"Amongst the minds of animals that of man leads, not as a demigod from another planet, but as a king from the same race"
- Edward Thorndike
About this Quote
In this quote, Edward Thorndike is highlighting the superiority of the human mind compared to that of animals. He suggests that while humans may not possess god-like abilities or originate from a various planet, they still hold a dominant position in the animal kingdom. Thorndike stresses that human beings are not fundamentally various from other animals, however rather they become part of the same race. This implies that humans have an obligation to use their innovative minds to rule over and care for the other creatures on Earth. In general, the quote highlights the special and effective position of the human mind in the natural world.
"Wonder if there is life on another planet? Let's suppose there is. Suppose further, that only one star in a trillion has a planet that could support life. If that were the case, then there would be at least 100 million planets that harbored life"
"It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small"
