---
title: "5 Genes Quotes By Matt Ridley"
description: "5 Genes quotes by Matt Ridley. Plus more from Matt Ridley and more Genes sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/matt-ridley-8082_apes_if-you-think-being-descended-from-apes-i_326347.png"
---

> [“If you think being descended from apes is bad for your self esteem, then get used to the idea that you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/if-you-think-being-descended-from-apes-is-bad-for-your-self-esteem/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/matt-ridley-8082_apes_if-you-think-being-descended-from-apes-i_326347.png)

> [Every minute, every second, the pattern of genes being expressed in your brain changes, often in direct or indirect response to events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/every-minute-every-second-the-pattern-of-genes-being-expressed-in/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/matt-ridley-8082_body_every-minute-every-second-the-pattern-of_460168.png)

> [The body is merely an evolutionary vehicle for the gene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/the-body-is-merely-an-evolutionary-vehicle-for-the-gene/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/matt-ridley-8082_body_the-body-is-merely-an-evolutionary-vehic_2334657.png)

> [Our minds have been built by selfish genes, but they have been built to be social, trustworthy and cooperative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/our-minds-have-been-built-by-selfish-genes-but-they-have-been-built/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/matt-ridley-8082_built_our-minds-have-been-built-by-selfish-gen_2586011.png)

> [“Genes are biochemical recipes written in a four-letter alphabet called DNA.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/genes-are-biochemical-recipes-written-in-a-four-letter-alphabet/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/matt-ridley-8082_alphabet_genes-are-biochemical-recipes-written-in_3138777.png)

