35 Best Konrad Lorenz Quotes From The Famous Zoologist

Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Dec 12, 2023 By Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Originally Published on Feb 03, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
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Read time: 6.2 Min

Konrad Lorenz is best known as the pioneer of modern-day Ethology.

He was a prominent Austrian zoologist, ornithologist, and ethologist. He is also one of the most crucial figures in the field of Ethology.

In 1973, he shared the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology with Dutch ornithologist Nikolaas Tinbergen and Austrian-German ornithologist Karl von Frisch. Lorenz’s work started with him starting to take notice of and instinctively studying animal behavior.

He started off by studying the imprinting habits of birds. Soon after, his accurate studies garnered much attention and brought him great fame.

Lorenz’s collaborative work with Nikolaas Tinbergen in 1936 helped them turn Ethology into a separate sub-discipline of Biology. In his autobiographical essay, he credits his parents for being extremely tolerant of his love for animals.

He is also an inventive writer. Some of his most prominent works are ‘On Aggression’ and ‘King Solomon’s Ring’. Hence, there are many sources for Konrad Lorenz quotes which you can take inspiration from.

Konrad Lorenz quotes are generally quite insightful. If you read Konrad Lorenz quotes, it can open up a new horizon in your understanding of zoology as a whole.

For more related content like Konrad Lorenz quotes, take a look at Jane Goodall quotes and Animal Rights quotes.

Konrad Lorenz Famous Quotes

Some well-known Zoologist Konrad Lorenz quotes from his famous book. You may want to pick up one quote from these serious of Konrad Lorenz quotes and mesmerize others.

1. “Historians will have to face the fact that natural selection determined the evolution of cultures in the same manner as it did that of species.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘On Aggression’.

2. “I have found that even highly irascible people who, in a rage, seem to lose all control of their actions, still refrain from smashing really valuable objects, preferring cheaper crockery.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘On Aggression'.

3. “There are no good biologists whose vocation was not born of deep joy in the beauties of living nature.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

4. “A barking dog may occasionally bite, but laughing men hardly shoot!”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘On Aggression’.

5. “Humor and knowledge are the two great hopes of our culture.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

6. “In science, new ideas are at first completely neglected, later fiercely attacked, and finally regarded as well known.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

7. “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.”

―Konrad Lorenz.

8. “Every scientist should, after all, regard it as his duty to tell the public, in a generally intelligible way, about what he is doing.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘King Solomon’s Ring’.

9. “The specialist knows more and more about less and less and finally knows everything about nothing.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

10. “I owe undying gratitude to my patient parents.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

Konrad Lorenz Quotes On Humanity

There are many Konrad Lorenz quotes which talk about humanity. These Konrad Lorenz quotes help us bridge our gaps in understanding 'humaneness' in animal treatment. Here are quotes about humanity from Zoologist Konrad Lorenz that everyone should know about!

11. “I have found the missing link between the higher ape and civilized man: It is we.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

12. “Aggression in very many animals and probably also in man is an essential component of personal friendship.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘On Aggression’.

13. “Scientific truth is universal because it is only discovered by the human brain and not made by it, as art is.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘On Aggression’.

14. “Emotional loyalty to an institutionalized norm does not make it a value, otherwise war, even modern technical war, would be one”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘On Aggression’.

15. “...he who has seen the intimate beauty of nature cannot tear himself away from it again...he must become either a poet or a naturalist...he may well become both.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

16. “Hatred of humanity and love of animals make a very bad combination.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘Man Meets Dog’.

17. “Most of the vices and mortal sins condemned today correspond to inclinations that were purely adaptive or at least harmless in primitive man.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘On aggression’.

18. “Man appears to be the missing link between anthropoid apes and human beings.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

19. “The instinctive need to be the member of a closely-knit group fighting for common ideals may grow so strong that it becomes inessential what these ideals are.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘On Aggression’.

20. “All scientific knowledge to which man owes his role as master of the world arose from playful activities.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘Studies in animal and human behavior’.

21. “There is indeed the possibility that the evolutionary process has, in gray antiquity, bred into us an excess of aggression.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

22. “Man has no need of minute intention-displaying movements to announce his momentary mood: he can say it in words.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘King Solomon’s Ring’.

23. “I believe that present-day civilized man suffers from insufficient discharge of his aggressive drive.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘On Aggression’.

Konrad Lorenz Zoology Quotes

Pink Flamingoes animals zoo

Here are the best zoologist quotes from one of the best Zoologists to live. These Konrad Lorenz quotes can really make you think. You can share these Konrad Lorenz quotes to people who know about Konrad Lorenz or are passionate about zoology. Passing knowledge by sharing these Konrad Lorenz quotes is fun.

24. “It is a good morning exercise for a research scientist to discard a pet hypothesis every day before breakfast.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘On Aggression’.

25. “Few animals display their mood via facial expressions as distinctly as cats.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

26. “The truth about an animal is far more exciting and altogether more beautiful than all the myths woven about it.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

27. “The cat is a wild animal that inhabits the homes of humans.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘Man Meets Dog’.

28. “If the flap of a butterfly’s wings can be instrumental in generating a tornado, it can equally well be instrumental in preventing a tornado.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

29. “In nature, we find not only that which is expedient, but also everything which is not so inexpedient as to endanger the existence of the species.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘On Aggression’.

30. “In the higher animals the ability and inclination to do damage is, unfortunately, in direct proportion to the degree of their intelligence...it is impossible to leave certain animals, particularly monkeys, permanently loose and without supervision.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘King Solomon’s Ring’.

Konrad Lorenz Dog Quotes

Dog-Human relationship quotes from Konrad Lorenz that will make you love them even more!

31. “The bond with a dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth can ever be.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘Man Meets Dog’.

32. “It ought to be realized by all dog owners that obesity shortens a dog’s life quite considerably.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

33. “Just thinking that my dog loves me more than I love him, I feel shame.”

― Konrad Lorenz.

34. “Neither the dog nor the cat is a slave, but only the dog is a friend.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘King Solomon’s Ring’.

35. “There is no faith which has never yet been broken, except that of a truly faithful dog.”

― Konrad Lorenz, ‘King Solomon’s Ring’.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Konrad Lorenz quotes then why not take a look at quotes for Alan Turing, and Katherine Johnson.

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Written by Rajnandini Roychoudhury

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

Rajnandini Roychoudhury picture

Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature. 

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