--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fewer plants and animals we are able…" description: "\"“The fewer plants and animals we are able to recognize as individuals—recognize well enough to name—the more alienated we have come to feel from oursel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/linda-bender-23139_nature_the-fewer-plants-and-animals-we-are-able_1851679.jpg" --- # The fewer plants and animals we are able to recognize as… ![“The fewer plants and animals we are able to recognize as individuals—recognize well enough to name—the more alienated we have come to feel from ourselves, the Earth and God, the Source.” quote by Linda Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/linda-bender-23139_nature_the-fewer-plants-and-animals-we-are-able_1851679.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/linda-bender-23139_nature_the-fewer-plants-and-animals-we-are-able_1851679.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/linda-bender-23139_nature_the-fewer-plants-and-animals-we-are-able_1851679.jpg) > ““The fewer plants and animals we are able to recognize as individuals—recognize well enough to name—the more alienated we have come to feel from ourselves, the Earth and God, the Source.”” [Linda Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing individual plants and animals connects us to Earth and the divine; loss of this knowledge deepens alienation. **In simple terms:** Knowing species names links us to nature and spirituality. Key Takeaway Learn and name local flora and fauna to feel connected. Themes environment spirituality identity connection Mood inspirational thoughtful connected Type essay reflective When to use this quote - hiking - gardening - education - conservation Key Concepts biodiversity anthropocentrism Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice species recognition? - What does “Source” mean to you? A Different Perspective Naming alone may not restore deep ecological bonds. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Plants and animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plants-and-animals/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [A man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognize him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/a-man-has-as-many-social-selves-as-there-are-individuals-who/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [You can't feel the earth if you can't feel the space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/you-can-t-feel-the-earth-if-you-can-t-feel-the-space/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [“I need to feel the earth beneath my feet, between my toes—the splinters, the bindi-eyes, the burning sensation of hot dirt, the sting of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-need-to-feel-the-earth-beneath-my-feet-between-my-toes-the/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [But did thee feel the earth move?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/but-did-thee-feel-the-earth-move/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [You need to reinvent yourself every day when you are doing creative work. 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You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/walk-with-me-to-the-edge-of-the-city-take-off-your-shoes-and-feel-the/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [“He loved, beneath all this summer transiency, to feel the earth's spine beneath him; for such he took the hard root of the oak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/he-loved-beneath-all-this-summer-transiency-to-feel-the-earth-s-spine/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [All I want is your loving, feel the earth move when we kiss. I don't need a big ol' diamond, but I'll take it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-mccready/all-i-want-is-your-loving-feel-the-earth-move-when-we-kiss-i-don-t/) [Mindy McCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-mccready/) > [You're looking for purity, something that just isn't all garbled, someplace where you can feel the earth again, where you can feel what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-re-looking-for-purity-something-that-just-isn-t-all-garbled/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by Linda Bender > [“Has it ever struck you as odd that humans are the only creatures on the planet who wear clothes? Everything else, from aardvarks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/has-it-ever-struck-you-as-odd-that-humans-are-the-only-creatures-on/) [Linda Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/) > [“Most of us are used to thinking that “imaginary” is the opposite of “real.” That is, when we imagine things, we are just making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/most-of-us-are-used-to-thinking-that-imaginary-is-the-opposite-of/) [Linda Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/) > [“I take it hard when an animal in my care suffers or dies. I take it even harder when the animal's suffering is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/i-take-it-hard-when-an-animal-in-my-care-suffers-or-dies-i-take-it/) [Linda Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/) > [“The inner encounters I have with animals—and will be teaching you to have— are exchanges of meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/the-inner-encounters-i-have-with-animals-and-will-be-teaching-you-to/) [Linda Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/) > [“Every species embodies a solution to some environmental challenge, and some of these solutions are breathtaking in their elegance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/every-species-embodies-a-solution-to-some-environmental-challenge-and/) [Linda Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/) > [“Animals remind us that all beings who walk, stand, swim, crawl, or fly are radiant, mysterious, and unique expressions of the Source. 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Their own suffering has made them aware of human suffering. More frequent contact with us has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/the-animals-feel-that-this-urgency-is-mutual-their-own-suffering-has/) [Linda Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/) > [“Because we tend to equate intelligence with language--particularly the ability to use language to think and communicate abstractions--it is natural to conclude that animals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/because-we-tend-to-equate-intelligence-with-language-particularly-the/) [Linda Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/) > [“Animals suffer both emotionally and physically, but they don't suffer metaphysically. That is, they don't suffer about suffering, don't get thrown into spiritual confusion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/animals-suffer-both-emotionally-and-physically-but-they-don-t-suffer/) [Linda Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/) > [“When