---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What appears to be lacking, even in great…"
description: "\"“What appears to be lacking, even in great apes, is a motivation to find means to exchange what is on each other’s minds.”\" — Thomas Suddendorf"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/thomas-suddendorf-48561_motivation_what-appears-to-be-lacking-even-in-great_2230522.jpg"
---

#  What appears to be lacking, even in great apes, is a…

![“What appears to be lacking, even in great apes, is a motivation to find means to exchange what is on each other’s minds.” quote by Thomas Suddendorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/thomas-suddendorf-48561_motivation_what-appears-to-be-lacking-even-in-great_2230522.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/thomas-suddendorf-48561_motivation_what-appears-to-be-lacking-even-in-great_2230522.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/thomas-suddendorf-48561_motivation_what-appears-to-be-lacking-even-in-great_2230522.jpg)

> ““What appears to be lacking, even in great apes, is a motivation to find means to exchange what is on each other’s minds.””

[Thomas Suddendorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-suddendorf/)

## About This Quote

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

Great apes lack the drive to share mental states, highlighting a unique human capacity for theory of mind and communication.

**In simple terms:** Humans uniquely seek to exchange thoughts.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate empathy and open communication.

Themes

empathy communication theory of mind evolution human uniqueness

Mood

reflective optimistic

Type

psychological motivational

When to use this quote

- teamwork
- education
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

social cognition mental sharing evolutionary psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we foster mental sharing in groups?
- What barriers prevent open mind exchange?

A Different Perspective

Apes may have some rudimentary sharing abilities not fully recognized.

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[Apes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apes/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

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> [There are five kinds of great apes: bonobos, chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, and the one which people always think of last: Humans!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dunn/there-are-five-kinds-of-great-apes-bonobos-chimpanzees-orangutans/)

[Andy Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dunn/)

> [None of the three great apes is considered ancestral to modern man, Homo sapiens, but they remain the only other type of extant primate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dian-fossey/none-of-the-three-great-apes-is-considered-ancestral-to-modern-man/)

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> [“Cast in the mold of humanity, they were distinctly not men. They were winged and of heroic proportions; not a branch on the mysterious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-howard/cast-in-the-mold-of-humanity-they-were-distinctly-not-men-they-were/)

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> [In what terms should we think of these beings, nonhuman yet possessing so very many human-like characteristics? How should we treat them? Surely we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/in-what-terms-should-we-think-of-these-beings-nonhuman-yet-possessing/)

[Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/)

> [These magnificent species of Africa - elephants, rhino, lions, leopards, cheetah, the great apes (Africa has four of the world's five great apes) -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-bergin/these-magnificent-species-of-africa-elephants-rhino-lions-leopards/)

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> [Bonobos are unique among great apes because they are not dominated by males.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudine-andre/bonobos-are-unique-among-great-apes-because-they-are-not-dominated-by/)

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> [Making fun of anyone who seeks happiness rather than money and accusing them of "lacking ambition."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/making-fun-of-anyone-who-seeks-happiness-rather-than-money-and/)

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## More by Thomas Suddendorf

> [“The main benefit of memory for past events may be that it allows us to imagine future events.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-suddendorf/the-main-benefit-of-memory-for-past-events-may-be-that-it-allows-us/)

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[Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/)

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> [We admit that we are like apes, but we seldom realise that we are apes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-admit-that-we-are-like-apes-but-we-seldom-realise-that-we-are-apes/)

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