--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But let us not forget that human love and…" description: "\"But let us not forget that human love and compassion are equally deeply rooted in our primate heritage, and in this sphere too our sensibilities are of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_but-let-us-not-forget-that-human-love-an_2209871.jpg" --- # But let us not forget that human love and compassion are… ![“But let us not forget that human love and compassion are equally deeply rooted in our primate heritage, and in this sphere too our sensibilities are of a higher order of magnitude than those of chimpanzees.” quote by Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_but-let-us-not-forget-that-human-love-an_2209871.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_but-let-us-not-forget-that-human-love-an_2209871.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_but-let-us-not-forget-that-human-love-an_2209871.jpg) > “But let us not forget that human love and compassion are equally deeply rooted in our primate heritage, and in this sphere too our sensibilities are of a higher order of magnitude than those of chimpanzees.” [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human love and compassion stem from our evolutionary roots, yet our moral sense surpasses that of other primates. **In simple terms:** Our empathy is both biological and uniquely human. Key Takeaway Recognize and nurture our higher moral capacities. Themes evolution morality compassion humanity Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - Education - community building - conflict resolution - environmental activism Key Concepts Primatology ethical development empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can we align our biological instincts with ethical actions? - What practices elevate our compassion beyond instinct? A Different Perspective Our advanced moral reasoning can be limited by cultural biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chimpanzees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chimpanzees/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Heritage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heritage/) [Human love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-love/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love and compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-and-compassion/) [Love compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-compassion/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Primates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primates/) [Sensibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensibility/) ## Related quotes > [It is these undeniable qualities of human love and compassion and self-sacrifice that give me hope for the future. We are, indeed, often cruel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-is-these-undeniable-qualities-of-human-love-and-compassion-and/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [As our closest relatives, they (chimpanzees) tell us special things about what it means to be a primate and, ultimately, what it means to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/as-our-closest-relatives-they-chimpanzees-tell-us-special-things/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Our social life is literally primal, in the sense that chimpanzees and gorillas, our closest relatives among the primates, are also social.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/our-social-life-is-literally-primal-in-the-sense-that-chimpanzees-and/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [It's not that humans and non-humans are identical... but the lack of understanding that led to the slave trade is the same lack of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-s-not-that-humans-and-non-humans-are-identical-but-the-lack-of/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [The chimpanzee study was - well, it's still going on, and I think it's taught us perhaps more than anything else to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/the-chimpanzee-study-was-well-it-s-still-going-on-and-i-think-it-s/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [It's the bond between mother and child, which is really for us and for chimps and other primates, the root of all the expressions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-s-the-bond-between-mother-and-child-which-is-really-for-us-and-for/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Primates are very territorial. It is in their nature to protect their food resources as well as their females and young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/primates-are-very-territorial-it-is-in-their-nature-to-protect-their/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [In what terms should we think of these beings, nonhuman yet possessing so very many human-like characteristics? How should we treat them? Surely we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/in-what-terms-should-we-think-of-these-beings-nonhuman-yet-possessing/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Chimpanzees are incredibly intelligent. They can learn more than 400 signs of American Sign Language. They have memories for spatial distribution, like numbers on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/chimpanzees-are-incredibly-intelligent-they-can-learn-more-than-400/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Chimpanzees have given me so much. The long hours spent with them in the forest have enriched my life beyond measure. What I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/chimpanzees-have-given-me-so-much-the-long-hours-spent-with-them-in/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [We are unique. Chimpanzees are unique. Dogs are unique. But we humans are just not as different as we used to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-are-unique-chimpanzees-are-unique-dogs-are-unique-but-we-humans/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Certainly the first true humans were unique by virtue of their large brains. It was because the human brain is so large when compared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/certainly-the-first-true-humans-were-unique-by-virtue-of-their-large/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I got to Africa. I got the opportunity to go and learn, not about any animal, but chimpanzees. I was living in my dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-got-to-africa-i-got-the-opportunity-to-go-and-learn-not-about-any/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [It was both fascinating and appalling to learn that chimpanzees were capable of hostile and territorial behavior that was not unlike certain forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-was-both-fascinating-and-appalling-to-learn-that-chimpanzees-were/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest,living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-been-living-for-hundreds-of/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) ## More by Jane Goodall > [The voice of the natural world would be, "Could you please give us space and leave us alone to get along with our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/the-voice-of-the-natural-world-would-be-could-you-please-give-us/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [What makes us human, I think, is an ability to ask questions, a consequence of our sophisticated spoken language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/what-makes-us-human-i-think-is-an-ability-to-ask-questions-a/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest,living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-been-living-for-hundreds-of/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I did this book 'Harvest for Hope,' and I learned so much about food. And one thing I learned is that we have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-did-this-book-harvest-for-hope-and-i-learned-so-much-about-food-and/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [From my perspective, I absolutely believe in a greater spiritual power, far greater than I am, from which I have derived strength in moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/from-my-perspective-i-absolutely-believe-in-a-greater-spiritual-power/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [We are always talking about how we can get more environmental