Wolfgang Köhler

The perception of sound is not a series of discrete tones, but a continuous melody.

The Gestalt principles provide a foundation for understanding the organization of experience.

The chimpanzee's ability to plan ahead demonstrates a remarkable degree of cognitive sophistication.

The perception of time is not a linear progression, but a subjective experience.

The Gestalt approach emphasizes the importance of the 'field' in understanding psychological phenomena.

The study of animal behavior can help us to understand the origins of language.

The perception of causality is not a learned association, but an inherent aspect of human cognition.

The Gestalt principles offer a powerful framework for understanding human creativity.

The chimpanzee's ability to cooperate with others demonstrates a capacity for social intelligence.

The perception of beauty is not a subjective preference, but an objective quality of form.

The Gestalt approach emphasizes the importance of the 'present moment' in understanding experience.

The whole is other than the sum of its parts.

Insight does not consist of a chain of reasoning processes, but is the result of a sudden reorganization of the field.

We can no more describe the essential character of intelligence by means of a static structure than we can describe a living organism by a photograph.

The observer must be careful not to impose his own interpretations on the behavior of the animal.

Perception is not a mosaic of sensations, but a structured whole.

True understanding comes not from trial and error, but from seeing the solution all at once.

The mind does not work by adding up isolated experiences, but by forming dynamic patterns.

In the chimpanzee's sudden solution to the problem, we see the birth of intelligence.

Gestalt theory maintains that the existence of such wholes is a primary fact of experience.