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Female animals defending their young are notoriously ferocious and lack the playful delight in combat which characterizes the mock combats of males of the same species. There seems very little ground for claiming that the mother of young children is more peaceful, more responsible, and more thoughtful for the welfare of the human race than is her husband or brother.

— Margaret Mead Male and Female (1949)

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More quotes by Margaret Mead

I must admit that I personally measure success in terms of the contributions an individual makes to her or his fellow human beings.

Margaret Mead: Some Personal Views (1979)

I have spent most of my life studying the lives of other peoples — faraway peoples — so that Americans might better understand themselves.

Justin Wintle (2002)

It is not until science has become a discipline to which the research ability of any mind from any class in society can be attracted that it can become rigorously scientific.

Growing Up in New Guinea (1930)

Thanks to television, for the first time the young are seeing history made before it is censored by their elders.

Banned Books Week '93: Celebrating the Freedom to Read (1993)

Women want mediocre men, and men are working hard to be as mediocre as possible.

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Margaret Mead (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.