--- title: "8 Genes Quotes By E. O. Wilson" description: "8 Genes quotes by E. O. Wilson. Plus more from E. O. Wilson and more Genes sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/e-o-wilson-1348_evolution_the-variety-of-genes-on-the-planet-in-vi_241258.png" --- > [The variety of genes on the planet in viruses exceeds, or is likely to exceed, that in all of the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-variety-of-genes-on-the-planet-in-viruses-exceeds-or-is-likely-to/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/e-o-wilson-1348_evolution_the-variety-of-genes-on-the-planet-in-vi_241258.png) > [The great paradox of determinism and free will, which has held the attention of the wisest of philosophers and psychologists for generations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-great-paradox-of-determinism-and-free-will-which-has-held-the/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c43/e-o-wilson-1348_agents_the-great-paradox-of-determinism-and-fre_629705.jpg) > [The newborn infant is now seen to be wired with awesome precision... This marvelous robot will be launched into the world under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-newborn-infant-is-now-seen-to-be-wired-with-awesome-precision/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d34/e-o-wilson-1348_birth_the-newborn-infant-is-now-seen-to-be-wir_782873.jpg) > [The genes hold culture on a leash. The leash is very long, but inevitably values will be constrained in accordance with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-genes-hold-culture-on-a-leash-the-leash-is-very-long-but/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bba/e-o-wilson-1348_behavior_the-genes-hold-culture-on-a-leash-the-le_1428049.jpg) > [Human beings function better if they are deceived by their genes into thinking that there is a disinterested objective morality binding upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/human-beings-function-better-if-they-are-deceived-by-their-genes-into/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/e-o-wilson-1348_binding_human-beings-function-better-if-they-are_2117837.png) > [In the process of natural selection, then, any device that can insert a higher proportion of certain genes into subsequent generations will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/in-the-process-of-natural-selection-then-any-device-that-can-insert-a/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/522/e-o-wilson-1348_certain_in-the-process-of-natural-selection-then_2425338.jpg) > [We are compelled to drive toward total knowledge, right down to the levels of the neuron and the gene. When we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/we-are-compelled-to-drive-toward-total-knowledge-right-down-to-the/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/e-o-wilson-1348_accepting_we-are-compelled-to-drive-toward-total-k_2824179.png) > [The search for knowledge is in our genes. It was put there by our distant ancestors who spread across the world, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-search-for-knowledge-is-in-our-genes-it-was-put-there-by-our/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58c/e-o-wilson-1348_ancestor_the-search-for-knowledge-is-in-our-genes_3027071.jpg) ## Other authors on Genes ## More by E. O. Wilson > [Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/without-a-trace-of-irony-i-can-say-i-have-been-blessed-with-brilliant/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [It's always been a dream of mine, of exploring the living world, of classifying all the species and finding out what makes up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/it-s-always-been-a-dream-of-mine-of-exploring-the-living-world-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Competing is intense among humans, and within a group, selfish individuals always win. But in contests between groups, groups of altruists always beat groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/competing-is-intense-among-humans-and-within-a-group-selfish/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [When all else fails, men turn to reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/when-all-else-fails-men-turn-to-reason/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The commitment must be much deeper - to let no species knowingly die; to take all reasonable action to protect every species and race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-commitment-must-be-much-deeper-to-let-no-species-knowingly-die-to/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Science is not marginal. Like art, it is a universal possession of humanity, and scientific knowledge has become a vital part of our species'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/science-is-not-marginal-like-art-it-is-a-universal-possession-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The living environment is the biosphere, the thin layer around the world of living organisms. We're part of that. Our existence is dependent on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-living-environment-is-the-biosphere-the-thin-layer-around-the/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The biological evolutionary perception of life and of human qualities is radically different from that of traditional religion, whether it's Southern Baptist or Islam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-biological-evolutionary-perception-of-life-and-of-human-qualities/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/we-should-preserve-every-scrap-of-biodiversity-as-priceless-while-we/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [In many environments, take away the ants and there would be partial collapses in many of the land ecosystems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/in-many-environments-take-away-the-ants-and-there-would-be-partial/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [If those committed to the quest fail, they will be forgiven. When lost, they will find another way. The moral imperative of humanism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/if-those-committed-to-the-quest-fail-they-will-be-forgiven-when-lost/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The extinctions ongoing worldwide promise to be at least as great as the mass extinction that occurred at the end of the age of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-extinctions-ongoing-worldwide-promise-to-be-at-least-as-great-as/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Most people are surprised when they hear my somber figures: we know of 2 million species of plants, animals and microorganisms, and we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/most-people-are-surprised-when-they-hear-my-somber-figures-we-know-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Because the living environment is what really sustains us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/because-the-living-environment-is-what-really-sustains-us/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [The variety of genes on the planet in viruses exceeds, or is likely to exceed, that in all of the rest of life combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-variety-of-genes-on-the-planet-in-viruses-exceeds-or-is-likely-to/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes/e-o-wilson/#itemlist", "name": "8 Genes Quotes By E. O. Wilson", "numberOfItems": 8, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The variety of genes on the planet in viruses exceeds, or is likely to exceed, that in all of the rest of life combined.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "E. O. 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