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Desmond Morris

Desmond Morris Quotes

Zoologist

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Famous Desmond Morris Quotes

“A true bond of friendship is usually only possible between people of roughly equal status. This equality is demonstrated in many indirect ways, but it is reinforced in face-to-face encounters by a matching of the posture of relaxation or alertness.”

PeopleWayFacesFriendshipEqualEncountersRelaxationFace To FacePostureIndirectMatchingAlertnessBonds Of Friendship
Book:Manwatching: A Field Guide to Human Behavior
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“...In little more than a single century from 1820 to 19450, no less than fifty-nine million human animals were killed in inter-group clashes of one sort or another.... We describe these killings as men behaving "like animals," but if we could find a wild animal that showed signs of acting this way, it would be more precise to describe it as behaving like men.”

IfsMenWayHumansLittlesWould BeAnimalActingMillionsGroupsCenturyKillingNineFiftyPreciseClashWild AnimalHuman Animal
Author:Desmond Morris
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“We read off the many signals that our companions' clothes transmit to us in every social encounter. In this way, clothing is as much a part of human body language as gestures, facial expressions and postures.Even those people who insist that they despise attention to clothing, and dress as casually as possible, are making quite specific comments on their social roles and their attitudes towards the culture in which they live.”

PeopleWayHumansBodyCultureLanguageSocialAttentionAttitudeRolesFashionStyleExpressionClothesDressesEncountersCompanionCommentClothingsDespiseGesturesSignalsHuman BodyPostureTransmitBody LanguageFacialFacial ExpressionSocial Roles
Author:Desmond Morris
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“It must be stressed that there is nothing insulting about looking at people as animals. We are animals, after all. Homo sapiens is a species of primate, a biological phenomenon dominated by biological rules, like any other species. Human nature is no more than one particular kind of animal nature. Agreed, the human species is an extraordinary animal; but all other species are also extraordinary animals, each in their own way, and the scientific man-watcher can bring many fresh insights to the study of human affairs if he can retain this basic attitude of evolutionary humility.”

PeopleIfsMenWayHumansKindAnimalAttitudeStudyHuman NatureHumilityParticularSpeciesExtraordinaryAffairInsightPhenomenonStressedInsultingHomo SapiensHuman SpeciesWatchersPrimates
Book:Manwatching: A Field Guide to Human Behavior
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“The female covers her breasts, and then proceeds to redefine their shape with a brassiere. This sexual signaling device may be padded or inflatable, so that it not only reinstates the concealed shape, but also enlarges it, imitating in this way the breast swelling that occurs during sexual arousal.”

WayMayShapesFemaleIntimacyBreastsDevicesConcealedImitatingSwellingArousal
Book:The illustrated naked ape: a zoologist's study of the human animal
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