---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The idea that humans are yet intelligent…"
description: "\"“The idea that humans are yet intelligent enough to serve as stewards of the Earth is among the most hubristic ever.”\" — James Lovelock"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/james-lovelock-5790_environmentalism_the-idea-that-humans-are-yet-intelligent_2468514.jpg"
---

#  The idea that humans are yet intelligent enough to serve…

![“The idea that humans are yet intelligent enough to serve as stewards of the Earth is among the most hubristic ever.” quote by James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/james-lovelock-5790_environmentalism_the-idea-that-humans-are-yet-intelligent_2468514.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/james-lovelock-5790_environmentalism_the-idea-that-humans-are-yet-intelligent_2468514.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/james-lovelock-5790_environmentalism_the-idea-that-humans-are-yet-intelligent_2468514.jpg)

> ““The idea that humans are yet intelligent enough to serve as stewards of the Earth is among the most hubristic ever.””

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

## About This Quote

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

Humanity's belief in its capacity to responsibly manage Earth is overly arrogant and likely misguided.

**In simple terms:** Human hubris threatens stewardship.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate humility in environmental responsibility.

Themes

environment hubris stewardship humanity

Mood

cautious serious

Type

critical philosophical

When to use this quote

- policy debates
- climate action
- education programs

Key Concepts

ecology anthropocentrism

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we balance confidence and humility in environmental action?
- What steps reduce hubristic attitudes toward Earth?

A Different Perspective

Optimism about human change may be underplayed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Environmentalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmentalism/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/)

## Related quotes

> [Let us be good stewards of the Earth we inherited. All of us have to share the Earth's fragile ecosystems and precious resources, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/let-us-be-good-stewards-of-the-earth-we-inherited-all-of-us-have-to/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [I want to challenge all of you as people of deep conscience, people who are environment stewards of the earth and oceans ... By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cameron/i-want-to-challenge-all-of-you-as-people-of-deep-conscience-people/)

[James Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cameron/)

> [The idea that we are "stewards of the earth" is another symptom of human arrogance. Imagine yourself with the task of overseeing your body's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/the-idea-that-we-are-stewards-of-the-earth-is-another-symptom-of/)

[Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/)

> [We should conceive of ourselves not as rulers of Earth, but as highly powerful, conscious stewards: The Earth is given to us in trust,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-should-conceive-of-ourselves-not-as-rulers-of-earth-but-as-highly/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We've have to heed our Biblical obligation to be good stewards of the Earth after leaving the Garden of Eden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/we-ve-have-to-heed-our-biblical-obligation-to-be-good-stewards-of-the/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [Good stewardship of the environment is not just a personal responsibility, it is a public value... Our duty is to use the land well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/good-stewardship-of-the-environment-is-not-just-a-personal/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [“If humans are "intelligent," so is the rest of Nature. Native peoples have always said this. The human species shows its decreasing ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-douglas-klotz/if-humans-are-intelligent-so-is-the-rest-of-nature-native-peoples/)

[Neil Douglas-Klotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-douglas-klotz/)

> [“Humans are very intelligent in inventing new ideas to gamble and pursue financial greed. Every financial trading, instruments and systems looks like a beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aditya-ajmera/humans-are-very-intelligent-in-inventing-new-ideas-to-gamble-and/)

[Aditya Ajmera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aditya-ajmera/)

> [It wasn't so long ago when all the so-called scientists said that humans were intelligent and that animals weren't, humans were the solitary unchallenged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/it-wasn-t-so-long-ago-when-all-the-so-called-scientists-said-that/)

[Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/)

> [They all err - Muslims, Christians, Jews and Magians. There are two kinds of humans - the intelligent, who have no religion, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ma-arri/they-all-err-muslims-christians-jews-and-magians-there-are-two-kinds/)

[Al-Maʿarri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ma-arri/)

> [People can't live with themselves much longer. The planet cannot live with humans much longer! We have the weaponry, destruction of the planet, pollution,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/people-can-t-live-with-themselves-much-longer-the-planet-cannot-live/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [“Humans. We are intelligent. We are destructive. We are complex creatures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sambath-meas/humans-we-are-intelligent-we-are-destructive-we-are-complex-creatures/)

