The voice of the natural world would be, "Could you please give us space and leave us alone to get along with our own lives and our own ways, because we actually know much better how to do it then when you start interfering."
I would never say I was an icon, but so many people have said I am, so I suppose I am. I mean, I can't not be what everyone says I am. But I don't feel like an icon.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the nature of identity and perception, suggesting that one's self-view can be influenced by how others perceive them.
Jane Goodall's quote highlights the complex relationship between self-perception and the external labels assigned by others. She acknowledges that while many might consider her an icon due to her contributions and legacy, she personally does not identify with that title. This expression suggests a tension between how one sees oneself and how one is perceived by society, prompting reflection on the impact of public opinion on personal identity.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about leadership, I could use this quote to discuss the impact of public perception on personal identity.
More from Jane Goodall
All quotes →We can't leave people in abject poverty, so we need to raise the standard of living for 80% of the world's people, while bringing it down considerably for the 20% who are destroying our natural resources.
I was born in London in England in 1934. I went through, as a child, the horrors of World War II, through a time when food was rationed and we learned to be very careful, and we never had more to eat than what we needed to eat. There was no waste. Everything was used.
Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest,living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I would say that they have been in a way more successful than us as far as being in harmony with the environment.
There are an awful lot of scientists today who believe that before very long we shall have unraveled all the secrets of the universe. There will be no puzzles anymore. To me, it'd be really, really tragic because I think one of the most exciting things is this feeling of mystery, feeling of awe, the feeling of looking at a little live thing and being amazed by it and how it has emerged through these hundreds of years of evolution and there it is and it is perfect and why.
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 should treat them with the same consideration and kindness as we show to other humans; and as we recognize human rights, so too should we recognize the rights of the great apes? Yes.
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I figure that if God actually does exist, he is big enough to understand an honest difference of opinion.