--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The extreme self-sacrifice characteristic…" description: "\"The extreme self-sacrifice characteristic of group-selected species such as ants and bees can often be found among soldiers.\" — Jonathan Haidt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jonathan-haidt-1823_ants_the-extreme-self-sacrifice-characteristi_2080777.jpg" --- # The extreme self-sacrifice characteristic of… ![“The extreme self-sacrifice characteristic of group-selected species such as ants and bees can often be found among soldiers.” quote by Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jonathan-haidt-1823_ants_the-extreme-self-sacrifice-characteristi_2080777.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jonathan-haidt-1823_ants_the-extreme-self-sacrifice-characteristi_2080777.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jonathan-haidt-1823_ants_the-extreme-self-sacrifice-characteristi_2080777.jpg) > “The extreme self-sacrifice characteristic of group-selected species such as ants and bees can often be found among soldiers.” [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self-sacrifice in social insects mirrors human soldiers' willingness to put the group before self, showing evolutionary roots of altruism in warfare. **In simple terms:** Soldiers often act like ants, putting group first. Key Takeaway Recognize the evolutionary basis of sacrifice. Themes altruism war evolution group dynamics Mood pride duty somber Type ethical psychological When to use this quote - military service - team sports - emergency response - community volunteering Key Concepts evolutionary psychology social cohesion biological determinism Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to prioritize group over self? - How can societies support those who sacrifice? A Different Perspective Such sacrifice can lead to loss of individuality and mental health strain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) [Ants Bees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants-bees-1769940/) [Bees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bees/) [Bees Soldiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bees-soldiers-4062278/) [Characteristics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characteristics/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Often is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/often-is/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Sacrifice Characteristic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice-characteristic-4062279/) [Selected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selected/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-sacrifice/) [Soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldier/) [Soldiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldiers/) [Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species/) ## Related quotes > [“If cooperation is the key, how come the ants and bees did not beat us to the nuclear bomb even though they learned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/if-cooperation-is-the-key-how-come-the-ants-and-bees-did-not-beat-us/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Ants,bees,cats,dogs,elephants, frogs,goats and horses are more busy than us,but they never complain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tspkumar/ants-bees-cats-dogs-elephants-frogs-goats-and-horses-are-more-busy/) [tspkumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tspkumar/) > [“Ants and bees are more busy than us;but they never complain”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tspkumar/ants-and-bees-are-more-busy-than-us-but-they-never-complain/) [tspkumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tspkumar/) > [Fast food may appear to be cheap food and, in the literal sense it often is, but that is because huge social and environmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-charles/fast-food-may-appear-to-be-cheap-food-and-in-the-literal-sense-it/) [Prince Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-charles/) > [In the literary as well as military world, most powerful abilities will often be found concealed under a rustic garb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/in-the-literary-as-well-as-military-world-most-powerful-abilities/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [On screen, Gene Wilder could often be summed up as an accident waiting to happen, that frizzy, flyaway hair, the eyes darting this way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/on-screen-gene-wilder-could-often-be-summed-up-as-an-accident-waiting/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [I would often be a coward, but for the shame of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-connor/i-would-often-be-a-coward-but-for-the-shame-of-it/) [Ralph Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-connor/) > [It's nice to represent to other people in the world that Americans actually do know what's happening in the world, can speak other languages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-fukunaga/it-s-nice-to-represent-to-other-people-in-the-world-that-americans/) [Cary Fukunaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-fukunaga/) > [The state, it cannot too often be repeated, does nothing, and can give nothing, which it does not take from somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-george/the-state-it-cannot-too-often-be-repeated-does-nothing-and-can-give/) [Henry George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-george/) > [As base a thing as money often is, yet it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/as-base-a-thing-as-money-often-is-yet-it-can-be-transmuted-into/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [ If \[Barack\] Obama or the boss or the newspapers or anyone else tells you they're doing this, that, or the other thing, dismiss it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-barack-obama-or-the-boss-or-the-newspapers-or-anyone-else-tells/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [. . . the membership relation for sets can often be replaced by the composition operation for functions. This leads to an alternative foundation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saunders-mac-lane/the-membership-relation-for-sets-can-often-be-replaced-by-the/) [Saunders Mac Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saunders-mac-lane/) > [Obstacles are not opposing you, but merely and gently re-routing you. It is important not to view that which stands in your way as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/obstacles-are-not-opposing-you-but-merely-and-gently-re-routing-you/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Men and women with freed minds may often be mistaken, but they are seldom fooled. They may be influenced, but they cannot be intimidated.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/men-and-women-with-freed-minds-may-often-be-mistaken-but-they-are/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [Old age likes to dwell in the recollections of the past, and, mistaking, the speedy march of years, often is inclined to take the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lajos-kossuth/old-age-likes-to-dwell-in-the-recollections-of-the-past-and-mistaking/) [Lajos Kossuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lajos-kossuth/) ## More by Jonathan Haidt > [Love and work are to people what water and sunshine are to plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/love-and-work-are-to-people-what-water-and-sunshine-are-to-plants/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [You can see the rider serving the elephant when people are morally dumbfounded. They have strong gut feelings about what is right and wrong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/you-can-see-the-rider-serving-the-elephant-when-people-are-morally/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [Congress is full of good, decent, smart people who have devoted their lives to public service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/congress-is-full-of-good-decent-smart-people-who-have-devoted-their/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [Once you understand the power of stimulus control, you can use it to your advantage by changing the stimuli in your environment and avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/once-you-understand-the-power-of-stimulus-control-you-can-use-it-to/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“The ethic of autonomy is based on the idea that people are, first and foremost, autonomous