--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When it comes to social interaction, the…" description: "\"When it comes to social interaction, the chimpanzees appear to be just as intelligent as we are.\" — Frans de Waal" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/frans-de-waal-2997_animal_when-it-comes-to-social-interaction-the_3028438.png" --- # When it comes to social interaction, the chimpanzees… ![“When it comes to social interaction, the chimpanzees appear to be just as intelligent as we are.” quote by Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/frans-de-waal-2997_animal_when-it-comes-to-social-interaction-the_3028438.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/frans-de-waal-2997_animal_when-it-comes-to-social-interaction-the_3028438.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/frans-de-waal-2997_animal_when-it-comes-to-social-interaction-the_3028438.png) > “When it comes to social interaction, the chimpanzees appear to be just as intelligent as we are.” [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observes chimpanzees possess social intelligence comparable to humans. **In simple terms:** Chimpanzees are socially intelligent. Key Takeaway Recognize animal cognition. Themes animal behavior social intelligence comparative cognition Mood curious thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - conservation - education - psychology - ethics Key Concepts primate studies empathy communication social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does chimp intelligence reshape our view of humanity? - What ethical responsibilities arise from this similarity? A Different Perspective Human exceptionalism can bias research. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Chimpanzees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chimpanzees/) [Chimpanzees Appear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chimpanzees-appear-4935859/) [Intelligent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligent/) [Interaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interaction/) [Interaction Chimpanzees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interaction-chimpanzees-4935858/) [Just Intelligent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-intelligent-588462/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social interaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-interaction/) ## Related quotes > [He's just intelligent-sort of a nerd, actually. He's the only brother I know who made a 1420 on the SAT. I don't think Chris…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/he-s-just-intelligent-sort-of-a-nerd-actually-he-s-the-only-brother-i/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [They may be just as intelligent as you say. But I'd feel a helluva lot better if just one of them had ever run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rayburn/they-may-be-just-as-intelligent-as-you-say-but-i-d-feel-a-helluva-lot/) [Sam Rayburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-rayburn/) > [Heaven gives long life to the just and the intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/heaven-gives-long-life-to-the-just-and-the-intelligent/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Just because we are intelligent doesn't mean we have to act like it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/just-because-we-are-intelligent-doesn-t-mean-we-have-to-act-like-it/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) > [Now, in practice, in daily social interactions, etc., there may be all kinds of biases and prejudices that are unspoken, that people aren't aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/now-in-practice-in-daily-social-interactions-etc-there-may-be-all/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Not all social interaction is uplifting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/not-all-social-interaction-is-uplifting/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [“Enjoyable social interaction, community and laughter has a healing effect on the mind and body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/enjoyable-social-interaction-community-and-laughter-has-a-healing/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [A lot of times in parks the large dogs and little dogs separate. That creates the opposite of social. Sometimes dogs run back in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/a-lot-of-times-in-parks-the-large-dogs-and-little-dogs-separate-that/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [If you can dress as a stormtrooper and go to a laundromat, or wear a sexy cheese gown in public, you might start to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-collins/if-you-can-dress-as-a-stormtrooper-and-go-to-a-laundromat-or-wear-a/) [Misha Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-collins/) > [Remember all of the 'me too' social networks built just to have a social feature Facebook and MySpace didn't have? I built one for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/remember-all-of-the-me-too-social-networks-built-just-to-have-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Looking ahead, future generations may learn their social skills from robots in the first place. The cute yellow Keepon robot from Carnegie Mellon University…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-wilson/looking-ahead-future-generations-may-learn-their-social-skills-from/) [Daniel H. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-wilson/) > [“Mom & pop stores are not about something small; they are about something big. Ninety percent of all U.S. businesses are family owned or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-spector/mom-pop-stores-are-not-about-something-small-they-are-about-something/) [Robert Spector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-spector/) > [The techniques of artificial intelligence are to the mind what bureaucracy is to human social interaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-winograd/the-techniques-of-artificial-intelligence-are-to-the-mind-what/) [Terry Winograd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-winograd/) > [Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimistic-and-upbeat-it-comes-out-of/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [“I wasn’t a nerd, mind you, but I’d spent a lot of my youth studying Epics, so I’d had limited experience with social interaction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-wasn-t-a-nerd-mind-you-but-i-d-spent-a-lot-of-my-youth-studying/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## More by Frans de Waal > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [If both parties have a stake in the other, the chances of them killing each other are going to be reduced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/if-both-parties-have-a-stake-in-the-other-the-chances-of-them-killing/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [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/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 also to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/unlike-the-primate-hand-the-elephant-s-grasping-organ-is-also-its/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [Science is not inherently good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/science-is-not-inherently-good/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [The possibility that empathy resides in parts of the brain so ancient that we share them with rats should give pause to anyone comparing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/the-possibility-that-empathy-resides-in-parts-of-the-brain-so-ancient/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [“on August 16, 1996, when an eight-year-old female gorilla named Binti Jua helped a three-year-old boy who had fallen eighteen feet into the primate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/on-august-16-1996-when-an-eight-year-old-female-gorilla-named-binti/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [We start out postulating sharp boundaries, such as between humans and apes, or between apes and monkeys, but are in fact dealing with sand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/we-start-out-postulating-sharp-boundaries-such-as-between-humans-and/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [Perhaps it's just me, but I am wary of any persons whose belief system is the only thing standing between them and repulsive behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/perhaps-it-s-just-me-but-i-am-wary-of-any-persons-whose-belief-system/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [Personally, I think it is possible to build a society that is moral on a nonreligious basis, but the jury is still out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/personally-i-think-it-is-possible-to-build-a-society-that-is-moral-on/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [“humans are a strange lot. We have the power to analyze and explore the world around us, yet panic as soon as the evidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/humans-are-a-strange-lot-we-have-the-power-to-analyze-and-explore-the/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [Armies are a purely human invention. Most soldiers who go to war nowadays don't even do it because they're inherently aggressive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/armies-are-a-purely-human-invention-most-soldiers-who-go-to-war/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [There's actually a lot of evidence in primates and other animals that they return favors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/there-s-actually-a-lot-of-evidence-in-primates-and-other-animals-that/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [“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/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 forests and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/in-africa-we-have-the-bush-meat-trade-which-means-that-on-a-very/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) [Explore all 143 Frans de Waal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) ## More Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/) [Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When it comes to social interaction, the chimpanzees appear to be just as intelligent as we are.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frans de Waal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/when-it-comes-to-social-interaction-the-chimpanzees-appear-to-be-just/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/when-it-comes-to-social-interaction-the-chimpanzees-appear-to-be-just/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/frans-de-waal-2997_animal_when-it-comes-to-social-interaction-the_3028438.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/frans-de-waal-2997_animal_when-it-comes-to-social-interaction-the_3028438.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bd/frans-de-waal-2997_animal_when-it-comes-to-social-interaction-the_3028438.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When it comes to social interaction, the chimpanzees appear to be just as intelligent as we are.” — Frans de Waal", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Frans de Waal", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When it comes to social interaction,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/when-it-comes-to-social-interaction-the-chimpanzees-appear-to-be-just/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/when-it-comes-to-social-interaction-the-chimpanzees-appear-to-be-just/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```