“I have no doubt that it is part of the destiny of the human race in it's gradual improvement, to leave off eating animals.”

—  Henry David Thoreau

Last update March 7, 2023. History

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Henry David Thoreau photo
Henry David Thoreau385
1817-1862 American poet, essayist, naturalist, and abolitio… 1817–1862

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As quoted in Durrell: The Authorised Biography (1999) http://books.google.com/books?id=iyRFAAAAYAAJ&amp;q=&amp;quot;Look+at+it+this+way+Anyone+who+has+got+any+pleasure+at+all+from+living+should+try+to+put+something+back+life+is+like+a+superlative+meal+and+the+world+is+the+maitre+d&#x27;hotel+What+I+am+doing+is+the+equivalent+of+leaving+a+reasonable+tip&amp;quot;Gerald by Douglas Botting <br class="br">Context: A sparrow can be as interesting as a bird of paradise, the behaviour of a mouse as interesting as that of a tiger. Our planet is beautifully intricate, brimming over with enigmas to be solved and riddles to be unravelled.

<br>Many people think that conservation is just about saving fluffy animals – what they don’t realise is that we’re trying to prevent the human race from committing suicide … We have declared war on the biological world, the world that supports us … At the moment the human race is in the position of a man sawing off the tree branch he is sitting on.<br>Look at it this way. Anyone who has got any pleasure at all from living should try to put something back. Life is like a superlative meal and the world is the maître d&#x27;hôtel. What I am doing is the equivalent of leaving a reasonable tip. … I&#x27;m glad to be giving something back because I&#x27;ve been so extraordinarily lucky and had such great pleasure from it.

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