individuals with wants, needs, and preferences. People should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-ethic-of-autonomy-is-based-on-the-idea-that-people-are-first-and/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [I got interested in the American culture war back in 2004, and it's one of the only growth stocks I've ever invested in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-got-interested-in-the-american-culture-war-back-in-2004-and-it-s/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [I think of myself as a social scientist. In order to get hired and to get promoted, we're forced to declare a disciplinary and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-think-of-myself-as-a-social-scientist-in-order-to-get-hired-and-to/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“We should not expect individuals to produce good, open-minded, truth-seeking reasoning, particularly when self-interest or reputational concerns are in play. But if you put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/we-should-not-expect-individuals-to-produce-good-open-minded-truth/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [The most powerful force ever known on this planet is human cooperation - a force for construction and destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-most-powerful-force-ever-known-on-this-planet-is-human/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [It only takes twenty generations of selective breeding to create large differences or appearance and behavior in other mammals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/it-only-takes-twenty-generations-of-selective-breeding-to-create/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [If you think half of America votes badly because they are stupid or religious, you are trapped in a matrix ... Take the red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-you-think-half-of-america-votes-badly-because-they-are-stupid-or/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“Our minds have the potential to become righteous about many different concerns, and only a few of these concerns are activated during childhood. Other”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/our-minds-have-the-potential-to-become-righteous-about-many-different/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [People who devote their lives to studying something often come to believe that the object of their fascination is the key to understanding everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/people-who-devote-their-lives-to-studying-something-often-come-to/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“Nonetheless, if you are trying to change an organization or a society and you do not consider the effects of your changes on moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/nonetheless-if-you-are-trying-to-change-an-organization-or-a-society/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [If you have a personality predisposed to liberalism, you might gravitate more to the artsy crowd or the anti-establishment crowd. And then those peers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-you-have-a-personality-predisposed-to-liberalism-you-might/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) [Explore all 204 Jonathan Haidt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) ## More Ants quotes > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [Great God of the Ants, thou hast granted victory to thy servants. I appoint thee honorary Colonel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-capek/great-god-of-the-ants-thou-hast-granted-victory-to-thy-servants-i/) [Karel Capek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-capek/) > [Pray look upon the plants and birds, the ants, spiders, and bees, and you will see them all exerting their nature, and busy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/pray-look-upon-the-plants-and-birds-the-ants-spiders-and-bees-and-you/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [People are like ants: Just a few of them give all the orders. And most of them spend their lives getting squashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/people-are-like-ants-just-a-few-of-them-give-all-the-orders-and-most/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [There's a good case to be made that having fun is a key evolutionary advantage right next to opposable thumbs in terms of importance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raph-koster/there-s-a-good-case-to-be-made-that-having-fun-is-a-key-evolutionary/) [Raph Koster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raph-koster/) > [“THE FIGHTERS ARE TINY. INSECTS, REALLY. BUT ANTS CAN SLAY AN ELEPHANT, IF THERE ARE ENOUGH OF THEM. ESPECIALLY ANTS ARMED WITH HIGH-YIELD EXPLOSIVES…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amie-kaufman/the-fighters-are-tiny-insects-really-but-ants-can-slay-an-elephant-if/) [Amie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amie-kaufman/) > [We know of no behavior in ants or any other social insects that can be construed as play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-holldobler/we-know-of-no-behavior-in-ants-or-any-other-social-insects-that-can/) [Bert Holldobler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-holldobler/) > [Oh, ants, my sisters, good old honeydew-seekers! From close up you are sticky and shiny and gristly; and your nymphs have parasitic red mites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/oh-ants-my-sisters-good-old-honeydew-seekers-from-close-up-you-are/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [When someone criticizes or disagrees with you, a small ant of hatred and antagonism is born in your heart. If you do not squash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/when-someone-criticizes-or-disagrees-with-you-a-small-ant-of-hatred/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Lies are like ants; there's never just one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-ash/lies-are-like-ants-there-s-never-just-one/) [Julia Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-ash/) > [There's a scientific hypothesis that every person's name is a primary suggestive command that contains the entire script of their life in highly concentrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-pelevin/there-s-a-scientific-hypothesis-that-every-person-s-name-is-a-primary/) [Victor Pelevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-pelevin/) > [When I was little, I would burn ants with a magnifying glass. But now that I'm older, I'm more of a cat guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/when-i-was-little-i-would-burn-ants-with-a-magnifying-glass-but-now/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [If ants were the size of humans, they would be able to run twice as fast as a Lamborghini.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-ants-were-the-size-of-humans-they-would-be-able-to-run-twice-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 499 Ants quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The extreme self-sacrifice characteristic of group-selected species such as ants and bees can often be found among soldiers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jonathan Haidt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-extreme-self-sacrifice-characteristic-of-group-selected-species/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ants" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-extreme-self-sacrifice-characteristic-of-group-selected-species/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jonathan-haidt-1823_ants_the-extreme-self-sacrifice-characteristi_2080777.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jonathan-haidt-1823_ants_the-extreme-self-sacrifice-characteristi_2080777.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acd/jonathan-haidt-1823_ants_the-extreme-self-sacrifice-characteristi_2080777.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The extreme self-sacrifice characteristic of group-selected species such as ants and bees can often be found…” — Jonathan Haidt", "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": "Jonathan Haidt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The extreme self-sacrifice characteristic of group-selected...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-extreme-self-sacrifice-characteristic-of-group-selected-species/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-extreme-self-sacrifice-characteristic-of-group-selected-species/#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 } } ] } ```