"When I was a child growing up in the '60s and '70s, watching National Geographic specials on TV, I wanted to be Jane Goodall. Not like her. Her. I could imagine no better life than observing and learning about chimpanzees. But only Jane Goodall could be Jane Goodall, and I eventually fell into a more traditional path, even going to law school."
"When I got there, I was introduced to Sarah. She was isolated in an enclosure, no longer willing to participate in language studies, and prone to temper tantrums. I was advised to keep my distance. The next day, I visited her by myself and felt moved to twirl my finger in the air and say: "Turn around, and I'll scratch your back." Sure enough, Sarah turned around, sank down to the floor, and pressed her back against the bars of the cage so I could do so."
Jane Goodall left a scientific career to focus on humane education, creating Roots and Shoots to protect chimpanzees, other animals, vulnerable human communities, and ecosystems. A childhood admiration for Goodall inspired a narrator who initially pursued law school but dropped out after reading about a chimp named Sarah. The narrator volunteered in a lab, witnessed Sarah's isolation and temper tantrums, and formed a compassionate connection by scratching her back. That encounter prompted the narrator to pursue humane education as a life's work. The approach emphasizes education as the most effective means to protect animals and ecosystems.
Read at Psychology Today
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