After conservationist and primatologist Jane Goodall died at 91 on Oct. 1, 2025, many posts in tribute to her included a quote, attributed to Goodall, that read, "It actually doesn't take much to be considered a difficult woman. That's why there are so many of us."
Dozens of posts attributing the quote to Goodall spread across multiple platforms, including Instagram (archived), Facebook (archived), LinkedIn (archived), Goodreads (archived) and Substack (archived).
We found there is no evidence Goodall publicly stated or wrote the quote in any of her published works. Rather, Karen Karbo — author of "In Praise of Difficult Women" — said the quote during a 2018 interview with National Geographic (archived). Therefore we've rated this claim an incorrect attribution.
The National Geographic article touched on Goodall as well as other "difficult women," including aviator Amelia Earhart and newscaster Rachel Maddow. The interviewer's comment and Karbo's full response was as follows (emphasis ours):
Being difficult is usually a negative character trait. But you celebrate it as a virtue. Unpack the paradox for us and explain how it links the diverse women you profile.
There are invisible quotes around "difficult" that don't appear in the title. Women who are strong, passionate and determined don't walk around saying, "Oh, look, I'm difficult." They just believe they're living their lives. It's a word slapped on them by other people. If you don't care too much what people think, you risk being called a difficult woman because you're not staying in your lane or doing what is expected of you. For the most part, any time a woman doesn't do that she can be called difficult. When a woman inconveniences somebody she can be called difficult. A woman who believes her own needs, goals, and desires are at least as important as everyone around her risks being called difficult. One of the first reviewers said, "That's a pretty low bar." I said, "Thank you for making my point for me." Because it actually doesn't take much to be considered a difficult woman. That's why there are so many of us. [laughs]
The National Geographic article did feature comments on Goodall — whom the magazine featured multiple times throughout her life. In regard to Goodall, Karbo said:
Jane Goodall was one of my very first idols. My parents had a subscription to Nat Geo and before I could even read I would flip through pictures of Jane Goodall in Africa, squatting down in her khaki shorts, talking to a chimp. But it is important to look at where she came from. She was one of only eight people ever allowed to do a Cambridge PhD program without having an undergraduate degree. Everything she knew, she knew from the field.
It was unclear precisely where the misattribution originated, and we found no evidence that Goodall made the quote in question herself in any public talks or her written work. We wrote to the Jane Goodall Institute seeking comment or any further information and did not immediately receive a response. We will update this story if we do.
Other than the fact that Karbo said the exact quote in her interview with National Geographic, there are also other clues as to why the quote is not correctly attributed to Goodall. For example, we did not come across any version of the quote that varied in length and gave the full context of the words in question. If any of them did, it would have revealed Karbo's reference to one of her book reviewers. We also did not encounter any online post attributing the quote to Goodall that pointed to where the quote originated; for example, a book or speech Goodall gave.
In sum, this is a quote by Karbo widely misattributed to Goodall. Karbo made the quote in a 2018 National Geographic article, and there is no evidence of the exact quote appearing online before 2018 or in Goodall's public speeches or written work.
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