Why We’re Not Chimps

For generations, we’ve gazed into the eyes of chimpanzees and seen ourselves reflected back—a comforting mirror that suggested our nature was written in their behavior. But what if we’ve been looking at the wrong animal all along? In The Primate Myth, the author Jonathan Leaf dismantles one of modern science’s most cherished assumptions: that studying our closest genetic relatives reveals the essence of human nature. The stakes extend far beyond academic taxonomy. How we understand ourselves shapes everything from war and peace to family structure and democratic governance. If we’re less like territorial apes and more like cooperative wolves or communicative dolphins, the implications ripple through policy, ethics, and our understanding of what drives human conflict and cooperation. This conversation explores why a scientific error persists, what comparative biology actually reveals about humanity, and how correcting our self-image might reshape debates on sexuality, warfare, and social organization.