1817 quotes by dutch authors for you to enjoy

If you look at European societies since the financial crisis began in 2008, with very, very few exceptions, the differences between rich and poor have increased, and sometimes hugely. Frans Timmermans

You Financial Sometimes Few Differences Rich Increased Financial Crisis Crisis Exceptions Between Since Look Began Very Hugely Poor European Societies

Nationalism makes us weak because its eternal seeking of enemies, its disdain of others, its need to feel superior makes cooperation with other nations to collectively guarantee our freedom and security much more difficult. Frans Timmermans

Freedom Enemies Superior Nationalism Difficult Other Others Our Weak Security Collectively Seeking More Feel Because Makes Disdain Nations Eternal Us Much Cooperation Need Guarantee

What is the issue that has brought the European Union to the brink? The issue of migration. Frans Timmermans

Brought Issue Migration Union European European Union Brink

If you understand that we need a comprehensive approach to the migration issue, and only at European level, will this comprehensive approach be valuable and work. If we cannot convince our member states and citizens of that, then we will be in the same situation as the Dutch citizens were in 1581. Frans Timmermans

Work You Valuable Will Situation Approach Our States We Cannot Member Citizens Comprehensive Only Understand Issue Were Same Dutch Cannot Then Migration Convince European Level Need

In a free Europe... the system of power lies on three pillars. These are democracy, rule of law, and human rights. It's impossible to use one against the other. Frans Timmermans

Democracy Rights Law Impossible Free Three Power Human Rights Other Rule Rule Of Law System Lies Pillars Human Against Use Europe

The intuitive connection children feel with animals can be a tremendous source of joy. The unconditional love received from pets, and the lack of artifice in the relationship, contrast sharply with the much trickier dealings with members of their own species. Frans de Waal

Love Relationship Joy Animals Own Tremendous Members Intuitive Unconditional Unconditional Love Feel Sharply Source Contrast Artifice Lack Children Much Connection Pets Species Received

Female bonobos form a strong sisterhood. They rule through female solidarity. Frans de Waal

Strong Rule Solidarity Through Female Sisterhood Form

If one bird foraging in a flock on the ground suddenly takes off, all other birds will take off immediately after, before they even know what's going on. The one who stays behind may be prey. Frans de Waal

It is hard to get animals which normally pay little attention to each other to do things together. One can teach dolphins to jump simultaneously out of the water precisely because they show similar behavior spontaneously, but try to make two domestic cats jump together and you will fail. Frans de Waal

You Together Cats Water Try Behavior Will Animals Pay Other Out Similar Fail Attention Simultaneously Spontaneously Make Because Dolphins Domestic Jump Normally Get Precisely Which Little Little Attention Teach Hard Show Each Things Two

I am personally not against keeping animals at zoos, as they serve a huge educational purpose, but treating them well and with respect seems the least we could do, and with 'we' I mean not just zoo staff, but most certainly also the public. Frans de Waal

Respect Animals Seems Purpose Could Most Also Well Am Least Educational Huge Just Staff Against Public Mean Them Personally Certainly Serve Keeping Zoo Treating

The fact that the apes exist and that we can study them is extremely important and makes us reflect on ourselves and our human nature. In that sense alone, you need to protect the apes. Frans de Waal

The more self-aware an animal is, the more empathetic it tends to be. Frans de Waal

Animal More Tends Empathetic

There has been so much underestimating of animal cognition that to perhaps overestimate it, as I probably do, is probably a healthy reaction. Frans de Waal

Animal Healthy Has-Been Perhaps Underestimating Reaction Overestimate Been Much Cognition

Octopuses have hundreds of suckers, each one equipped with its own ganglion with thousands of neurons. These 'mini-brains' are interconnected, making for a widely distributed nervous system. That is why a severed octopus arm may crawl on its own and even pick up food. Frans de Waal

Food Nervous Own Hundreds Severed System Thousands Distributed Nervous System Neurons Pick Arm Making Equipped Octopus Up May Interconnected Crawl Even Each Each One Why Widely

Bonobo studies started in the '70s and came to fruition in the '80s. Then in the '90s, all of a sudden, boom, they ended because of the warfare in the Congo. It was really bad for the bonobo and ironic that people with their warfare were preventing us from studying the hippies of the primate world. Frans de Waal

Very long ago our ancestors had moral systems. Our current institutions are only a couple of thousand years old, which is really not old in the eyes of a biologist. Frans de Waal

Eyes Old Long Our Ancestors Systems Thousand Moral Thousand Years Only Had Institutions Couple Years Very Current Which Really Biologist

If you look at national economies today, for example, the American economy, the European economy, the Indians, the Chinese, we're all tied together. If one of them sinks, the rest are going to sink with them and if one floats, the rest are lifted up. I find that very interesting. Frans de Waal

Today You Together Rest Example National Find Indians Lifted Economies Economy For Example Look Tied Sink Up Very American Going American Economy Chinese Interesting Them European Floats