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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

“To know how scientists engage in visual imagery is to understand how they think creatively.”

Thinking Knows Know How Scientist Visuals Imagery Visual Imagery

Author:E. O. Wilson

“Human beings function better if they are deceived by their genes into thinking that there is a disinterested objective morality binding upon them, which all should obey.”

Ifs Thinking Should Humans Human Beings Morality Function Objectives Genes Deceived Binding Disinterested

Author:E. O. Wilson

“I think history has shown that the worst way to [try to] bring people over and actually change public opinion is by insult and applied degradation of them.”

People Thinking Way Trying Opinion Worst Insult Public Opinion Degradation

Author:E. O. Wilson

“I think that's my nature, to want to bring people together rather than to try to bombard them into agreement.”

People Thinking Want Trying Together Agreement

Author:E. O. Wilson

“That's the way to get young people. Once they see there are wonderful things to hunt for, to rediscover a species that was thought to be extinct or is extremely rare, to be the first to see a nest, to discover a new species unsuspected close to your home - these are things, I think, with a little education and excitement and the right kind of natural history would actually start a movement that makes going back to nature a profitable adventure.”

People Thinking Way Firsts Kind Littles Home Young Natural Wonderful Movement Adventure Species Excitement Wonderful Things Hunts Profitable Nests Natural History

Author:E. O. Wilson

“The cost of scientific advance is the humbling recognition that reality was not constructed to be easily grasped by the human mind. This is the cardinal tenet of scientific understanding. Our species and its ways of thinking are a product of evolution, not the purpose of evolution.”

Thinking Way Mind Humans Reality Purpose Understanding Products Evolution Cost Species Recognition Human Mind Way Of Thinking Cardinals Humbling

Author:E. O. Wilson

“Without the instruments and accumulated knowledge of the natural sciences... humans are trapped in a cognitive prison. They are like intelligent fish born in a deep shallowed pool. Wondering and restless, longing to reach out, they think about the world outside. They invent ingenious speculations and myths about the origin of the confining waters, of the sun and the sky and the stars above , and the meaning of their own existence. But they are wrong, always wrong because the world is too remote from ordinary experience to be merely imagined.”

“Most people believe they know how they themselves think, how others think too, and even how institutions evolve. But they are wrong. Their understanding is based on folk psychology, the grasp of human nature by common sense ¾ defined (by Einstein) as everything learned to the age of 18 ¾ shot through with misconceptions, and only slightly advanced over ideas employed by the Greek philosophers”

“I think we will make it. Because one quality people have - certainly Americans have it - is that they can adapt when they see necessity staring them in the face. What to avoid is what someone once called the definition of hell: truth realized too late.”

People Thinking Faces Quality Hell Late Definitions Staring Too Late

Author:E. O. Wilson

“We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely.”

People Thinking World Important Motivational Running Able Together Choices Knowledge Information Right Time Literacy Starving Drowning Synthesizers Important Choices

Book:Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge

Source: Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge

“I doubt that most people with short-term thinking love the natural world enough to save it.”

People Thinking World Enough Term Natural Doubt Short Term Natural World Short Term Thinking Thinking Love

Author:E. O. Wilson

“It's the technique, I think, of writing a novel that is difficult for a nonfiction writer.”

Thinking Writing Difficult Novel Technique Nonfiction

Author:E. O. Wilson

“The work on ants has profoundly affected the way I think about humans.”

Thinking Way Humans Affected Ants

Author:E. O. Wilson

“It often occurs to me that if, against all odds, there is a judgmental God and heaven, it will come to pass that when the pearly gates open, those who had the valor to think for themselves will be escorted to the head of the line, garlanded, and given their own personal audience.”

Ifs Thinking Given Heaven Lines Audience Gates Odds Judgmental Valor Against All Odds Against The Odds Pearly Gates

Author:E. O. Wilson

“We don't know nearly enough about the complexities of Nature. If we think we can eliminate natural ecosystems and substitute prosthetic devices, i.e. clean air or water with fusion energy - we are kidding ourselves.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Enough Energy Water Natural Air Clean Complexity Devices Substitutes Ecology Ecosystems Fusion Clean Air Prosthetics Deep Ecology

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

About the Author

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

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