and humanitarian education. It is about listening to the voice of young people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-are-always-talking-about-how-we-can-get-more-environmental-and/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Some humans are mathematicians-others aren't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/some-humans-are-mathematicians-others-aren-t/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [We started off with physical evolution and got our form. Then we somehow developed language, which meant cultural evolution could race so we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-started-off-with-physical-evolution-and-got-our-form-then-we/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [It was both fascinating and appalling to learn that chimpanzees were capable of hostile and territorial behavior that was not unlike certain forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-was-both-fascinating-and-appalling-to-learn-that-chimpanzees-were/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I wanted to talk to the animals like Dr. Dolittle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-wanted-to-talk-to-the-animals-like-dr-dolittle/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Some people say, therefore, that violence and war are inevitable. I say rubbish: Our brains are fully capable of controlling instinctive behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/some-people-say-therefore-that-violence-and-war-are-inevitable-i-say/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [It's been proven by quite a few studies that plants are good for our psychological development. If you green an area, the rate of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-s-been-proven-by-quite-a-few-studies-that-plants-are-good-for-our/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Having respect for animals makes us better humans..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/having-respect-for-animals-makes-us-better-humans/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [If we kill off the wild, then we are killing a part of our souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/if-we-kill-off-the-wild-then-we-are-killing-a-part-of-our-souls/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [“We still have a long way to go. But we are moving in the right direction. If only we can overcome cruelty, to human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-still-have-a-long-way-to-go-but-we-are-moving-in-the-right/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) [Explore all 321 Jane Goodall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) ## More Chimpanzees quotes > [“Whereas chimpanzees spend five hours a day chewing raw food, a single hour suffices for people eating cooked food. The advent of cooking enabled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-chimpanzees-spend-five-hours-a-day-chewing-raw-food-a-single/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest,living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-been-living-for-hundreds-of/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Through my work with PETA, I have learned a great deal about chimpanzee behavior and the plight of chimpanzees imprisoned in laboratories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/through-my-work-with-peta-i-have-learned-a-great-deal-about/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [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/) > [It was both fascinating and appalling to learn that chimpanzees were capable of hostile and territorial behavior that was not unlike certain forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-was-both-fascinating-and-appalling-to-learn-that-chimpanzees-were/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Basically we are chimpanzees with about two percent more intelligence and a little less hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-turner/basically-we-are-chimpanzees-with-about-two-percent-more-intelligence/) [Ted Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-turner/) > [It is hardly an exaggeration to say that a chimpanzee kept in solitude is not a real chimpanzee at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-kohler/it-is-hardly-an-exaggeration-to-say-that-a-chimpanzee-kept-in/) [Wolfgang Kohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-kohler/) > [“Lucy preferred gin and tonics during the summer and switched over to whiskey sours in the winter. At dinner, a sit-down affair with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hess/lucy-preferred-gin-and-tonics-during-the-summer-and-switched-over-to/) Elizabeth Hess > [I got to Africa. I got the opportunity to go and learn, not about any animal, but chimpanzees. I was living in my dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-got-to-africa-i-got-the-opportunity-to-go-and-learn-not-about-any/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [The suffix 'naut' comes from the Greek and Latin words for ships and sailing. Astronaut suggests 'a sailor in space.' Chimponaut suggests 'a chimpanzee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/the-suffix-naut-comes-from-the-greek-and-latin-words-for-ships-and/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Certainly the first true humans were unique by virtue of their large brains. It was because the human brain is so large when compared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/certainly-the-first-true-humans-were-unique-by-virtue-of-their-large/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [What is the good of words if they aren't important enough to quarrel over? Why do we choose one word more than another if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-the-good-of-words-if-they-aren-t-important-enough-to-quarrel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Rather than something like King Kong where I really went after studying gorillas in the wild and captivity. I based Caesar \[ from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/rather-than-something-like-king-kong-where-i-really-went-after/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [What a dull universe it would be if everything in it conformed to our expectations, if it held nothing to surprise or baffle us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/what-a-dull-universe-it-would-be-if-everything-in-it-conformed-to-our/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I guess I'm just an old mad scientist at bottom. Give me an underground laboratory, half a dozen atom-smashers, and a beautiful girl in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-guess-i-m-just-an-old-mad-scientist-at-bottom-give-me-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 164 Chimpanzees quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chimpanzees/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But let us not forget that human love and compassion are equally deeply rooted in our primate heritage, and in this sphere too our sensibilities are of a higher order of magnitude than those of chimpanzees.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jane Goodall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/but-let-us-not-forget-that-human-love-and-compassion-are-equally/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chimpanzees" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/but-let-us-not-forget-that-human-love-and-compassion-are-equally/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_but-let-us-not-forget-that-human-love-an_2209871.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_but-let-us-not-forget-that-human-love-an_2209871.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/jane-goodall-950_chimpanzees_but-let-us-not-forget-that-human-love-an_2209871.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But let us not forget that human love and compassion are equally deeply rooted in our primate heritage, and…” — Jane Goodall", "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": "Jane Goodall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But let us not forget that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/but-let-us-not-forget-that-human-love-and-compassion-are-equally/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/but-let-us-not-forget-that-human-love-and-compassion-are-equally/#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 } } ] } ```