Sambath Meas

> [As humans become more intelligent, they lose sight that nature is unquantifiable and we will never be able to understand the totality of natures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-vitale/as-humans-become-more-intelligent-they-lose-sight-that-nature-is/)

Mike Vitale

> [“When we burn fossil fuel for energy we are, in qualitative terms, doing nothing more wrong than burning wood. Our wrongdoing, if that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/when-we-burn-fossil-fuel-for-energy-we-are-in-qualitative-terms-doing/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [“One of the striking things about places heavily contaminated by radioactive nuclides is the richness of their wildlife. This is true of the land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/one-of-the-striking-things-about-places-heavily-contaminated-by/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

## More by James Lovelock

> [The Earth's population will be culled from today's 6.6 billion to as few as 500 million, with most of the survivors living in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-earth-s-population-will-be-culled-from-today-s-6-6-billion-to-as/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [“City wisdom became almost entirely centered on the problems of human relationships, in contrast to the wisdom of any natural tribal group, where relationships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/city-wisdom-became-almost-entirely-centered-on-the-problems-of-human/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [You never know with politicians what they are really saying. And I don't say that in a negative way-they have an appalling job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/you-never-know-with-politicians-what-they-are-really-saying-and-i-don/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [The oil companies regard nuclear power as their rival, who will reduce their profits, so they put out a lot of disinformation about nuclear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-oil-companies-regard-nuclear-power-as-their-rival-who-will-reduce/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [If a power station were to be built down the road, I'd prefer a nuclear plant over an oil burner, and definitely over a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/if-a-power-station-were-to-be-built-down-the-road-i-d-prefer-a/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [The tropical rain forests are a telling example. Once cut down, they rarely recover. Rainfall drops, deserts spread, the climate warms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-tropical-rain-forests-are-a-telling-example-once-cut-down-they/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [“When we burn fossil fuel for energy we are, in qualitative terms, doing nothing more wrong than burning wood. Our wrongdoing, if that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/when-we-burn-fossil-fuel-for-energy-we-are-in-qualitative-terms-doing/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [I don't think we're yet evolved to the point where we're clever enough to handle a complex a situation as climate change. The inertia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/i-don-t-think-we-re-yet-evolved-to-the-point-where-we-re-clever/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [By the end of this century, climate change will reduce the human population to a few breeding pairs surviving near the Arctic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/by-the-end-of-this-century-climate-change-will-reduce-the-human/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [The world has not warmed up very much since the millennium. Twelve years is a reasonable time… it (the temperature) has stayed almost constant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-world-has-not-warmed-up-very-much-since-the-millennium-twelve/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [By 2040, the Sahara will be moving into Europe and Berlin will be as hot as Baghdad. Atlanta will end up a kudzu jungle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/by-2040-the-sahara-will-be-moving-into-europe-and-berlin-will-be-as/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [“One of the striking things about places heavily contaminated by radioactive nuclides is the richness of their wildlife. This is true of the land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/one-of-the-striking-things-about-places-heavily-contaminated-by/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [Esso has been the main one in America spreading the disinformation that there is no global warming problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/esso-has-been-the-main-one-in-america-spreading-the-disinformation/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [Gas is almost a give-away in the U.S. at the moment. They've gone for fracking in a big way. This is what makes me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/gas-is-almost-a-give-away-in-the-u-s-at-the-moment-they-ve-gone-for/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [I'm a scientist, not a theologian. I don't know if there is a God or not. Religion requires certainty. Revere and respect Gaia. Have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/i-m-a-scientist-not-a-theologian-i-don-t-know-if-there-is-a-god-or/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

[Explore all 99 James Lovelock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

## More Environmentalism quotes

> [Environmentalism, apocalyptic environmentalism in particular, has become the dominant religion of supposedly secular people in the West.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shellenberger/environmentalism-apocalyptic-environmentalism-in-particular-has/)

[Michael Shellenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shellenberger/)

