The Quiet Power of Jane Goodall: A Legacy of Grace, Kinship, and Compassion

                                            My reconnecting with Jane in 2005

Yesterday, the world lost a giant.

Dr. Jane Goodall — ethologist, anthropologist, author, messenger of peace, voice for the voiceless — passed away at the age of 91. Even though I knew she had slowed her pace in recent years, I could never truly wrap my mind around the idea that Jane was mortal. Her presence on this Earth felt elemental — like the rustle of leaves in a rainforest, or the long call of a great ape echoing through the canopy. Something you expect will always be there.

I had the privilege of encountering Jane several times over the decades. Each meeting was brief, yet unforgettable — inspiring me into primatology  and punctuating my journey with a renewed sense of purpose. You didn’t need long with Jane to feel her impact. She carried something extraordinary into every room she entered: a quiet but unmistakable moral authority, disarming humility, and a gaze that made you feel seen, truly seen — as if all your words had already been understood before you spoke.

What made Jane so powerful, especially in her later years, was not the volume of her voice but the gentle force of her kindness. She didn't storm stages or berate policymakers. She invited them — with grace, with evidence, and with an unshakable love for life. Whether she was speaking to heads of state or schoolchildren, she had a way of softening hearts and igniting minds. Her secret was simple: she believed in the goodness of people.

Like a chimpanzee mother who never stops tending to her young — patiently guiding, fiercely protective, lovingly present — Jane devoted her life to nurturing a global awareness of our kinship with the natural world. Even as her body aged, her commitment never wavered. Her travel schedule would exhaust someone half her age, yet she continued because she had to. This was her calling. Her life's work. Her love.

Her groundbreaking fieldwork with chimpanzees in Gombe revealed what science had long resisted admitting: that nonhuman beings feel, think, grieve, love, and suffer. That they are not mere data points in a distant jungle but sentient individuals with families, societies, and souls. She gave them names when others insisted on numbers. She told their stories — not to romanticize, but to humanize. In doing so, she changed the world’s perception of animals and ourselves.

But perhaps the most profound extension of her legacy came not from the forest, but from the hearts of children. Through her Roots & Shoots program, she planted seeds of compassion and curiosity in young people around the globe — cultivating a generation of conscious citizens who care deeply about animals, the environment, and one another. This was Jane at her most powerful: the elder advocate who passed the torch not with fire, but with warmth.

I often reflect on how Jane’s journey parallels my own in the forests of Borneo, where I taught sign language to ex-captive orangutans and discovered their profound intelligence and emotional depth. Like Jane, I came to see that our primate cousins are not just like us — they are part of us, and we of them. We share not just biology, but story, spirit, and destiny.

Jane's passing is a loss beyond words. But her legacy lives on — in the lush canopies of Gombe, in the countless lives she inspired, in the quiet decisions made by people who now pause to care a little more, consume a little less, speak a little louder for those who cannot.

And for those of us who had the honor to walk briefly alongside her, even from afar, we carry her light forward. We remember not only what she taught, but how she taught it — with grace, with gentleness, and with unshakable hope.

🙏 Rest in Power, Jane. You showed us the way. We will keep walking — for the chimpanzees, the orangutans, the gorillas, for the forests, and for all sentient beings who deserve to live free and understood.

The Humility of Healing: Mindfulness in Moments of Illness

 

At the heart of conscious living is the awareness that we are always becoming. Our bodies change as cells divide and renew, circumstances shift around us, and emotions rise and fall with the movement of both the inner and outer world. To live consciously is to notice this ongoing transformation and meet it with presence.

Sometimes, however, change arrives in the form of illness. As I battle a case of tonsillitis that makes speaking and even swallowing difficult, I am reminded of how easily we take the simplest acts for granted. What was effortless yesterday—sharing a laugh, sipping water—suddenly becomes a struggle, and with it comes a quiet humility.

Illness humbles us. It reminds us that life is fragile, that our control is partial at best, and that we depend on countless unseen processes within the body to sustain us. Yet it also invites us into compassion—beginning with ourselves. We are offered a choice: to resist and grow frustrated, or to accept with patience and presence.

Compassion starts with the self. It means loving ourselves enough to rest, to seek care, and to allow treatment to support the body’s innate healing wisdom. As our immune system quietly recruits its defenses to respond to the pathogens at work, we too can align with this process—creating an environment of healing through patience, kindness, and mindful attention.

Mindful thinking about becoming healthy is not merely wishful optimism. It is the gentle practice of holding hope, of fostering resilience, and of recognizing that even in illness we are still in motion, still becoming. With each breath, the body adapts and restores; with each moment, the spirit has an opportunity to grow in strength.

