---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: emotions are not a uniquely human quality…"
description: "\"“emotions are not a uniquely human quality – they are common to all mammals (as well as to all birds and probably to some reptiles and even fish).”\" — ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/yuval-noah-harari-100_animal_emotions-are-not-a-uniquely-human-qualit_3087069.jpg"
---

#  emotions are not a uniquely human quality – they are…

![“emotions are not a uniquely human quality – they are common to all mammals (as well as to all birds and probably to some reptiles and even fish).” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/yuval-noah-harari-100_animal_emotions-are-not-a-uniquely-human-qualit_3087069.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/yuval-noah-harari-100_animal_emotions-are-not-a-uniquely-human-qualit_3087069.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/yuval-noah-harari-100_animal_emotions-are-not-a-uniquely-human-qualit_3087069.jpg)

> ““emotions are not a uniquely human quality – they are common to all mammals (as well as to all birds and probably to some reptiles and even fish).””

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

## About This Quote

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

Emotions are shared across many species, not exclusive to humans, highlighting biological continuity of affective experience.

**In simple terms:** Animals also feel emotions.

Key Takeaway

Recognize emotional commonality across species.

Themes

biology empathy evolution consciousness

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

philosophical scientific

When to use this quote

- wildlife conservation
- animal welfare
- cross‑species research
- education
- ethics

Key Concepts

affective neuroscience comparative psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How does recognizing animal emotions change our treatment of them?
- What ethical responsibilities arise from this shared capacity?

A Different Perspective

Human emotions are complex and may differ in expression; animal emotions are harder to measure.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/)

## Related quotes

> [“mammals and birds can live longer, if they don’t get eaten”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-godfrey-smith/mammals-and-birds-can-live-longer-if-they-don-t-get-eaten/)

[Peter Godfrey-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-godfrey-smith/)

> [Compared with mammals, birds have relatively large eyes. In simple terms, a bigger eye means better vision, and excellent vision is essential for avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-birkhead/compared-with-mammals-birds-have-relatively-large-eyes-in-simple/)

[Tim Birkhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-birkhead/)

> [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [I believe technology serves us best when it gives us more time to do things that are uniquely human. This includes activities that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajeev-suri/i-believe-technology-serves-us-best-when-it-gives-us-more-time-to-do/)

[Rajeev Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajeev-suri/)

> [“The uniquely human ability to collectively believe in myths allows strangers to cooperate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fastreads/the-uniquely-human-ability-to-collectively-believe-in-myths-allows/)

FastReads

> [“The moment a realm of intellectual activity is codifiable, it ceases to be uniquely human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-moment-a-realm-of-intellectual-activity-is-codifiable-it-ceases/)

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

> [Promises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/promises-are-the-uniquely-human-way-of-ordering-the-future/)

[Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/)

> [It still holds true that man is most uniquely human when he turns obstacles into opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-still-holds-true-that-man-is-most-uniquely-human-when-he-turns/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [I believe imagination to be a uniquely human gift. The reason I like my job, and have liked it for more than half a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyne-daly/i-believe-imagination-to-be-a-uniquely-human-gift-the-reason-i-like/)

[Tyne Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyne-daly/)

> [The sooner the world solves its economic problems, the sooner its inhabitants can afford leisure and peace and get on with the non-material things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-o-kelso/the-sooner-the-world-solves-its-economic-problems-the-sooner-its/)

[Louis O. Kelso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-o-kelso/)

> [Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/imagination-is-not-only-the-uniquely-human-capacity-to-envision-that/)

[J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/)

> [For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-what-then-matters-is-to-bear-witness-to-the-uniquely-human/)

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

> [Philosophers and scientists confidently offer up traits said to be uniquely human, and the monkeys and apes casually knock them down -- toppling the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/philosophers-and-scientists-confidently-offer-up-traits-said-to-be/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [“Sapiens don’t behave according to a cold mathematical logic, but rather according to a warm social logic. We are ruled by emotions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/sapiens-don-t-behave-according-to-a-cold-mathematical-logic-but/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [Animals do have emotion. But fear tends to be one of the most primal emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/animals-do-have-emotion-but-fear-tends-to-be-one-of-the-most-primal/)

[Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/)

## More by Yuval Noah Harari

> [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. As far as we can tell, changes in social patterns, the invention of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/for-similar-reasons-archaic-humans-did-not-initiate-any-revolutions/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Today the main source of wealth is knowledge. And whereas you can conquer oil fields through war, you cannot acquire knowledge that way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/today-the-main-source-of-wealth-is-knowledge-and-whereas-you-can/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“How do you cause people to believe in an imagined order such as Christianity, democracy or capitalism? First, you never admit that the order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/how-do-you-cause-people-to-believe-in-an-imagined-order-such-as/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [I think the basic thing that happened is we have lost our story. Humans think in stories, and we try to make sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/i-think-the-basic-thing-that-happened-is-we-have-lost-our-story/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Whereas chimpanzees spend five hours a day chewing raw food, a single hour suffices for people eating cooked food. The advent of cooking enabled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-chimpanzees-spend-five-hours-a-day-chewing-raw-food-a-single/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“the Chinese air-purification market is booming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-chinese-air-purification-market-is-booming/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Whereas liberalism merged with the milder versions of nationalism to protect the unique experiences of each human community, evolutionary humanists such as Hitler identified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-liberalism-merged-with-the-milder-versions-of-nationalism-to/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Corporations, money and nations exist only in our imagination. We invented them to serve us; why do we find ourselves sacrificing our lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/corporations-money-and-nations-exist-only-in-our-imagination-we/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Small children in affluent societies often dislike showering, and it takes them years of education and parental discipline to adopt this supposedly attractive custom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/small-children-in-affluent-societies-often-dislike-showering-and-it/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Ever more scholars see cultures as a kind of mental infection or parasite, with humans as its unwitting host. Organic parasites, such as viruses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/ever-more-scholars-see-cultures-as-a-kind-of-mental-infection-or/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Soviet Communism was a fanatical and missionary religion. A devout Communist could not be a Christian or a Buddhist, and was expected to spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/soviet-communism-was-a-fanatical-and-missionary-religion-a-devout/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Whereas religion asks us to believe in something, money asks us to believe that other people believe in something”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-religion-asks-us-to-believe-in-something-money-asks-us-to/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Terrorists are like a fly that tries to destroy a china shop. The fly is so weak that it cannot budge even a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/terrorists-are-like-a-fly-that-tries-to-destroy-a-china-shop-the-fly/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Yet what happens if the greedy shoemaker increases his profits by paying employees less and increasing their work hours? The standard answer is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/yet-what-happens-if-the-greedy-shoemaker-increases-his-profits-by/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“A natural order is a stable order. There is no chance that gravity will cease to function tomorrow, even if people stop believing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/a-natural-order-is-a-stable-order-there-is-no-chance-that-gravity/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

[Explore all 1,200 Yuval Noah Harari quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

## More Animal quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/)

Mak\_786

> [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/)

[Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/)

[Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/)

> [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/)

[Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/)

> [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/)

[Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/)

> [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/)

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

> [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/)

[Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/)

[Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“emotions are not a uniquely human quality – they are common to all mammals (as well as to all birds and probably to some reptiles and even fish).”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Yuval Noah Harari"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/emotions-are-not-a-uniquely-human-quality-they-are-common-to-all/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Animal"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/emotions-are-not-a-uniquely-human-quality-they-are-common-to-all/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/yuval-noah-harari-100_animal_emotions-are-not-a-uniquely-human-qualit_3087069.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/yuval-noah-harari-100_animal_emotions-are-not-a-uniquely-human-qualit_3087069.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/yuval-noah-harari-100_animal_emotions-are-not-a-uniquely-human-qualit_3087069.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“emotions are not a uniquely human quality – they are common to all mammals (as well as to all birds and…” — Yuval Noah Harari",
                "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": "Yuval Noah Harari",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“emotions are not a uniquely human...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/emotions-are-not-a-uniquely-human-quality-they-are-common-to-all/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/emotions-are-not-a-uniquely-human-quality-they-are-common-to-all/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
