Anathema Quote by David Attenborough
“Sentimentalising is anathema, as far as I am concerned. It leads you into ethical problems about violence and killing and eating meat. The whole world becomes topsy-survy if you impose moralities that were evolved within human society on what a blowfly or what a parasite does... there are lots of emotions you can deduce from an animal's behaviour that are correct, but when you start saying it's feeling guilty or thinking or a loved one or mourning, you must be very careful of those feelings.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: BBC Documentary “The Life of Animals”, 2022
Attributing complex human emotions to animals can mislead ethical judgments about their behavior and our treatment of them.
In simple terms: Human emotions shouldn't be projected onto animals.
Key Takeaway
Avoid anthropomorphizing animals.
Themes
ethics
animal behavior
anthropomorphism
Mood
thoughtful
cautious
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- dietary choices
- animal welfare policies
- wildlife research
- environmental activism
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
empathy
speciesism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we respect animal lives without imposing human moral frameworks?
- What criteria should guide our ethical treatment of animals?
A Different Perspective
Animals may experience different affective states; projection can cause misguided policies.
![“We only know a tiny proportion about the complexity of the natural world. Wherever you look, there are still things we don’t know about and don’t understand. [...] There are always new things to find out if you go looking for them.” quote by David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b04/david-attenborough-2396_complexity_we-only-know-a-tiny-proportion-about-the_112007.jpg)
