In troubled times, we gravitate toward those who make a convincing case for hope. Franklin Roosevelt assured Depression-era Americans that the only thing to fear was fear itself. Martin Luther King Jr., inspired us with his dream of equal rights. More recently, Jane Goodall has insisted that, despite countless self-inflicted catastrophes, homo sapiens might have a bright future on this planet. From a scientist with no illusions about primate behavior, its a startlingly optimistic vision.

In the 1960s, Goodall was the first primatologist to get an up-close, extended, forest-level view of chimpanzees. Her groundbreaking studies in Tanzanias Gombe Stream National Park shed light on humans closest relatives and, by extension, on us. She observed intercommunity wars that stretched on for years. Chimps brutalized one another, hitting, kicking and even brandishing weapons. Sound familiar?

Goodall made the connection between chimpanzees aggression and our own. In both cases, its triggered by jealousy, fear, revenge and the scramble for resources. But in Goodalls view, theres no doubt about which species acquired the worst traits during evolution. Chimps simply arent capable of depravity on a human scale. Unlike them, we inflict pain methodically, in holocausts, inquisitions and other terrors unknown among the great apes.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 23 Dr. Jane Goodall attends the TIME 100 Summit 2019 on April 23, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for TIME) (Craig Barritt/Getty Images for TIME)

Goodall, who turns 89 today, has witnessed her share of modern-day cruelty. She learned of the Nazi death camps as an English schoolgirl during World War II. She endured the kidnapping of students from her Gombe research station. She recoiled from animal abuse in laboratories and on factory farms. Its no surprise that she had second thoughts about bringing her son into the world.

So how did Goodall travel from horror to hope? Once again, it starts with her primate studies. If aggression is coded in our genes, so too is compassion.

In chimpanzee society, nurturing is common. Individuals maintain friendships through tickling, wrestling and social grooming. Dominant chimps break up fights and restore harmony, a forerunner of our own moral impulses.

In morality, Goodall sees our salvation: patterns of caring that have evolved right alongside patterns of selfishness. She marvels over acts of altruism, extending even to those outside our gene pool. Yes, people can behave worse than chimpanzees, but we can also behave better, with conscious acts of self-sacrifice.

So here we are, the human ape, half sinner, half saint, with two opposing tendencies inherited from our ancient past pulling us now toward violence, now toward compassion and love, Goodall writes in her autobiographical Reason for Hope.

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She believes our better angels can win the tug-of-war. Thanks to a sophisticated brain, we have increasingly overcome our base instincts. Goodall cites plenty of examples from her own lifetime: improved conditions for the poor, the rise of corporate responsibility, growing concern for the environment. Weve come a long way in a short time, at least by evolutionary standards.

But theres a catch in Goodalls hopefulness. We must actively work to save the Earth and fast. In the Goodall gospel, each one of us has immense power to do good. And if enough of us exercise that power, miracles happen.

That might sound nave, but look at what Goodall herself has accomplished. She grew up with no aristocratic advantages, toiling as a waitress to earn money for her first trip to Africa. Still, she dedicated herself to good causes, starting small and scaling up as she had the chance. Today, her Roots & Shoots program helps children solve problems around the globe. The Jane Goodall Institutes Tchimpounga sanctuary protects chimpanzees from illegal hunting. In her tireless travels, Goodall advocates for human rights and conservation.

True, most of us cant create our own institutes. And most of us will never have a megaphone as large as Goodalls. But, as she has said, Every single one of us matters and has a role to play. Maybe its by purchasing an environmentally friendly product, even if it costs a bit more. Maybe its by helping a stranger rather than feuding with one on social media. When we choose to stop acting like chimpanzees at their worst hitting and kicking we perpetuate our species noblest qualities.

Goodalls mother once sent a Winston Churchill quote to buck her up during a stressful moment. It was one of the British prime ministers morale-boosting exhortations from World War II, that formative period in Janes childhood: This is not a time for doubts or weakness this is the supreme hour to which we are called.

Now, Goodall herself is the leader calling us to action. If we follow her example, perhaps our own struggle for survival will prove victorious.

Robbins is a journalist and childrens author. His book You Are a Star, Jane Goodall is newly published by Scholastic.

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Jane Goodall's message of hope for all humanity: On her 89th ... - New York Daily News