For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much–the wheel, New York, wars and so on–whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man–for precisely the same reasons. Douglas Adams
About This Quote

In a humorous context, the author is making a very basic point: we tend to overestimate the intelligence of other creatures and underestimate our own. This is often done as if it were an inevitable impulse—a way of saying that humans are just as "stupid" as other animals. This is an example of the argument that assumes that because we can do something, we must be able to do it.

Source: The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy

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