--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We may be losing the ability to…" description: "\"We may be losing the ability to understand animals who are not pets or horses. We have less contact with them. We don't (most of us) tend to know even ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/marge-piercy-2610_ability_we-may-be-losing-the-ability-to-understa_1230210.png" --- # We may be losing the ability to understand animals who are… ![“We may be losing the ability to understand animals who are not pets or horses. We have less contact with them. We don't (most of us) tend to know even cows and pigs, let alone bears or wolverines or red tailed hawks.” quote by Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/marge-piercy-2610_ability_we-may-be-losing-the-ability-to-understa_1230210.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/marge-piercy-2610_ability_we-may-be-losing-the-ability-to-understa_1230210.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/marge-piercy-2610_ability_we-may-be-losing-the-ability-to-understa_1230210.png) > “We may be losing the ability to understand animals who are not pets or horses. We have less contact with them. We don't (most of us) tend to know even cows and pigs, let alone bears or wolverines or red tailed hawks.” [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement warns that modern humans are losing the ability to understand non-domestic animals due to reduced direct contact. **In simple terms:** We know less about wild animals. Key Takeaway Seek more interaction with wildlife. Themes environment animal welfare human-animal relations Mood concerned thoughtful Type advocacy educational When to use this quote - urban living - education - conservation work - media representation - policy making Key Concepts anthropology ecology ethology Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster empathy for animals we rarely meet? - What role can virtual experiences play in education? A Different Perspective Some argue technology can substitute for direct experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Hawks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hawks/) [Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horse/) [Pet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pet/) [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red/) ## Related quotes > [“She dragged me across the floor, stopping from time to time only to kick me. I didn't know our cows too could be so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/she-dragged-me-across-the-floor-stopping-from-time-to-time-only-to/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“In passing, I met some very interesting cows and sheep just north of Breda. One of the cows had escaped from England during that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-newman/in-passing-i-met-some-very-interesting-cows-and-sheep-just-north-of/) [Randy Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-newman/) > [We all love animals. Why do we call some 'pets' and others 'dinner?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-love-animals-why-do-we-call-some-pets-and-others-dinner/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’m focusing here on dogs because this is where almost all of the research and exposés lead us. But of course puppies aren’t the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-pierce/i-m-focusing-here-on-dogs-because-this-is-where-almost-all-of-the/) [Jessica Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-pierce/) > [As a kid, I loved doing puzzles, solving riddles, and reading mystery books. I also loved animals and always had pets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-bassler/as-a-kid-i-loved-doing-puzzles-solving-riddles-and-reading-mystery/) [Bonnie Bassler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-bassler/) > [I have had strange animals as pets all my life. I was shy growing up, and shy people tend to interact better with animals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-craig/i-have-had-strange-animals-as-pets-all-my-life-i-was-shy-growing-up/) Yvonne Craig > [How weird is it that we call certain animals pets and treat them like members of the family, and yet other animals we label…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-weird-is-it-that-we-call-certain-animals-pets-and-treat-them-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wasn't always a vegetarian. I didn't care about animals one way or the other; they were part of the scenery, until one day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-slick/i-wasn-t-always-a-vegetarian-i-didn-t-care-about-animals-one-way-or/) [Grace Slick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-slick/) > [Faithfulness the best relationship.But unfortunately, it is to understand animals better than humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/faithfulness-the-best-relationship-but-unfortunately-it-is-to/) Mak\_786 > [“If you want to understand how animals live, you don't go to the zoo, you go to the jungle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-lindstrom/if-you-want-to-understand-how-animals-live-you-don-t-go-to-the-zoo/) [Martin Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-lindstrom/) > [We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-need-in-a-special-way-to-work-twice-as-hard-to-help-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [Human cruelty knows no limits and that one needs immense courage and a will of iron to help others understand that animals are made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigitte-bardot/human-cruelty-knows-no-limits-and-that-one-needs-immense-courage-and/) [Brigitte Bardot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigitte-bardot/) > [if we don't always understand animals, they always understand us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosa-bonheur/if-we-don-t-always-understand-animals-they-always-understand-us/) [Rosa Bonheur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosa-bonheur/) > [You understand why some animals eat their young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-jones/you-understand-why-some-animals-eat-their-young/) [John Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-jones/) > [I'm not a propagandist, I'm not a polemicist; my primary interest is just looking at and trying to understand how animals work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/i-m-not-a-propagandist-i-m-not-a-polemicist-my-primary-interest-is/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) ## More by Marge Piercy > [Shared laughter is erotic too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/shared-laughter-is-erotic-too/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [Work is its own cure. You have to like it better than being loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/work-is-its-own-cure-you-have-to-like-it-better-than-being-loved/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [The anger of the weak never goes away, Professor, it just gets a little moldy. It molds like a beautiful blue cheese in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-anger-of-the-weak-never-goes-away-professor-it-just-gets-a-little/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [“The people I love the best jump into work head first without dallying in the shallows and swim off with sure strokes almost out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-people-i-love-the-best-jump-into-work-head-first-without-dallying/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [Every poet has a certain amount of "stuff." That's what you draw from for imagery. The more stuff you know well, not simply intellectually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/every-poet-has-a-certain-amount-of-stuff-that-s-what-you-draw-from/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [the body is simple as a turtle / and straight as a dog: / the body cannot lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-body-is-simple-as-a-turtle-and-straight-as-a-dog-the-body-cannot/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [We must shine with hope, stained glass windows that shape light into icons, glow like lanterns borne before a procession. Who can bear hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/we-must-shine-with-hope-stained-glass-windows-that-shape-light-into/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [Remember that every son had a mother whose beloved son he was, and every woman had a mother whose beloved son she wasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/remember-that-every-son-had-a-mother-whose-beloved-son-he-was-and/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [We live in a media soup and are constantly being programmed or are fighting that programming. Thus any truthful account of a life, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/we-live-in-a-media-soup-and-are-constantly-being-programmed-or-are/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [The moon is always female and so am I although often in the vale of razorblades I have wished I could put on and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-moon-is-always-female-and-so-am-i-although-often-in-the-vale-of/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [Sometimes when a character in a novel is difficult for me to enter, I sue something in myself or in my own life as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/sometimes-when-a-character-in-a-novel-is-difficult-for-me-to-enter-i/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [Doorways are sacred to women for we are the doorways of life and we must choose what comes in and what goes out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/doorways-are-sacred-to-women-for-we-are-the-doorways-of-life-and-we/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [“Writing sometimes feels frivolous and sometimes sacred, but memory is one of my strongest muses. I serve her with my words. So long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/writing-sometimes-feels-frivolous-and-sometimes-sacred-but-memory-is/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [The work of the world is common as mud. Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust. But the thing worth doing well done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-work-of-the-world-is-common-as-mud-botched-it-smears-the-hands/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [We're herded into schools and terrified into behaving. Taught how we're supposed to pretend to be, taught to parrot all kinds of nonsense at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/we-re-herded-into-schools-and-terrified-into-behaving-taught-how-we/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) [Explore all 158 Marge Piercy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. 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Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We may be losing the ability to understand animals who are not pets or horses. 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