The Next Big Idea Daily The Most Dangerous Animal on Earth? The One That Forgot It’s an Animal.
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Sep 3, 2025 Christine Webb, an NYU primatologist and author of The Arrogant Ape, challenges the notion of human superiority over animals. She argues that this belief has contributed to major crises like climate change and extinction. Webb stresses the importance of recognizing the intelligence of other species and rethinking what it means to be smart. Emphasizing humility, she suggests that a shift in our mindset towards nature could help us forge better connections and tackle environmental issues more effectively.
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Human Exceptionalism Drives Ecological Harm
- Human exceptionalism is an unspoken worldview that treats Earth as resources for exclusive human use.
- Christine Webb argues this ideology underpins exploitation and today's ecological crises.
Change The Story To Reconnect With Nature
- Do cultivate new stories that reconnect us to the living world and remind us we are part of it.
- Webb says changing our story is necessary to survive ecological crises.
Exceptionalism Is Learned, Not Innate
- Human exceptionalism is culturally learned, not biologically innate.
- Webb cites cross-cultural and developmental studies showing children lack an innate pro-human bias.
