Life observing author remains optimistic about mankind

People were urged not to let the TV news programmes decide their feelings about the state of the planet, at an event last week in Kilcullen where positivity very much trumped pessimism, writes Brian Byrne. The occasion was 'Conversation with Desmond Morris', the renowned zoologist, TV programme maker and sociobiologist, in Kilcullen's Woodbine Books. He is looking to his 95th birthday but is still an active author and observer of life.

He told a very appreciative audience that the 'human story' will end some day, 'but not for a very very long time'. He was responding to a question as to whether he was remaining optimistic in the face of the current wars and climate change challenges. "I am very optimistic, because as a species we are still asking questions," he said. "Though that we recently passed the eight billion mark of population IS a problem, because the world is over-populated at the moment." He noted that when he was born, it stood at around two billion.

Desmond Morris's positivity in the face of apparently insurmountable issues is also based on a belief that science is constantly coming up with solutions to problems. "For instance, medical researchers have recently made major breakthroughs on dealing with cancer, learning how it 'lies' to our immune systems. Knowing that, cancer will soon cease to exist." He referenced also the ability of science and technology to develop previously unimaginable inventions, such as computers. "How would you have explained computers to your grandfather? My great-grandfather wrote books, but he wrote longhand. He could never have imagined a computer — I can talk to my computer, and it writes what I speak, I don't even have to use a keyboard any more."

He also noted that when he was growing up, when he went to see his first film cinema was quite new, and they didn't have television. He suggested that given the rate of change in so many areas over the past 50 years, technologies likely to be developed in the coming half-century will be so far ahead of what can be imagined today that mankind should be able to solve many current problems. "We can't imagine what will have been invented then, it would be as difficult for us to understand as it was for my great grandparents to understand computers. That's why I remain optimistic, because we are such an inventive species and we never stop asking questions."

English by birth, Desmond Morris lives with family in Athgarvan since 2018 and told his Kilcullen audience that he he is very happy and enjoying his life in Ireland. With some 70 books to his credit, the ones he is best known for are 'The Naked Ape', 'The Human Zoo', and 'Manwatching'. The author tells the story of his friend and sometimes rival David Attenborough saying that being fascinated by this small planet 'will keep you going'. Even though he has his own cancer issues — "luckily it's not very aggressive" — for which his medication results in him having 'to remain seated for much of the time', he is still going. "There is so much about the world we live in that we don't understand, that's why I'm still here."

As well as for the literary results of talking to his computer, Desmond Morris is also a very well-considered surrealist painter, an activity which he took up while at boarding school during WW2. He says his painting was a form of rebellion against what he saw as he and his teenage fellow pupils being prepared to go to war and kill each other. "I rebelled in two ways," he recalled. "One was that I preferred jazz instead of traditional styles of music, which upset my school's music master. The other was a rebellion against traditional art." He also recalled rebelling 'in a very Irish way' by reading out loud a passage from 'Finnegan's Wake' during school assembly instead of the more usual Bible tract. "I have never seen such a sea of glazed expressions," he said, to appreciative laughter. His grand-daughter Tillie is today the director of the Dun Laoghaire Institute for Visual Arts which he opened earlier this year, and which recently hosted an exhibition of his own works.

The evening in Kilcullen included some reflections on what he is best known for, interpreting body language. In particular he has had a very interesting time watching politicians on the world stage, including Donald Trump. "I have a badge at home which says 'Vote Trump', not because I wanted him to win but rather that he was a feast of body language. It's rather sad that the politicians who have the best body language are usually the worst politicians." 

The event concluded with signings of the author's updated memoir, 'Watching', during which Desmond Morris in his trademark style gave all the time in the world to chat with anyone who wanted to.

NOTE: This article was first published in The Kildare Nationalist.

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