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My father so appropriately put it that we are certainly the only animal that makes conscious choices that are bad for our survival as a species.
Louise Leakey
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Humans often make decisions that are detrimental to their own well-being and survival despite having the capacity to choose otherwise.

Louise Leakey's quote highlights the paradox of human behavior, where, unlike any other species, humans have the unique ability to make conscious choices, but often these choices are detrimental to their own survival and that of the species. It underscores the complexity of human decision-making, illustrating that intelligence does not always lead to choices that benefit our existence, reflecting a deeper philosophical inquiry into the nature of humanity and our impact on the world.

Themes

Human BehaviorSurvivalChoicesDecision MakingPhilosophy

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a discussion on environmental issues to illustrate how human choices impact the planet.

More from Louise Leakey

If you want to become a fossil, you actually need to die somewhere where your bones will be rapidly buried. You then hope that the earth moves in such a way as to bring the bones back up to the surface. And then you hope that one of us lot will walk around and find small pieces of you.
Louise LeakeyRead
I think when you work on fossils, and you realize that a species is there, and it's abundant for quite a long period of time, and then at some point it's no longer there - and so, when you look at that bigger picture, yes, you realize that either you change and adapt, or, as a species, you go extinct.
Louise LeakeyRead

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Quote by Louise Leakey | QuoteProject