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
My roots, in college, were in behavior in the context of evolution.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the connection between behavior and evolution, highlighting the importance of understanding human actions within an evolutionary framework.
In this quote, Robert Sapolsky reflects on his academic foundation, focusing on how behavior is influenced by evolutionary processes. By acknowledging his roots in studying behavior through the lens of evolution, he underscores the significance of understanding the biological and evolutionary factors that shape our actions and interactions, hinting at the complexity of human nature and the interplay between biology and behavior.
Themes
BehaviorEvolutionScienceHuman NaturePsychology
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about the implications of evolution on modern psychology, this quote can be used to introduce the topic.
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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.
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There is no branch of mathematics, however abstract, which may not some day be applied to phenomena of the real world.
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I have a reverence for medicine because I hero-worshiped my father [a former doctor], and because I admire doctors, I admire study, empiricism and rational thought. I don't study, empiricize or think rationally myself - but I admire it in others.
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