These humbling moments, when the body demands our care, reveal a deeper truth: that impermanence and vulnerability are not weaknesses but teachers. They remind us that we cannot control the tides of change, but we can choose how to meet them—emotionally, spiritually, and compassionately.

To live consciously is to embrace even these challenging moments as part of our becoming. Illness, in its discomfort, offers us the same invitation that wellness does: to be present, to be patient, and to practice compassion. In doing so, we discover that every moment—whether easy or difficult—carries within it the possibility of renewal.

Living with Provisional Truths: Why Our Models of Reality Are Only Maps, Not the Territory

We humans have an uncanny confidence in our senses. We assume that what we see, hear, and touch reflects the actual nature of the world. The solid feel of a rock, the blue expanse of the sky, the warmth of a fire—these seem unquestionably real. Yet, as cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman argues, our perceptual systems did not evolve to show us the truth. They evolved to keep us alive.

Evolution’s Priority: Survival, Not Truth

Natural selection rewards organisms that survive long enough to reproduce. That’s it. The evolutionary “scorecard” has no bonus points for uncovering the fundamental nature of reality. Our senses evolved to highlight features of the environment that mattered for fitness—food, mates, threats—not to deliver a faithful representation of the world “as it is.”

A spider perceives vibrations through webs, a bat echoes landscapes through sound, and a bird sees colors invisible to us. Each species lives in a bubble of perception tuned to its survival. Why should humans be different? Our senses provide a user interface, not a God’s-eye view.

A Forest Lesson with Princess

I recall one morning in the peat swamp forest, walking with Princess, the young orangutan who I had adopted as my daughter and who become both student and teacher to me. The air was heavy with humidity, the kind that makes every step feel deliberate. My eyes darted to the shadows, wary of snakes or unseen roots that might trip me. To me, the forest was an obstacle course of mud, terrestrial leeches, fire ants 

and tangled vegetation.

Princess, by contrast, moved with a calm assurance. She paused often, gazing up into the canopy with that long, thoughtful “fruit stare” I came to know so well. At first, I thought she was simply daydreaming. But then I noticed how her gaze lingered on a cluster of leaves I hadn’t noticed—leaves that, to her, signaled ripening fruit. She was reading the forest in a language I barely understood.

In that moment, we inhabited the same physical space but lived in radically different perceptual worlds. My reality was filled with hazards; hers was filled with opportunities. Neither was the “true” forest in any ultimate sense. Each was a provisional model, tuned to our survival needs, guiding us through the complexity of the same swamp.

That lesson stayed with me: reality is filtered, framed, and sculpted by the perceiver.

Provisional Working Models

If our perceptions are survival tools, not truth-revealing instruments, then our beliefs built upon them must be handled with humility. What we think of as “reality” may be more like a desktop interface on a computer. The little blue folder icon is not “truth”—it is a useful representation that hides the messy complexity of code and circuits. Likewise, our belief systems are models—provisional guides that help us navigate life.

This means our cherished concepts—time, space, causality, even matter itself—may not reflect ultimate reality. They are scaffolding that allows us to orient ourselves in the flow of existence. They work until they don’t, and when they don’t, we revise them.

The Value of Provisionality

Seeing our beliefs as provisional does not mean falling into nihilism or relativism. It means cultivating openness. Science advances precisely because models are treated as temporary approximations, subject to refinement or replacement. Personal growth, too, often requires loosening our grip on fixed ideas, allowing room for new insights to emerge.

Provisionality also nurtures compassion. If others’ truths are also models shaped by limited perception, then disagreement need not be threatening. We can meet each other with curiosity instead of hostility, recognizing that all of us are fumbling toward understanding.

Living the Question

As Hoffman suggests, perhaps reality is not built of objects in space and time at all, but of deeper structures—networks of conscious agents, fields of potentiality, or something we have yet to imagine. Whether or not such theories hold, one lesson endures: we should carry our beliefs lightly.

Living with provisional truths allows us to live with questions, to adapt, and to wonder. It acknowledges our limits while still empowering us to act meaningfully.

In the end, reality may be far stranger than we can grasp. But perhaps our task is not to “know” it fully, but to dance with it wisely—with humility, curiosity, and care.

The Life Dance: Balancing Being, Doing, and Planning

 We often speak of happiness as though it were a destination: somewhere we’ll finally arrive once the right conditions line up. Yet, in truth, happiness is not a place but a rhythm—a dance that requires us to balance three essential steps: Being, Doing, and Planning. Each of these is vital, and neglecting one can throw the whole rhythm out of sync.

Being: The Stillness of Presence

“Being” is the quiet, grounding state where we step out of the stream of activity and simply exist. It is meditation, mindful breathing, a quiet walk, or simply sitting with loved ones without distraction. In being, we reconnect with our deeper selves, our values, and the sheer wonder of life. Without moments of being, our days risk becoming mechanical, hurried, and devoid of meaning.

