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E. O. Wilson

E. O. Wilson Quotes

Biologist

E. O. Wilson is a renowned American biologist, born on June 10, 1929. He has made significant contributions to the fields of entomology, sociobiology, and anthropology. Best known for his research on ants, he is often referred to as the 'father of ants'. His book 'Sociobiology: The New Science' had a profound impact on both biology and the social sciences.

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Famous E. O. Wilson Quotes

“The green prehuman earth is the mystery we were chosen to solve, a guide to the birthplace of our spirit, but it is slipping away. The way back seems harder every year. If there is danger in the human trajectory, it is not so much in the survival of our own species as in the fulfillment of the ultimate irony of organic evolution: that in the instant of achieving self-understanding, through the mind of man, life has doomed its most beautiful creations. And thus humanity closes the door on its past.”

“The most dangerous of devotions, in my opinion, is the one endemic to Christianity: I was not born to be of this world. With a second life waiting, suffering can be endured - especially in other people. The natural environment can be used up. Enemies of the faith can be savaged and suicidal martyrdom praised.”

People World Used Suffering Waiting Born Natural Christianity Opinion Enemy Environment Dangerous This World Devotion Suicidal Martyrdom Natural Environment

Author:E. O. Wilson

“The price of these failures has been a loss of moral consensus, a greater sense of helplessness about the human condition. ... The intellectual solution to the first dilemma can be achieved by a deeper and more courageous examination of human nature that combines the findings of biology with those of the social sciences.”

“Only in the last moment in history has the delusion arisen that people can flourish apart from the rest of the living world.”

People World Moments Lasts Delusion Progressive

Author:E. O. Wilson

“There can be no purpose more enspiriting than to begin the age of restoration, reweaving the wondrous diversity of life that still surrounds us.”

Inspirational Stills Age Purpose Diversity Surround Restoration Wondrous Enviromental Diversity Of Life

Author:E. O. Wilson

“In a purely technical sense, each species of higher organism-beetle, moss, and so forth, is richer in information than a Caravaggio painting, Mozart symphony, or any other great work of art.”

Art Science Information Painting Higher Species Works Of Art Organisms Great Work Symphony Moss Beetles

Author:E. O. Wilson

“Search until you find a passion and go all out to excel in its expression.”

Passion Expression

Author:E. O. Wilson

“A society that condemns homosexuality harms itself. (254)”

Harm Homosexuality

Author:E. O. Wilson

“The ideal scientist thinks like a poet and works like a bookkeeper”

Thinking Poet Ideals Scientist Bookkeepers

Book:Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge

Source: Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge

“We are not afraid of predators, we're transfixed by them, prone to weave stories and fables and chatter endlessly about them, because fascination creates preparedness, and preparedness, survival. In a deeply tribal way, we love our monsters.”

Way Stories Survival Monsters Not Afraid Fascination Fables Predator Preparedness Chatter

Author:E. O. Wilson

“Destroying a tropical rainforest for profit is like burning all the paintings of the Louvre to cook dinner.”

Painting Profit Dinner Burning Cooks Destroying Tropical Rainforest Louvre

Author:E. O. Wilson

“In science, you really do need to have a purpose-driven life. You will succeed to the extent that you get the most out of your career so that you can give the most back. Try to be an addict, driven to achieve discoveries, learning new things, and then writing about them.”

Needs Giving Writing Trying Purpose Careers Achieve Succeed Discovery Driven New Things Addict Purpose Driven Life Learning New Learning New Things

Author:E. O. Wilson

“In the early stages of creation of both art and science, everything in the mind is a story.”

Mind Art Stories Stage Creation Art And Science

Author:E. O. Wilson

“Far more important throughout the rest of science is the ability to form concepts, during which the researcher conjures images and processes by intuition.”

Important Form Process Ability Concepts Intuition Researchers

Author:E. O. Wilson

“If everyone agreed to become vegetarian, leaving little or nothing for livestock, the present 1.4 billion hectares of arable land (3.5 billion acres) would support about 10 billion people.”

People Ifs Littles Support Land Leaving Billions Vegetarian Acres Livestock

Author:E. O. Wilson

“If religion and science could be united on the common ground of biological conservation, the problem would be soon solved. If there is any moral precept shared by people of all beliefs, it is that we owe ourselves and future generations a beautiful, rich, and healthful environment.”

People Ifs Problem Would Be Beautiful Belief United Common Moral Rich Environment Generations Conservation Science And Religion Future Generation Common Ground

Author:E. O. Wilson

“The history of life on earth has been a history of interaction between living things and their surroundings.”

Has Beens Earth Interaction Surroundings Living Things History Of Life

Author:E. O. Wilson

“If enough species are extinguished, will the ecosystems collapse, and will the extinction of most other species follow soon afterward? The only answer anyone can give is: possibly. By the time we find out, however, it might be too late. One planet, one experiment.”

Ifs Giving Enough Might Nature Answers Planets Late Species Experiments Too Late Collapse Extinction Ecosystems

Author:E. O. Wilson

“The commitment must be much deeper - to let no species knowingly die; to take all reasonable action to protect every species and race in perpetuity.”

Action Dies Nature Race Protect Commitment Species Deeper Reasonable

Author:E. O. Wilson

“The extinctions ongoing worldwide promise to be at least as great as the mass extinction that occurred at the end of the age of dinosaurs.”

Ends Age Promise Mass Extinction Ongoing Dinosaurs Mass Extinction

Author:E. O. Wilson

“The genius of human society is in fact the ease with which alliances are formed, broken, and reconstituted, always with strong emotional appeals to rules believed to be absolute.”

Humans Facts Strong Emotional Broken Genius Absolutes Appeals Ease Alliances Human Society Strong Emotional Emotional Appeal

Author:E. O. Wilson

“Because the living environment is what really sustains us.”

Author:E. O. Wilson

“It may be argued that to know one kind of beetle is to know them all. But a species is not like a molecule in a cloud of molecules-it is a unique population.”

Knows Kind May Science Unique Species Clouds Population Molecules Beetles

Author:E. O. Wilson

About the Author

Born: June 10, 1929
Known for: Biologist
Quotes: 273

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Consilience: The Unity of KnowledgeRelated source material

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