After spending decades researching chimpanzee actions, Jane Goodall became a specialist on the combative nature of alpha males. In a freshly unveiled interview recorded shortly before her death, the celebrated primatologist revealed her unconventional solution for addressing certain individuals she viewed as exhibiting similar traits: sending them on a permanent journey into space.
This extraordinary viewpoint into Goodall's mindset emerges from the Netflix production "Famous Last Words", which was filmed in March and kept secret until after her latest demise at 91 years old.
"I know individuals I'm not fond of, and I wish to place them on a SpaceX vessel and launch them to the celestial body he's sure he's going to discover," remarked Goodall during her conversation with Brad Falchuk.
When questioned whether the SpaceX founder, known for his disputed actions and associations, would be among them, Goodall responded with certainty.
"Certainly, without doubt. He could serve as the host. Picture who I'd put on that vessel. Together with Musk would be Trump and various Trump's dedicated followers," she declared.
"And then I would put Vladimir Putin on board, and I would put Xi Jinping. I would definitely include the Israeli leader in there and his far-right government. Send them all on that vessel and dispatch them."
This was not the initial instance that Goodall, a champion of environmental causes, had voiced concerns about the political figure in particular.
In a earlier conversation, she had remarked that he showed "the same sort of behavior as a male chimpanzee will show when vying for leadership with a rival. They're upright, they strut, they portray themselves as really more large and hostile than they truly are in order to intimidate their opponents."
During her final interview, Goodall expanded upon her understanding of alpha personalities.
"We observe, remarkably, two types of dominant individual. The first achieves dominance through pure aggression, and because they're strong and they combat, they don't last for extended periods. Another group achieves dominance by using their brains, like an aspiring leader will only challenge a superior one if his companion, typically a relative, is with him. And you know, they endure far more extended periods," she detailed.
The renowned scientist also examined the "political aspect" of actions, and what her comprehensive research had revealed to her about hostile actions exhibited by people and primates when confronted with something they perceived as hostile, even if no risk truly existed.
"Chimpanzees see an outsider from an adjacent group, and they grow highly agitated, and their hair erect, and they extend and contact each other, and they show expressions of hostility and apprehension, and it spreads, and the remaining members catch that feeling that a single individual has had, and the entire group grows hostile," she explained.
"It transmits easily," she noted. "Various exhibitions that turn aggressive, it sweeps through them. Everyone desires to become and join in and turn violent. They're protecting their area or battling for dominance."
When questioned if she thought the same behaviors occurred in human beings, Goodall answered: "Likely, on occasion. But I firmly think that the majority of individuals are good."
"My biggest hope is raising the upcoming generation of compassionate citizens, beginnings and development. But are we allowing enough time? It's unclear. These are difficult times."
Goodall, a London native five years before the beginning of the the global conflict, likened the struggle against the darkness of current political landscape to England opposing German forces, and the "determined resistance" displayed by Winston Churchill.
"That doesn't mean you avoid having moments of depression, but subsequently you recover and state, 'Alright, I won't allow to permit their victory'," she commented.
"It's similar to the leader throughout the battle, his renowned address, we shall combat them on the beaches, we will resist them in the streets and metropolitan centers, then he turned aside to an associate and allegedly commented, 'and we'll fight them at the ends of shattered glass because that's all we actually possess'."
In her final address, Goodall provided words of encouragement for those combating governmental suppression and the ecological disaster.
"At present, when the planet is difficult, there still is optimism. Maintain optimism. When faith diminishes, you become indifferent and take no action," she counseled.
"Should you wish to protect the remaining beauty on our planet – when you wish to preserve Earth for the future generations, your grandchildren, later generations – then consider the choices you make daily. Since, expanded a million, a billion times, even small actions will make for substantial improvement."
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