One of the most original actresses of her time tells the lessons she’s learned about being a student, a fan, and an original.

Have I ever doubted myself? Have I ever not?

That’s true. I did live in a tree house dressed like an elf. You have to understand: Stanford in the early seventies was a very freewheeling place. Everyone was doing something different. I had friends in geodesic domes and trailers. Maybe we were the only people living in a tree house. But, you know, you get sick of dorm life after a while. I was living in the dorm with a group of girls who were incredibly conservative. I just had to get out. So I jumped out my window and never went back.

You get dressed like an elf and you know you’re going to have a good day.

The gorillas know what’s important. Family, play, nature, just eating enough, not taking someone else’s food. They live so simply. They’re in the moment. When people say, “We’re not descendants of apes,” I think, We should be so lucky to be more like them. They’re so far ahead of us on the evolutionary scale.

For more wisdom from Sigourney Weaver, read her full What I’ve Learned at Esquire.com.