---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who would you rather live with, a bunch…"
description: "\"“Who would you rather live with, a bunch of bonobos feeling good? Or chimpanzees eating each other's babies? Or humans waterboarding each other and des..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/francine-prose-9354_bonobos_who-would-you-rather-live-with-a-bunch-o_2587482.jpg"
---

#  Who would you rather live with, a bunch of bonobos feeling…

![“Who would you rather live with, a bunch of bonobos feeling good? Or chimpanzees eating each other's babies? Or humans waterboarding each other and destroying the planet?” quote by Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/francine-prose-9354_bonobos_who-would-you-rather-live-with-a-bunch-o_2587482.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/francine-prose-9354_bonobos_who-would-you-rather-live-with-a-bunch-o_2587482.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b2/francine-prose-9354_bonobos_who-would-you-rather-live-with-a-bunch-o_2587482.jpg)

> ““Who would you rather live with, a bunch of bonobos feeling good? Or chimpanzees eating each other's babies? Or humans waterboarding each other and destroying the planet?””

[Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Contrasts human cruelty with animal behavior to critique societal self‑destruction.

**In simple terms:** Humans harm themselves and the planet.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and curb destructive habits.

Themes

environment ethics humanity

Mood

somber provocative

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

- political activism
- education
- policy making

Key Concepts

philosophy social critique ecology

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives self‑destructive behavior?
- How can empathy change outcomes?

A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bonobos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bonobos/) [Chimpanzees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chimpanzees/)

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> [“In a world divided by chimpophiles and bonobophiles, we all had a good laugh when Stephen peeled his banana. (62)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/in-a-world-divided-by-chimpophiles-and-bonobophiles-we-all-had-a-good/)

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> [ We have a lot to learn from \[bonobos\], because they're a very egalitarian society and they're a very empathetic society. Sexual behavior is not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-savage-rumbaugh/we-have-a-lot-to-learn-from-bonobos-because-they-re-a-very/)

[Sue Savage-Rumbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-savage-rumbaugh/)

> [“bonobos, related to chimpanzees and native to the Congo, have been found to engage in French kissing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-shanor/bonobos-related-to-chimpanzees-and-native-to-the-congo-have-been/)

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> [Bonobos may have a brain that's a third the size of ours, but they're remarkably intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudine-andre/bonobos-may-have-a-brain-that-s-a-third-the-size-of-ours-but-they-re/)

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> [Being both more systematically brutal than chimps and more empathetic than bonobos, we are by far the most bipolar ape. Our societies are never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/being-both-more-systematically-brutal-than-chimps-and-more-empathetic/)

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> [Bonobos' pants are incredibly comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-rose/bonobos-pants-are-incredibly-comfortable/)

[Justin Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-rose/)

## More by Francine Prose

> [“I'm out of the equation, an innocent bystander at the major love affair Joan is having with Joan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-m-out-of-the-equation-an-innocent-bystander-at-the-major-love/)

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> [I sometimes try to imagine what would have happened if we’d known the bonobo first and the chimpanzee only later—or not at all. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/i-sometimes-try-to-imagine-what-would-have-happened-if-we-d-known-the/)

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> [Bonobos' pants are incredibly comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-rose/bonobos-pants-are-incredibly-comfortable/)

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> [“Meet the bonobos, the rare and marvelous “make love not war” great apes who swing through the trees as well as with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/meet-the-bonobos-the-rare-and-marvelous-make-love-not-war-great-apes/)

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