--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Clearly, animals know more than we think…" description: "\"Clearly, animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know.\" — Irene Pepperberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/irene-pepperberg-243900_animal_clearly-animals-know-more-than-we-think_1685853.png" --- # Clearly, animals know more than we think, and think a… ![“Clearly, animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know.” quote by Irene Pepperberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/irene-pepperberg-243900_animal_clearly-animals-know-more-than-we-think_1685853.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/irene-pepperberg-243900_animal_clearly-animals-know-more-than-we-think_1685853.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/irene-pepperberg-243900_animal_clearly-animals-know-more-than-we-think_1685853.png) > “Clearly, animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know.” [Irene Pepperberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irene-pepperberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Animals possess sophisticated cognition, often surpassing human assumptions about their mental capacities. **In simple terms:** Animals think more than we assume. Key Takeaway Recognize animal intelligence. Themes cognition communication ethics Mood curious thoughtful Type observational scientific When to use this quote - pet care - wildlife research - education - conservation Key Concepts Animal behavior comparative psychology Questions to Reflect On - How might we better respect animal cognition? - What responsibilities arise from this insight? A Different Perspective Human bias can limit understanding of animal minds. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Animals Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals-know-231696/) [Clearly Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clearly-animals-1004897/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Know Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-think/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [“If you are in doubt about what's balanced, look to the natural world. Animals know the right paths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-t-mckinstry/if-you-are-in-doubt-about-what-s-balanced-look-to-the-natural-world/) [F.T. McKinstry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-t-mckinstry/) > [All our knowledge merely helps us to die a more painful death than the animals that know nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-maeterlinck/all-our-knowledge-merely-helps-us-to-die-a-more-painful-death-than-2/) [Maurice Maeterlinck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-maeterlinck/) > [“cool koko also says Dumb animals know more about humans than dumb humans know about animals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-jackson-braun/cool-koko-also-says-dumb-animals-know-more-about-humans-than-dumb/) [Lilian Jackson Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-jackson-braun/) > [“Everybody is born so that they can learn to live a good life-like loving everybody and being nice, right? Well animals already know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-downing/everybody-is-born-so-that-they-can-learn-to-live-a-good-life-like/) [Robin Downing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-downing/) > [When we can converse with the animals, we will know the change is halfway here. When we can converse with the forest, we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/when-we-can-converse-with-the-animals-we-will-know-the-change-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“Do you have a pet?' Eugenia shook her head. 'I don't know very much about animals.' 'There's nothing much to know. You feed them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/do-you-have-a-pet-eugenia-shook-her-head-i-don-t-know-very-much-about/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“Humans are animals, too, you know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-schrefer/humans-are-animals-too-you-know/) [Eliot Schrefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-schrefer/) > [Yes,' growled Fell, 'for animals do not know what they do, but man has knowledge of his cruelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-clement-davies/yes-growled-fell-for-animals-do-not-know-what-they-do-but-man-has/) [David Clement-Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-clement-davies/) > [“Many of animals know you by your soul but very few human so do... Respect the animals ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishikant-advocates/many-of-animals-know-you-by-your-soul-but-very-few-human-so-do/) [Nishikant Advocates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishikant-advocates/) > [Do you not believe that animals know grief and fear and pain? The world of men is not an easy one for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/do-you-not-believe-that-animals-know-grief-and-fear-and-pain-the/) [Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/) > [“It's a tricky, complex, indifferent society, Puss. It's a loophole world. And there are a lot of clever animals who know how to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/it-s-a-tricky-complex-indifferent-society-puss-it-s-a-loophole-world/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [“Those of us who are in tune with nature and animals know it is our way of life, Bram. There is a connection to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-helfer/those-of-us-who-are-in-tune-with-nature-and-animals-know-it-is-our/) [Ralph Helfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-helfer/) > [“If we're the only animals who know in advance we're going to die, we're also probably the only animals who would submit so cheerfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/if-we-re-the-only-animals-who-know-in-advance-we-re-going-to-die-we/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“Even animals know how stupid the wars are, but men, know not yet!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/even-animals-know-how-stupid-the-wars-are-but-men-know-not-yet/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) ## 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": "Clearly, animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irene Pepperberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-pepperberg/clearly-animals-know-more-than-we-think-and-think-a-great-deal-more/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-pepperberg/clearly-animals-know-more-than-we-think-and-think-a-great-deal-more/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/irene-pepperberg-243900_animal_clearly-animals-know-more-than-we-think_1685853.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/irene-pepperberg-243900_animal_clearly-animals-know-more-than-we-think_1685853.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/365/irene-pepperberg-243900_animal_clearly-animals-know-more-than-we-think_1685853.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Clearly, animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know.” — Irene Pepperberg", "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": "Irene Pepperberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irene-pepperberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Clearly, animals know more than we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-pepperberg/clearly-animals-know-more-than-we-think-and-think-a-great-deal-more/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-pepperberg/clearly-animals-know-more-than-we-think-and-think-a-great-deal-more/#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 } } ] } ```