After dedicating years studying chimpanzee behavior, Jane Goodall became an authority on the combative nature of alpha males. In a freshly unveiled interview documented shortly before her passing, the renowned primatologist revealed her unusual solution for dealing with specific people she viewed as showing similar characteristics: sending them on a permanent journey into the cosmos.
This notable perspective into Goodall's thinking emerges from the Netflix documentary "Final Words", which was filmed in March and maintained confidential until after her recent passing at nine decades of life.
"I've encountered persons I don't like, and I wish to put them on a spacecraft and send them all off to the world he's sure he'll locate," remarked Goodall during her discussion with the interviewer.
When asked whether the tech billionaire, recognized for his questionable behavior and political alliances, would be part of this group, Goodall answered with certainty.
"Certainly, without doubt. He'd be the leader. Envision who I'd put on that vessel. Together with Musk would be Trump and several of Trump's real supporters," she stated.
"And then I would add Vladimir Putin among them, and I would include China's President Xi. I would definitely include the Israeli leader among the passengers and his far-right government. Put them all on that spacecraft and send them off."
This wasn't the first time that Goodall, an advocate of conservation efforts, had shared negative views about Donald Trump especially.
In a earlier conversation, she had remarked that he exhibited "the same sort of actions as a dominant primate will show when battling for supremacy with an opponent. They posture, they parade, they portray themselves as significantly bigger and combative than they really are in order to daunt their rivals."
During her final interview, Goodall elaborated on her understanding of alpha personalities.
"We observe, interestingly, two categories of alpha. The first achieves dominance solely through combat, and since they're powerful and they battle, they don't endure indefinitely. Another group achieves dominance by utilizing strategy, like a young male will only challenge a higher ranking one if his companion, typically a relative, is with him. And as we've seen, they endure far more extended periods," she detailed.
The renowned scientist also studied the "political aspect" of conduct, and what her comprehensive research had revealed to her about aggressive behaviors displayed by people and apes when confronted with something they viewed as dangerous, despite the fact that no threat really was present.
"Chimps encounter a stranger from a neighboring community, and they get all excited, and the hair stands out, and they reach out and touch another, and they show expressions of anger and fear, and it catches, and the remaining members absorb that sentiment that one member has had, and the entire group grows combative," she detailed.
"It spreads rapidly," she added. "Some of these demonstrations that turn aggressive, it spreads among them. Everyone desires to become and join in and become aggressive. They're defending their area or competing for control."
When inquired if she thought similar behaviors were present in humans, Goodall responded: "Probably, in certain situations. But I strongly feel that most people are ethical."
"My main objective is nurturing the upcoming generation of compassionate citizens, foundations and growth. But do we have time? I don't know. We face challenging circumstances."
Goodall, a London native prior to the beginning of the Second World War, likened the fight against the difficulties of contemporary politics to the UK resisting Nazi Germany, and the "unyielding attitude" shown by Winston Churchill.
"However, this isn't to say you don't have moments of depression, but subsequently you recover and declare, 'OK, I won't allow to let them win'," she remarked.
"It's similar to the leader during the conflict, his renowned address, we shall combat them along the shores, we'll fight them through the avenues and metropolitan centers, afterward he commented to a companion and allegedly commented, 'and we'll fight them using the fragments of shattered glass because that's all we actually possess'."
In her final address, Goodall provided words of encouragement for those resisting authoritarian control and the ecological disaster.
"Even today, when the world is difficult, there continues to be possibility. Maintain optimism. Should optimism fade, you turn into unresponsive and take no action," she counseled.
"And if you want to protect what is still beautiful in this world โ when you wish to save the planet for subsequent eras, future family, their grandchildren โ then think about the choices you take each day. As, replicated countless, multiple occasions, modest choices will generate significant transformation."
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