Doing: The Energy of Action

“Doing” is the active expression of our lives—the projects we complete, the conversations we have, the meals we prepare, and the service we give. Doing gives us momentum and a sense of accomplishment. It is the outward expression of our talents, our responsibilities, and our commitments. Yet without the anchor of being, doing can easily turn into overdoing, leaving us exhausted and hollow.

Planning: The Compass of Intention

“Planning” is the bridge between being and doing. It’s the act of looking ahead, setting priorities, and charting a course that aligns with our deeper values. Planning ensures our actions are not just reactions to circumstances but conscious choices moving us closer to our desired life. Without planning, doing risks becoming scattershot and ineffective. Too much planning, however, can trap us in analysis, keeping us from the joy of action or the peace of presence.

The Dance of Balance

True happiness and success emerge when we allow these three movements to flow together in harmony. Being nourishes the soul, doing fulfills the will, and planning provides direction. Together they form a life dance—dynamic, alive, and adaptive.

When we feel stressed or unfulfilled, it is often because one of these steps has been neglected. Too much doing without being? Burnout. Too much being without planning? Drifting. Too much planning without action? Stagnation.

A Practical Rhythm for Daily Life

• Morning: Begin with Being—silence, gratitude, or a mindful ritual.

• Daytime: Engage in Doing—focused, purposeful activity aligned with your values.

• Evening: Turn to Planning—reflect, learn, and set intentions for tomorrow.

Over time, this rhythm becomes not just a schedule but a way of life.

Closing Thought

The Life Dance is not about perfection but flow. Each day, we may falter, but each moment also offers a chance to return to balance. When Being, Doing, and Planning move together, we discover a happiness that is not fleeting but rooted, and a success that is not shallow but deeply satisfying.

Princess, the Quantum Orangutan

I am often asked: “How is Princess the orangutan?”

The truth is, I don’t know. The last time I saw Princess was in late October 2011. I saw her on an ecotour for just a day. She was lean, clever, and carrying on her life in the forest. She remembered many of the signs I taught her.

After that last visit, both Princess and Putri were relocated to a release camp on a different river system to prevent Princess from being attacked by aggressive females at Camp Leakey, her home since I adopted her in 1978.

Since then, I’ve only received scattered reports—one being that her daughter, Putri, came to the release camp alone, without Princess, looking agitated. Some suspected Princess might have died. But during fruiting periods, orangutans are known to avoid feeding stations, preferring to spend months in the forest foraging on wild fruit.

But beyond those glimpses and possibilities—silence.

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A Life in Quantum Balance

And in that silence, Princess exists in a peculiar way: both present and absent, both living and perhaps gone. She is in what I like to call a quantum state, much like Schrödinger’s famous cat—simultaneously alive and dead until we open the box, until someone brings proof one way or another.

“Until someone collapses the uncertainty with evidence, she remains alive in my heart and imagination.”

This is not just an intellectual trick. It is how we cope with uncertainty in the wild. Orangutans, unlike humans, don’t leave obituaries. They slip away into the forest, sometimes never to be seen again—even though they may live for decades more.

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Choosing Hope

I prefer to believe Princess is still alive—clambering through the trees, searching for wild durian, perhaps even pausing to reflect in those quiet, contemplative ways orangutans so often do.

Princess’s quantum state also speaks to something larger: the fragility of the orangutans’ existence itself. They hover on the edge between survival and extinction, depending on our actions.

• If we do nothing, the wave function collapses toward loss.

• If we act—with education, protection, and compassion—the future opens wide with possibility.

So I, the Orangutan Dad, keep Princess alive, not only for myself but as a symbol. She reminds me that while science demands proof, hope requires faith. And in that liminal space between the known and unknown, Princess the Quantum Orangutan endures.

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Postscript: A Quiet Choice

During a film shoot a few years later, I heard about an aggressive male orangutan who had been harassing the females around the release station. When I thought about Princess, I began to imagine her quietly making a choice.

She had already brought five young ones into the world and devoted years of her life to their care. Perhaps, sensing the dangers of another pregnancy and the very real risks of childbirth for an older orangutan, she decided to slip away.

I like to think she moved inland, closer to Camp Leakey—seeking peace, freedom, and the dignity of living life on her own terms.

Happiness in an Imperfect World

In my last post, I wrote about the possibility of limitless happiness. Yet a natural question arises: how can one be happy while at the same time being deeply concerned about the state of the environment, the decline of endangered species, the violence in our communities, and the corruption in our governments?

Isn’t happiness naïve in such a world? Doesn’t empathy for suffering lead to anguish?

The paradox is real. To care deeply is to open ourselves to pain. But it does not mean we must drown in it.

