---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People were so naive about plants, Ellie…"
description: "\"People were so naive about plants, Ellie thought. They just chose plants for appearance, as they would choose a picture for the wall. It never occurred..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/michael-crichton-694_appearance_people-were-so-naive-about-plants-ellie_108492.jpg"
---

#  People were so naive about plants, Ellie thought. They…

![“People were so naive about plants, Ellie thought. They just chose plants for appearance, as they would choose a picture for the wall. It never occurred to them that plants were actually living things, busily performing all the living functions of respiration, ingestion, excretion…” quote by Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/michael-crichton-694_appearance_people-were-so-naive-about-plants-ellie_108492.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/michael-crichton-694_appearance_people-were-so-naive-about-plants-ellie_108492.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/michael-crichton-694_appearance_people-were-so-naive-about-plants-ellie_108492.jpg)

> “People were so naive about plants, Ellie thought. They just chose plants for appearance, as they would choose a picture for the wall. It never occurred to them that plants were actually living things, busily performing all the living functions of respiration, ingestion, excretion, reproduction---and defense.”

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

## About This Quote

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

People often treat plants as decorative objects, overlooking their complex biological processes and ecological importance, which reflects a broader disconnect from nature’s living systems.

**In simple terms:** Plants are living, not just décor.

Key Takeaway

Recognizing plant life deepens ecological awareness.

Themes

Ecology Perception Nature

Mood

Thoughtful Awakening

Type

Reflective Educational

When to use this quote

- Home interior design
- Urban landscaping
- School science curricula

Key Concepts

Biophilia Environmental education

Practical Applications

- Teach plant biology in everyday contexts
- Design spaces that highlight plant functions

Questions to Reflect On

- How does treating plants as objects affect environmental behavior?
- What simple practices can shift perception toward plant vitality?

A Different Perspective

Focusing on plant aesthetics can still inspire stewardship despite limited scientific detail.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Appearance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearance/) [Defense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense/) [Function](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function/) [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Living things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-things/) [Naive Plants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naive-plants-1295440/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Performing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performing/) [Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plant/) [Plants Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plants-actually-282662/) [Plants Appearance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plants-appearance-1295439/) [Plants Ellie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plants-ellie-1295441/) [Respiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respiration/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't mind Silk plants. I actually think they are very practical if you kill plants like I do. I have the best sources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-zarin/i-don-t-mind-silk-plants-i-actually-think-they-are-very-practical-if/)

[Jill Zarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-zarin/)

> [“26. Plants do not actually sleep. Nor do they lie or even bluff. They do, however, expose their genitalia.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/26-plants-do-not-actually-sleep-nor-do-they-lie-or-even-bluff-they-do/)

[Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/)

> [“The sense of respiration is an example of our natural sense relationship with the atmospheric matrix. Remember, respiration means to re-spire, to re-spirit ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-cohen-2/the-sense-of-respiration-is-an-example-of-our-natural-sense/)

[Michael J. Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-cohen-2/)

> [He said it was artificial respiration but now I find I'm to have his child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/he-said-it-was-artificial-respiration-but-now-i-find-i-m-to-have-his/)

[Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/)

> [Laughter may or may not activate the endorphins or enhance respiration, as some medical researchers contend. What seems clear, however, is that laughter is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/laughter-may-or-may-not-activate-the-endorphins-or-enhance/)

[Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/)

> [All nature ... is a respiration Of the Spirit of God, who, in breathing hereafter Will inhale it into his bosom again, So that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/all-nature-is-a-respiration-of-the-spirit-of-god-who-in-breathing/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [ To think, analyze and invent, he \[Pierre Menard\] also wrote me, “are not anomalous acts, but the normal respiration of the intelligence. To glorify… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/to-think-analyze-and-invent-he-pierre-menard-also-wrote-me-are-not/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

> [Wherever moral ambition exists, there right exists. And moral ambition itself must be presumed present in subconsciousness, even when the conscious self seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ernest-hocking/wherever-moral-ambition-exists-there-right-exists-and-moral-ambition/)

[William Ernest Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ernest-hocking/)

> [Speaking biologically, fruit in a slightly shriveled state is holding its respiration and energy consumption down to the lowest possible level. It is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masanobu-fukuoka/speaking-biologically-fruit-in-a-slightly-shriveled-state-is-holding/)

[Masanobu Fukuoka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masanobu-fukuoka/)

> [“Energy and life go hand in hand. If you stop breathing, you will not be able to generate the energy you need for staying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lane/energy-and-life-go-hand-in-hand-if-you-stop-breathing-you-will-not-be/)

[Nick Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lane/)

> [I’m telling you, you’d like him. He goes to a public school and just started at Spencer’s. The other day, he was going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-m-telling-you-you-d-like-him-he-goes-to-a-public-school-and-just/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Like any good drug, anger can mask all reality. But anger is not an easy emotion to call up on demand, which is why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-alan-lewis/like-any-good-drug-anger-can-mask-all-reality-but-anger-is-not-an/)

[Brad Alan Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-alan-lewis/)

> [Since it is the very substance of the animal, it is the blood which transports the fuel.If the animal did not habitually replace, through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-lavoisier/since-it-is-the-very-substance-of-the-animal-it-is-the-blood-which/)

[Antoine Lavoisier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-lavoisier/)

> [And we'd sit in the dry leaves that whispered a little with the slow respiration of our waiting and with the slow breathing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/and-we-d-sit-in-the-dry-leaves-that-whispered-a-little-with-the-slow/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [Healing is a biological process, not an art. It is as much a function of the living organism as respiration, digestion, circulation, excretion, cell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-m-shelton/healing-is-a-biological-process-not-an-art-it-is-as-much-a-function/)