you have succeeded in letting go of a trivial preoccupation or two, your awareness will begin to expand into the deeper sources of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/when-you-have-succeeded-in-letting-go-of-a-trivial-preoccupation-or/) [Linda Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/) > [“The belief that every living thing has an individual soul is called animism. (Anima, which means 'soul,' is also the root of the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/the-belief-that-every-living-thing-has-an-individual-soul-is-called/) [Linda Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/) [Explore all 26 Linda Bender quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/) ## More Alienated quotes > [I alienated myself from the academic world almost entirely because it's a left-wing world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/i-alienated-myself-from-the-academic-world-almost-entirely-because-it/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [It took me a long time to realize that being alienated and not fitting in is not only OK, it's good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-realize-that-being-alienated-and-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A consequence of this alienation of humans from their own nature is that they are also alienated from each other. Productive activity becomes ‘activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/a-consequence-of-this-alienation-of-humans-from-their-own-nature-is/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [I've put out a lot of stuff that just confused and alienated people: a huge chunk of songs that were verbal and musical challenges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-ve-put-out-a-lot-of-stuff-that-just-confused-and-alienated-people-a/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [“Of course I alienate myself from society. It's the only way I know of not being constantly reminded of all the ways I'm alienated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/of-course-i-alienate-myself-from-society-it-s-the-only-way-i-know-of/) [Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/) > [Almost every truly creative being alienated & expatriated in his own country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-ferlinghetti/almost-every-truly-creative-being-alienated-expatriated-in-his-own/) [Lawrence Ferlinghetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-ferlinghetti/) > [“The alienated audiences was one that was aware of the performance as an arbitrary construction of the real, of the difference between players and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fiske/the-alienated-audiences-was-one-that-was-aware-of-the-performance-as/) [John Fiske](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fiske/) > [I had no work after 'Gangster' for two years, and my sister Rangoli met with an accident that destroyed her looks. My struggle with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangna-ranaut/i-had-no-work-after-gangster-for-two-years-and-my-sister-rangoli-met/) [Kangna Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangna-ranaut/) > [I've always felt alienated. I realized that I've been terrified my entire life. So I can identify that fear which drives so many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-that-i-ve-been-terrified-my/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [I think I felt pretty alienated, being bigger, being mixed race, being of lower socioeconomic standing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paloma-elsesser/i-think-i-felt-pretty-alienated-being-bigger-being-mixed-race-being/) [Paloma Elsesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paloma-elsesser/) > [“Indeed, a great deal of pathological drug use is driven by unmet social needs, by being alienated and having difficulty connecting with others. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hart/indeed-a-great-deal-of-pathological-drug-use-is-driven-by-unmet/) [Carl Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hart/) > [I think a lot of us feel, when we look at the Dow Jones plunging, alienated - you do feel as if we're in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/i-think-a-lot-of-us-feel-when-we-look-at-the-dow-jones-plunging/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“He never cared too much for parties or people, but misanthropy could easily be cured by several alcoholic drinks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-rice/he-never-cared-too-much-for-parties-or-people-but-misanthropy-could/) [Daniel J. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-rice/) > [When you stop to think about it, so many films today where we don't have that kind of contact are films about alienation. About…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-bernstein/when-you-stop-to-think-about-it-so-many-films-today-where-we-don-t/) [Elmer Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-bernstein/) > [“I was not descending in a plane, coming Home. I was watching an alien world as it ascended towards me - and one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-wood/i-was-not-descending-in-a-plane-coming-home-i-was-watching-an-alien/) [Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) Browse all 78 Alienated quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The fewer plants and animals we are able to recognize as individuals—recognize well enough to name—the more alienated we have come to feel from ourselves, the Earth and God, the Source.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Linda Bender" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/the-fewer-plants-and-animals-we-are-able-to-recognize-as-individuals/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alienated" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/the-fewer-plants-and-animals-we-are-able-to-recognize-as-individuals/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/linda-bender-23139_nature_the-fewer-plants-and-animals-we-are-able_1851679.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/linda-bender-23139_nature_the-fewer-plants-and-animals-we-are-able_1851679.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/linda-bender-23139_nature_the-fewer-plants-and-animals-we-are-able_1851679.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The fewer plants and animals we are able to recognize as individuals—recognize well enough to name—the more…” — Linda Bender", "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": "Linda Bender", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-bender/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The fewer plants and animals we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/the-fewer-plants-and-animals-we-are-able-to-recognize-as-individuals/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-bender/the-fewer-plants-and-animals-we-are-able-to-recognize-as-individuals/#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 } } ] } ```