Apes Quote by Terry Pratchett
“ASTONISHING, said Death. REALLY ASTONISHING. LET ME PUT FORWARD ANOTHER SUGGESTION: THAT YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A LUCKY SPECIES OF APE THAT IS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES OF CREATION VIA A LANGUAGE THAT EVOLVED IN ORDER TO TELL ONE ANOTHER WHERE THE RIPE FRUIT WAS.”
About This Quote
The speaker marvels at the absurdity of human existence, comparing humanity to a lucky ape using language to understand creation.
In simple terms: Humans are lucky apes trying to grasp creation with language.
Key Takeaway
Embrace curiosity while acknowledging our limits.
Themes
existential
humor
philosophy
Mood
wry
contemplative
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- science education
- creative writing
- philosophical debate
- public speaking
Key Concepts
anthropology
linguistics
cosmology
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to be a “lucky species”?
- How does language shape our perception of reality?
A Different Perspective
Humor may downplay seriousness of existential questions.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
