I used to very politely say that if there is free will then it's in all sorts of boring places, like whether you're going to pick up this or that fork as you begin your meal. There really is none: It's all biology.
Robert SapolskyRead
Do I get grief for the fact that in communicating, say, about the baboons I'm doing so much anthropomorphizing? One hopes that the parts that are blatantly ridiculous will be perceived as such. I've nonetheless been stunned by some of my more humorless colleagues - to see that they were not capable of recognizing that.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the challenges and misunderstandings that arise from anthropomorphizing animals in scientific communication.
In this quote, Robert Sapolsky reflects on his experiences of communicating about baboons while anthropomorphizing their behavior. He acknowledges the risk of being misunderstood, particularly by colleagues who may lack the ability to appreciate humor and recognize the exaggerated elements in his descriptions, emphasizing the importance of effective communication in conveying complex ideas.
Themes
AnthropomorphizingCommunicationHumorBaboonsScience
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a lecture about the challenges of communicating scientific concepts to a general audience.
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I expected social rank to be the determining factor in health, and in some ways that's true. But far more important is what sort of society that rank occurs in. Being low ranking in a benevolent troop is a hell of a lot better for your blood pressure than being low ranking in an aggressive troop.
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