Anyone Quote by Frans de Waal
“Many economists are great believers in the idea that everything in nature is competitive and that we should set up a society which is competitive to reflect that. Anyone who cannot keep up, well, too bad.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on Human Nature, 2010
It argues that viewing nature as purely competitive leads to a society that rewards only the strongest, ignoring cooperation and vulnerability.
In simple terms: Competition‑only view harms those who lag behind.
Key Takeaway
Design societies that balance competition with cooperation.
Themes
competition
cooperation
social equity
human nature
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- workplace performance reviews
- public policy design
- education grading
- healthcare resource allocation
Key Concepts
evolutionary biology
social psychology
economic theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How would you redesign a system to support both high performers and those needing help?
- What values are lost when competition dominates?
A Different Perspective
Ignores the benefits of collaborative innovation and mutual aid.