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Pain Without Suffering

When we witness a forest burning or hear of another endangered species sliding closer to extinction, we feel pain because we care. That pain is a sign of compassion, not a flaw. But suffering often comes when we resist reality, or when we believe we must single-handedly fix it all.

The first step is to allow pain to inform us without letting it consume us. Pain can be a guide; suffering need not be the outcome.

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From Angst to Purpose

The weight of the world becomes lighter when empathy is channeled into action. Instead of despair, we can let our concern inspire us to:

• Educate and uplift others.

• Protect what remains of our natural heritage.

• Speak out against injustice and corruption.

Action turns angst into purpose. And purpose nourishes joy.

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Holding Two Truths

Life is never just one thing. The world is filled with cruelty and destruction. But it is also filled with wonder, beauty, and love.

The trick is to hold both truths without collapsing into either despair or denial. A sunrise, the laughter of a child, the gaze of an orangutan—all remind us that beauty persists even in dark times. Happiness grows in the soil of gratitude.

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Fierce Compassion

True compassion is not weak; it is fierce. It means:

• Feeling deeply, but not drowning.

• Acting strongly, but not hating.

• Protecting fiercely, while maintaining inner stillness.

This balance allows us to engage with the world’s pain without being broken by it.

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Inner Sanctuaries

To sustain happiness, we must create daily sanctuaries of renewal. For me, it might be a walk in the park with my wife, time spent in quiet reflection, or the joy of writing stories that connect humans with the lives of orangutans.

For you, it may be meditation, music, gardening, or time with loved ones. These practices refill the well from which compassion flows.

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A Longer View

The challenges we face—deforestation, climate change, crime, corruption—do not resolve overnight. They unfold over generations. Remembering this can free us from the urgency that breeds despair. Every action, however small, bends the arc toward healing.

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Happiness as Steadfast Ground

Ultimately, our happiness need not depend on the outcome of global struggles. It arises from living in alignment with our values. By cultivating joy within, we are not retreating from the world but strengthening our ability to serve it.

Happiness, then, is not a denial of suffering—it is the soil that allows compassion and action to flourish.

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The lesson is simple but profound:

We can be happy and deeply concerned. We can feel the pain of the world without being consumed by it. By anchoring ourselves in purpose, gratitude, and inner stillness, we sustain the happiness that allows us to keep giving, keep protecting, and keep loving—even in an imperfect world.

Limitless Happiness, Part 3: Anchoring Joy for a Lifetime

In Part 1, we began by defining limitless happiness, exploring self-knowledge, and freeing ourselves from the grip of external validation.

In Part 2, we uncovered the traps of desire, quick fixes, and comparison that can quietly pull us off course.

Now we turn to the practices that make happiness enduring—not dependent on trends, possessions, or fleeting moods, but rooted so deeply that it becomes part of who you are.

1. Purpose and Meaning as Anchors

When happiness is tethered only to personal comfort or achievement, it can feel fragile. Purpose gives it weight and direction.

Purpose doesn’t have to mean a grand, world-changing mission—it can be as simple as nurturing your family, mentoring a young person, tending a garden, or creating art that inspires. What matters is that it connects you to something larger than yourself.

Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, wrote, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.’”

When you have a why, life’s challenges don’t erase your happiness—they deepen it, because you see them as part of your larger story.

2. Mindfulness and Presence

Mindfulness is not a buzzword—it’s the art of fully inhabiting the moment you are in.

It’s the ability to savor a meal without scrolling your phone, to hear a friend’s words without rehearsing your reply, to walk outside and actually feel the air on your skin.

When you live in presence, happiness is no longer delayed until some future event. It’s woven into the ordinary now. And the beauty of this practice is that the more you cultivate it, the more life feels vivid, meaningful, and whole.

3. Resilience: The Happiness Shield

Life will throw storms at you—loss, illness, failure, change. Resilience is the skill that allows you to bend without breaking.

Resilience doesn’t mean you never feel pain; it means you don’t stay stuck there. You recover, adapt, and carry forward the wisdom the hardship taught you.

And the stronger your resilience, the more you can experience happiness not as something fragile and easily taken away, but as something that can coexist with life’s inevitable ups and downs.

The Heart of Limitless Happiness

Happiness is not a trophy to be won, a product to be purchased, or a destination to arrive at. It’s a way of being—nurtured by truth, shaped by purpose, and sustained by presence.

When you step back from the noise of consumer promises, from the pressure of comparison, and from the lure of shortcuts, you see that you were never lacking. The joy you sought “out there” has always lived “in here.”

Limitless happiness is not about adding more to your life.

It’s about removing the barriers that keep you from seeing that you already have enough to feel whole.

So, take a deep breath. Trust your path. And know this: you are free to choose happiness at every step, because it was never anyone else’s to give or take.