de Waal

To endow animals with human emotions has long been a scientific taboo. But if we do not, we risk missing something fundamental,…

— Frans de Waal

Most exotic animals are not particularly interested in people, which makes it hard to provoke them. Human-rearing gets them used to and…

— Frans de Waal

Experiments with animals have long been handicapped by our anthropocentric attitude: We often test them in ways that work fine with humans…

— Frans de Waal

“So, don’t believe anyone who says that since nature is based on a struggle for life, we need to live like this…

— Frans de Waal

We, who think like animals living in small groups, must structure a global world. We believe in universal human rights and believe…

— Frans de Waal

Closeness to animals creates the desire to understand them, and not just a little piece of them, but the whole animal. It…

— Frans de Waal

I am personally not against keeping animals at zoos, as they serve a huge educational purpose, but treating them well and with…

— Frans de Waal

Scientists are supposed to study animals in a totally objective fashion, similar to the way we inspect a rock or measure the…

— Frans de Waal

It is hard to get animals which normally pay little attention to each other to do things together. One can teach dolphins…

— Frans de Waal

Popular culture bombards us with examples of animals being humanized for all sorts of purposes, ranging from education to entertainment to satire…

— Frans de Waal

Unlike the primate hand, the elephant's grasping organ is also its nose. Elephants use their trunks not only to reach food but…

— Frans de Waal

In Africa, we have the bush meat trade, which means that, on a very large scale, animals are being killed in the…

— Frans de Waal

The evolutionary struggle for survival is really a self-serving series of blows and stabs, and yet it can lead to extremely social…

— Frans de Waal

Following rules is, of course, the reason the dog is man's best friend is because the dog follows rules, and they actually…

— Frans de Waal

The intuitive connection children feel with animals can be a tremendous source of joy. The unconditional love received from pets, and the…

— Frans de Waal