## Other authors on Genes

## More by Matt Ridley

> [I felt cheated by the way grown-ups told me that the future of the world was bleak when I became a teenager in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/i-felt-cheated-by-the-way-grown-ups-told-me-that-the-future-of-the/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [“If you attend a meeting of evolutionary biologists somewhere in America, you might be lucky and spot a tall, gray-whiskered, smiling man bearing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/if-you-attend-a-meeting-of-evolutionary-biologists-somewhere-in/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [“Merchants and craftsmen make prosperity; chiefs, priests and thieves fritter it away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/merchants-and-craftsmen-make-prosperity-chiefs-priests-and-thieves/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [At some point, human intelligence became collective and cumulative in a way that happened to no other animal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/at-some-point-human-intelligence-became-collective-and-cumulative-in/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [We consciously decide whether to consider people; we fall in love despite ourselves; we entirely fail to fall in love with people who fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/we-consciously-decide-whether-to-consider-people-we-fall-in-love/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [It's terrifying the way molecular biology has become more and more jargon ridden. But I strongly believe that my book can be read by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/it-s-terrifying-the-way-molecular-biology-has-become-more-and-more/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [“The gene contains a single 'word', repeated over and over again: CAG, CAG, CAG, CAG ... The repetition continues sometimes just six times, sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/the-gene-contains-a-single-word-repeated-over-and-over-again-cag-cag/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [“If you think being descended from apes is bad for your self esteem, then get used to the idea that you are also descended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/if-you-think-being-descended-from-apes-is-bad-for-your-self-esteem/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [Government can encourage innovation, but mainly by doing less, not doing more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/government-can-encourage-innovation-but-mainly-by-doing-less-not/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [Note even Jonathan Swift would dare to write a satire in which politicians argued that - in a world where species are vanishing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/note-even-jonathan-swift-would-dare-to-write-a-satire-in-which/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [The evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in 1976 coined the term ‘meme’ for a unit of cultural imitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/the-evolutionary-biologist-richard-dawkins-in-1976-coined-the-term/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [This idea holds out hope that the human race will prosper mightily in the years ahead-because ideas are having sex with each other as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/this-idea-holds-out-hope-that-the-human-race-will-prosper-mightily-in/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [“Well, in OUR country,’ said Alice, still panting a little, ‘you’d generally get to somewhere else—if you ran very fast for a long time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/well-in-our-country-said-alice-still-panting-a-little-you-d-generally/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [“Far from being choosy, female primates seemed to be initiators of much promiscuity. Hrdy began to suggest that there was something wrong with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/far-from-being-choosy-female-primates-seemed-to-be-initiators-of-much/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [Every minute, every second, the pattern of genes being expressed in your brain changes, often in direct or indirect response to events outside the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/every-minute-every-second-the-pattern-of-genes-being-expressed-in/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes/matt-ridley/#itemlist",
            "name": "5 Genes Quotes By Matt Ridley",
            "numberOfItems": 5,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "“If you think being descended from apes is bad for your self esteem, then get used to the idea that you are also descended from viruses.”",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Matt Ridley"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/if-you-think-being-descended-from-apes-is-bad-for-your-self-esteem/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/matt-ridley-8082_apes_if-you-think-being-descended-from-apes-i_326347.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/matt-ridley-8082_apes_if-you-think-being-descended-from-apes-i_326347.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/matt-ridley-8082_apes_if-you-think-being-descended-from-apes-i_326347.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“If you think being descended from apes is bad for your self esteem, then get used to the idea that you are…” — Matt Ridley",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Every minute, every second, the pattern of genes being expressed in your brain changes, often in direct or indirect response to events outside the body. Genes are the mechanisms of experience.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Matt Ridley"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/every-minute-every-second-the-pattern-of-genes-being-expressed-in/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/matt-ridley-8082_body_every-minute-every-second-the-pattern-of_460168.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/matt-ridley-8082_body_every-minute-every-second-the-pattern-of_460168.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fab/matt-ridley-8082_body_every-minute-every-second-the-pattern-of_460168.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Every minute, every second, the pattern of genes being expressed in your brain changes, often in direct or…” — Matt Ridley",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "The body is merely an evolutionary vehicle for the gene",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Matt Ridley"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/the-body-is-merely-an-evolutionary-vehicle-for-the-gene/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/matt-ridley-8082_body_the-body-is-merely-an-evolutionary-vehic_2334657.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/matt-ridley-8082_body_the-body-is-merely-an-evolutionary-vehic_2334657.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/matt-ridley-8082_body_the-body-is-merely-an-evolutionary-vehic_2334657.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“The body is merely an evolutionary vehicle for the gene” — Matt Ridley",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Our minds have been built by selfish genes, but they have been built to be social, trustworthy and cooperative.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Matt Ridley"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/our-minds-have-been-built-by-selfish-genes-but-they-have-been-built/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/matt-ridley-8082_built_our-minds-have-been-built-by-selfish-gen_2586011.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/matt-ridley-8082_built_our-minds-have-been-built-by-selfish-gen_2586011.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/matt-ridley-8082_built_our-minds-have-been-built-by-selfish-gen_2586011.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Our minds have been built by selfish genes, but they have been built to be social, trustworthy and…” — Matt Ridley",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "“Genes are biochemical recipes written in a four-letter alphabet called DNA.”",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Matt Ridley"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/genes-are-biochemical-recipes-written-in-a-four-letter-alphabet/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/matt-ridley-8082_alphabet_genes-are-biochemical-recipes-written-in_3138777.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/matt-ridley-8082_alphabet_genes-are-biochemical-recipes-written-in_3138777.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/matt-ridley-8082_alphabet_genes-are-biochemical-recipes-written-in_3138777.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Genes are biochemical recipes written in a four-letter alphabet called DNA.” — Matt Ridley",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes/matt-ridley/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes/matt-ridley/",
            "name": "Genes Quotes by Matt Ridley",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes/matt-ridley/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bc/matt-ridley-8082_apes_if-you-think-being-descended-from-apes-i_326347.png"
            },
            "description": "5 Genes quotes by Matt Ridley. Plus more from Matt Ridley and more Genes sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes/matt-ridley/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes/matt-ridley/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Genes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Matt Ridley",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes/matt-ridley/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```