"Some statements concern the conscious states of the animal, what he is to himself as an inner life; others concern his original and acquired ways of response, his behavior, what he is an outside observer"

Edward Thorndike's quote delves into the double nature of comprehending animal habits and consciousness, stressing the distinction between internal experiences and external actions. The first part of the quote, "Some statements issue the mindful states of the animal, what he is to himself as an inner life", mentions the introspective aspect of an animal's existence. This suggests that animals, like human beings, may possess a type of consciousness or subjective experience. It includes contemplating what an animal "feels" or "believes", exploring its emotions, feelings, and potentially its awareness of its own mental states. Although this location is challenging to study due to the lack of direct communication with non-human animals, it underlines the importance of thinking about that animals are not mere automatons however might have rich internal worlds.

The 2nd part, "others issue his initial and gotten methods of response, his behavior, what he is an outside observer", shifts focus to observable habits. Thorndike emphasizes comprehending animals through empirical observation - studying how they react to different stimuli, discovering mechanisms, and interaction with their environment. This point of view aligns with the principles of behaviorism, a dominant force in psychology during Thorndike's time, which focuses on external, measurable habits over internal states. Behavioral studies intend to determine patterns and laws of action that can be measured and replicated, using a window into the learning procedure and versatility of animals.

By juxtaposing these two perspectives, Thorndike highlights a detailed method to studying animals: stabilizing the expedition of possible mindsets with rigorous observation of habits. This duality recommends that to completely comprehend animals, one should think about both the unseen and concrete expressions of their being. Thorndike's insight encourages continued expedition of the connections in between awareness and behavior, motivating improvements in fields such as cognitive ethology and animal psychology.