Jane Goodall

Primatology, chimpanzee research

Contemporary influential 153 sayings

Sayings by Jane Goodall

The greatest gift we can give our children is a healthy planet.

2019 — Speech
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I believe that every day is an opportunity to make a positive difference.

2021 — Interview
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I think the best evenings are when we have messages from the animal world.

2017 — Interview with The Telegraph
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Someday we shall look back on this dark era of agriculture and shake our heads. How could we have ever believed that it was a good idea to grow our food with poisons?

2005 — Essay in 'Harvest for Hope'
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.

2003 — Speech at a sustainability conference
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Chimpanzees, more than any other living creature, have helped us to understand that there is no sharp line dividing humans from the rest of the animal kingdom.

1999 — Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey
Controversial Confirmed

What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.

Unknown, widely cited — Speech, often repeated
Controversial Unverifiable

I think the most important thing is to realize that we are part of the animal kingdom, and we're not above it.

2010 — Interview with National Geographic
Controversial Unverifiable

We have so much to learn from the animals, if we would only listen.

1986 — The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior
Controversial Unverifiable

Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved.

Unknown, widely cited — Speech, often repeated
Controversial Unverifiable

We cannot live in a world where we're constantly taking, taking, taking, and not giving anything back.

2015 — Interview with The Guardian
Controversial Unverifiable

I don't understand why we have to be so destructive. Why can't we learn to live in harmony with nature?

2010 — Interview with Smithsonian Magazine
Controversial Unverifiable

We are a part of the natural world, and when we destroy it, we destroy ourselves.

Unknown, widely cited — Speech, often repeated
Controversial Unverifiable

The more we learn about the natural world, the more we realize how interconnected everything is.

1999 — Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey
Controversial Unverifiable

I've always felt that the human brain is the greatest weapon we have, and also the greatest tool.

2015 — Interview with The Guardian
Controversial Unverifiable

We have to find a way to live in harmony with nature, or we will destroy ourselves.

Unknown, widely cited — Speech, often repeated
Controversial Unverifiable

I believe that we can change the world, one individual at a time.

Unknown, widely cited — Speech, often repeated
Controversial Unverifiable

We need to teach our children to respect nature, and to understand that we are all connected.

2010 — Interview with Smithsonian Magazine
Controversial Unverifiable

Every creature has a role to play in the ecosystem, and we need to respect that.

1999 — Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey
Controversial Unverifiable

We are at a crossroads, and we have to choose between a path of destruction and a path of hope.

Unknown, widely cited — Speech, often repeated
Controversial Unverifiable