> [Truly environmentalism has displaced economics as the dismal science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-f-hayward/truly-environmentalism-has-displaced-economics-as-the-dismal-science/)

[Steven F. Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-f-hayward/)

> [“You wanna know why the world is f\*\*ked? This is why, this is exactly why…right here. Get a pen, write this down, this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-lyndsy/you-wanna-know-why-the-world-is-f-ked-this-is-why-this-is-exactly-why/)

Shannon Lyndsy

> [“To save our dying earth, any government which is not environmentalist must go because on earth there are thousands of governments but there in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/to-save-our-dying-earth-any-government-which-is-not-environmentalist/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [It's really important to me to show the interconnectedness of things. I always try to illustrate how environmentalism, humanitarianism, animal rights - all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hannah/it-s-really-important-to-me-to-show-the-interconnectedness-of-things/)

[Daryl Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hannah/)

> [“Nothing is more important to human beings than an ecologically functioning, life sustaining biosphere on the earth. It is the only habitable place we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-guth/nothing-is-more-important-to-human-beings-than-an-ecologically/)

Joseph Guth

> [A good zoo," Stella said, "is a large domain. A wild cage. A safe place to be. It has room to roam and humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-applegate/a-good-zoo-stella-said-is-a-large-domain-a-wild-cage-a-safe-place-to/)

[Katherine Applegate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-applegate/)

> [“Wolves attack the hindquarters of prey first, biting into the animal's meaty rump or ham. They stay away from the tendons near the hooves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-t-coleman/wolves-attack-the-hindquarters-of-prey-first-biting-into-the-animal-s/)

Jon T. Coleman

> [“When we burn fossil fuel for energy we are, in qualitative terms, doing nothing more wrong than burning wood. Our wrongdoing, if that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/when-we-burn-fossil-fuel-for-energy-we-are-in-qualitative-terms-doing/)

[James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/)

> [“There's terrible evil in the world." It comes from men," said Holly. "All other elil do what they have to do and Frith moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-adams/there-s-terrible-evil-in-the-world-it-comes-from-men-said-holly-all/)

[Richard Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-adams/)

> [“The largest threat to freedom, democracy, the market economy and prosperity,' warns Czech president Vaclav Klaus, 'is no longer socialism. It is, instead, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/the-largest-threat-to-freedom-democracy-the-market-economy-and/)

[Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/)

> [“What hurt him most of all, made him feel like a sick child aware of terrible wrongness and yet incapable of explaining it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/what-hurt-him-most-of-all-made-him-feel-like-a-sick-child-aware-of/)

[John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/)

> [“Pick a leader who will keep jobs in your country by offering companies incentives to hire only within their borders, not one who allows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/pick-a-leader-who-will-keep-jobs-in-your-country-by-offering/)

[Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/)

> [“Like many other world religions, nationalism requires its adapts to adhere to a strict dogma. They must also provide a sacrifice of blood and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamine-pearlheart/like-many-other-world-religions-nationalism-requires-its-adapts-to/)

[Lamine Pearlheart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamine-pearlheart/)

> [Environmentalism has failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/environmentalism-has-failed/)

[David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/)

[Browse all 222 Environmentalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmentalism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The idea that humans are yet intelligent enough to serve as stewards of the Earth is among the most hubristic ever.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Lovelock"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-idea-that-humans-are-yet-intelligent-enough-to-serve-as-stewards/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Environmentalism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-idea-that-humans-are-yet-intelligent-enough-to-serve-as-stewards/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/james-lovelock-5790_environmentalism_the-idea-that-humans-are-yet-intelligent_2468514.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/james-lovelock-5790_environmentalism_the-idea-that-humans-are-yet-intelligent_2468514.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/james-lovelock-5790_environmentalism_the-idea-that-humans-are-yet-intelligent_2468514.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The idea that humans are yet intelligent enough to serve as stewards of the Earth is among the most…” — James Lovelock",
                "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": "James Lovelock",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The idea that humans are yet...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-idea-that-humans-are-yet-intelligent-enough-to-serve-as-stewards/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-idea-that-humans-are-yet-intelligent-enough-to-serve-as-stewards/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
