"It is disturbing to discover in oneself these curious revelations of the validity of the Darwinian theory. If it is true that we have sprung from the ape, there are occasions when my own spring appears not to have been very far"

Cornelia Otis Skinner's quote humorously grapples with the concept of evolution, and more particularly, the Darwinian theory that presumes human beings have actually progressed from ape-like ancestors. Skinner reviews moments of viewed personal shortcomings or instinctual habits that appear to suggest a closer kinship to apes than one might preferably wish to acknowledge. The quote brings a playful acknowledgment that despite the advancements and intricacies of human civilization, there stay aspects of our nature that are primitively instinctual.

Skinner opens with the expression "It is interrupting to discover in oneself these curious revelations", showing a sense of surprise or discomfort upon challenging the raw, intrinsic parts of her nature. This works as a mirror to the evolutionary process, where vestiges of earlier evolutionary phases stick around within the advanced tapestry of modern human identity.

"... the validity of the Darwinian theory", highlights her acceptance of advancement as an explanatory structure for human existence. The theory, developed by Charles Darwin, lays out natural selection as a driving force for the development of species. Skinner's acknowledgment of this scientific theory demonstrates an acceptance of the interconnectedness between humans and the wider tapestry of life in the world.

In particular, the latter part of the quote, "If it is true that we have derived from the ape, there are events when my own spring appears not to have been very far", recommends a self-deprecating humor. Here, the word "spring" serves both as a referral to evolutionary family tree and a metaphorical leap from primal origin to her present self. The expression "not to have been very far" humorously indicates that the behaviors or instincts she sometimes exhibits are not far eliminated from what one may attribute to apes, highlighting the perseverance of inherent, maybe less advanced instincts within the human psyche.

Overall, Skinner's observation invites a reflective and easy going recommendation of humanity's modest origins and the ongoing dance in between our sophisticated rationality and instinctual nature.