Don't just live the length of your life - live the width of it as well.
Diane AckermanRead
For better or worse, zoos are how most people come to know big or exotic animals. Few will ever see wild penguins sledding downhill to sea on their bellies, giant pandas holding bamboo lollipops in China or tree porcupines in the Canadian Rockies, balled up like giant pine cones.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Zoos provide a way for people to learn about exotic animals they might never see in the wild.
This quote by Diane Ackerman highlights the role that zoos play in educating the public about wildlife, particularly for those who may not have the opportunity to encounter these animals in their natural habitats. By describing vivid images of animals and their behaviors, Ackerman emphasizes the unique experiences zoos offer and reflects on the bittersweet reality of people relying on these institutions to connect with nature.
Themes
ZoosWildlifeEducationNatureAnimals
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about wildlife conservation, one could reference this quote to emphasize the importance of education about animals.
More from Diane Ackerman
All quotes →We try to exile ourselves more and more from nature - not always consciously: We build houses; we dismiss nature; nature has to be outside, because we're inside. God forbid something like a cockroach comes inside, or some dust.
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We ogle plants and animals up close on television, the Internet and in the movies. We may not worship the animals we see, but we still regard them as necessary physical and spiritual companions. Technological nature can't completely satisfy that yearning.
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Because IQ tests favor memory skills and logic, overlooking artistic creativity, insight, resiliency, emotional reserves, sensory gifts, and life experience, they can't really predict success, let alone satisfaction.
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American writer_x000D_ _x000D_ 1803-1882_x000D_ _x000D_ Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.
Diane AckermanRead
In rare moments of deep play, we can lay aside our sense of self, shed time's continuum, ignore pain, and sit quietly in the absolute present, watching the world's ordinary miracles. No mind or heart hobbles. No analyzing or explaining. No questing for logic. No promises. No goals. No relationships. No worry. One is completely open to whatever drama may unfold.
Diane AckermanRead
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