Wisdom Quotes

"The world we see is not inevitable. It is constructed."

"Nothing is ever as simple as good and evil."

"The oldest task in human history is to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."

"Only the mountain has lived long enough to listen objectively to the howl of the wolf."

"We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."

"Thinking like a mountain means appreciating the long view of history."

"The goal of the land ethic is not to stop the use of land, but to use it wisely."

"To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering."

"When wild things cease to be common, they become precious."

"We abuse land because we see it as a commodity."

"The land remembers everything we do to it."

"Wilderness value to civilization is not a proof of readiness for an ethic of conservation."

"Land management without wildlife is like fishing without water."

"We need to learn to think like a mountain."

"The whole art of land doctoring is to know when to let alone."

"There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm: the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the danger of supposing that heat comes from the furnace."

"The gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play."

"Man's relationship to nature is more important than man's relationship to man."

"In nature there are no shortcuts; there are only long, honest roads."

"We must choose between the quick profit and the lasting gift."

"We cannot solve the problem at the level at which the problem was created."

"The loudest voice in the room is not always the wisest."

"Nature is the greatest teacher; we need only learn to listen."

"Nature does not compromise; we must learn to work within its limits."

"The voice of nature speaks in languages older than words."

"Short-term economic thinking has long-term planetary consequences."

"The cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of action on climate change."

"The data speaks clearly to those willing to listen."

"The sooner we act, the less painful and expensive the transition will be."

"The younger generation understands the stakes better than most of their elders."