"The human young must learn to perceive these affordances, in some degree at least, but the young of some animals do not have time to learn the ones that are crucial for survival"
- James J. Gibson
About this Quote
This quote by James J. Gibson is referring to the concept of "affordances", which are the opportunities for action that the environment offers. Gibson is suggesting that human beings must learn to recognize these affordances in order to survive, while some animals do not have the time to learn them. This suggests that humans have a higher capacity for learning and adapting to their environment than some animals, which gives them an advantage in terms of survival. Gibson's quote likewise recommends that the environment can offer chances for action, which humans need to be able to recognize and make the most of these opportunities in order to survive. This highlights the importance of finding out and adapting to one's environment in order to make it through.
"Neurotics complain of their illness, but they make the most of it, and when it comes to talking it away from them they will defend it like a lioness her young"