I used to very politely say that if there is free will then it's in all sorts of boring places, like whether you're going to pick up this or that fork as you begin your meal. There really is none: It's all biology.
Robert SapolskyRead
Baboons who have friends do much better in terms of their physiology. And if that applies to a baboon, it could certainly apply for a human.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Friendship enhances well-being and health.
In this quote, Robert Sapolsky highlights the importance of social connections by referencing baboons, suggesting that, just like these animals, human beings also benefit physiologically from strong friendships. The implication is that our emotional and social bonds can significantly influence our health and overall quality of life.
Themes
FriendshipHealthWell-BeingSocial ConnectionsRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a speech about the benefits of social support in mental health.
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My adolescent rebellions took the form of, if anything, passive aggressively doing what was asked of me but doing it ten times more than what was asked of me, so that eventually they'd have to beg me to stop.
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When humans invented material inequality, they came up with a way of subjugating the low-ranking like nothing ever seen before in the primate world.
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Yes, genes are important for understanding our behavior. Incredibly important - after all, they code for every protein pertinent to brain function, endocrinology, etc., etc. But the regulation of genes is often more interesting than the genes themselves, and it's the environment that regulates genes.
Robert SapolskyRead
I expected social rank to be the determining factor in health, and in some ways that's true. But far more important is what sort of society that rank occurs in. Being low ranking in a benevolent troop is a hell of a lot better for your blood pressure than being low ranking in an aggressive troop.
Robert SapolskyRead
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