[Herbert M. Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-m-shelton/)

## More by Michael Crichton

> [They are focused on whether they can do something. They never think whether they should do something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/they-are-focused-on-whether-they-can-do-something-they-never-think/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [“it is important to recognize that the behavior of the two antagonists mirrors each other, like a Rorschach inkblot. The value of a Rorschach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/it-is-important-to-recognize-that-the-behavior-of-the-two-antagonists/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [Exercise invigorates the body and sharpens the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/exercise-invigorates-the-body-and-sharpens-the-mind/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [Social control is best managed through fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/social-control-is-best-managed-through-fear/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [They always say they didn't. I never heard of one who said, 'You know, I deserve this.' Never happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/they-always-say-they-didn-t-i-never-heard-of-one-who-said-you-know-i/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [Friendships are nice. So is competence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/friendships-are-nice-so-is-competence/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [I can tell you that second hand smoke is not a health hazard to anyone and never was, and the EPA has always known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/i-can-tell-you-that-second-hand-smoke-is-not-a-health-hazard-to/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [As the practical value of altering consciousness becomes recognized, procedures to effect these alterations will become increasingly ordinary and unremarkable. The whole concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/as-the-practical-value-of-altering-consciousness-becomes-recognized/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [In any case, you read with exasperation or amusement the multiple errors in a story-and then turn the page to national or international affairs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/in-any-case-you-read-with-exasperation-or-amusement-the-multiple/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [Books aren't written - they're rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/books-aren-t-written-they-re-rewritten-including-your-own-it-is-one/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [The purpose of life is to stay alive. Watch any animal in nature--all it tries to do is stay alive. It doesn't care about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/the-purpose-of-life-is-to-stay-alive-watch-any-animal-in-nature-all/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [One of the things that Americans, as a multiracial society, feel is a tremendous sensitivity to racial comments of all kinds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/one-of-the-things-that-americans-as-a-multiracial-society-feel-is-a/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [Nobody smart knows what they want to do until they get into their twenties or thirties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/nobody-smart-knows-what-they-want-to-do-until-they-get-into-their/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [This fascination with computer models is something I understand very well. Richard Feynmann called it a disease. I fear he is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-fascination-with-computer-models-is-something-i-understand-very/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

[Explore all 386 Michael Crichton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

## More Appearance quotes

> [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/)

[Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [The essence of worldliness is exclusion of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-jacobsen/the-essence-of-worldliness-is-exclusion-of-god/)

[Henry Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-jacobsen/)

> [We must, however, note that what are usually called the high religions made their appearance within about twenty-five hundred years - most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-scott-latourette/we-must-however-note-that-what-are-usually-called-the-high-religions/)

[Kenneth Scott Latourette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-scott-latourette/)

> [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-turning-points-of-lives-are-not-the-great-moments-the-real-crises/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [You can have a nice body, dress with the latest fashion. But if you don't have self-confidence sweetheart, forget about looking sexy, you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/you-can-have-a-nice-body-dress-with-the-latest-fashion-but-if-you-don/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

> [I cannot be convinced that great artists are moralists. Art is first appearances, then meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-cannot-be-convinced-that-great-artists-are-moralists-art-is-first/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [So may the outward shows be least themselves; The world is still deceived with ornament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-may-the-outward-shows-be-least-themselves-the-world-is-still/)

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

> [We are one of many appearances of the thing called Life; we are not its perfect image, for it has no perfect image except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/we-are-one-of-many-appearances-of-the-thing-called-life-we-are-not/)

[Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/)

> [I'm OK with my appearance. I have made my peace with it after a long and frankly exhausting battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-m-ok-with-my-appearance-i-have-made-my-peace-with-it-after-a-long/)

[Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/)

> [There is no society or conversation to be kept up in the world without good-nature, or something which must bear its appearance and supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/there-is-no-society-or-conversation-to-be-kept-up-in-the-world/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [Appearance records are pretty special. Mine means a lot to me, not only because I love stats, but because it shows that I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james/appearance-records-are-pretty-special-mine-means-a-lot-to-me-not-only/)

[David James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james/)

> [Every man would fall in love with their voice, their lovely appearance, but no man would ever get past that. They'd never really know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/every-man-would-fall-in-love-with-their-voice-their-lovely-appearance/)

[Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/)

> [I already know what things look like - I don't want description. People believe in appearances, and I don't believe in appearances at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/i-already-know-what-things-look-like-i-don-t-want-description-people/)

[Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/)

[Browse all 2,446 Appearance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearance/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "People were so naive about plants, Ellie thought. They just chose plants for appearance, as they would choose a picture for the wall. It never occurred to them that plants were actually living things, busily performing all the living functions of respiration, ingestion, excretion, reproduction---and defense.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Crichton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/people-were-so-naive-about-plants-ellie-thought-they-just-chose/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Appearance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/people-were-so-naive-about-plants-ellie-thought-they-just-chose/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/michael-crichton-694_appearance_people-were-so-naive-about-plants-ellie_108492.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/michael-crichton-694_appearance_people-were-so-naive-about-plants-ellie_108492.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4c/michael-crichton-694_appearance_people-were-so-naive-about-plants-ellie_108492.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People were so naive about plants, Ellie thought. They just chose plants for appearance, as they would…” — Michael Crichton",
                "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": "Michael Crichton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "People were so naive about plants,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/people-were-so-naive-about-plants-ellie-thought-they-just-chose/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/people-were-so-naive-about-plants-ellie-thought-they-just-chose/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
