--- title: "4 Genes Quotes By Susan Blackmore" description: "4 Genes quotes by Susan Blackmore. Plus more from Susan Blackmore and more Genes sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8e/susan-blackmore-24318_analogies_one-of-the-biggest-mistakes-that-people_437917.jpg" --- > [One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they think about memes is they try to extend on the analogy with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/one-of-the-biggest-mistakes-that-people-make-when-they-think-about/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8e/susan-blackmore-24318_analogies_one-of-the-biggest-mistakes-that-people_437917.jpg) > [You start by copying other people's paintings or music or whatever. You get all of those skills before you branch out. Really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/you-start-by-copying-other-people-s-paintings-or-music-or-whatever/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/938/susan-blackmore-24318_ability_you-start-by-copying-other-people-s-pain_468636.jpg) > [The sale of sex in modern societies is not about spreading genes. Sex has been taken over by the memes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/the-sale-of-sex-in-modern-societies-is-not-about-spreading-genes-sex/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ac/susan-blackmore-24318_genes_the-sale-of-sex-in-modern-societies-is-n_522507.jpg) > [All other species on this planet are gene machines only. They don't imitate at all well; we alone are gene machines and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/all-other-species-on-this-planet-are-gene-machines-only-they-don-t/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/susan-blackmore-24318_computers_all-other-species-on-this-planet-are-gen_1251587.jpg) ## Other authors on Genes ## More by Susan Blackmore > [For the planet's sake, I hope we have bird flu or some other thing that will reduce the population, because otherwise we're doomed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/for-the-planet-s-sake-i-hope-we-have-bird-flu-or-some-other-thing/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [Just as the design of our bodies can be understood only in terms of natural selection, so the design of our minds can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/just-as-the-design-of-our-bodies-can-be-understood-only-in-terms-of/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they think about memes is they try to extend on the analogy with genes. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/one-of-the-biggest-mistakes-that-people-make-when-they-think-about/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [You start by copying other people's paintings or music or whatever. You get all of those skills before you branch out. Really creative people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/you-start-by-copying-other-people-s-paintings-or-music-or-whatever/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [Take male strategies for success in the world. If you've got all the advantages, if you're attractive and clever and all of that, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/take-male-strategies-for-success-in-the-world-if-you-ve-got-all-the/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [The sale of sex in modern societies is not about spreading genes. Sex has been taken over by the memes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/the-sale-of-sex-in-modern-societies-is-not-about-spreading-genes-sex/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [In proportion to our body mass, our brain is three times as large as that of our nearest relatives. This huge organ is dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/in-proportion-to-our-body-mass-our-brain-is-three-times-as-large-as/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [Free will and consciousness is an illusion, and the self is a complex of memes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/free-will-and-consciousness-is-an-illusion-and-the-self-is-a-complex/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [If everyone understood evolution, then the tyranny of religious memes would be weakened, and we little humans might find a better way to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/if-everyone-understood-evolution-then-the-tyranny-of-religious-memes/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [Finally, we might decide that civilisation itself is worth preserving. In that case we have to work out what to save and which people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/finally-we-might-decide-that-civilisation-itself-is-worth-preserving/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [Imagine a world full of brains, and far more memes than can possibly find homes. Which memes are more likely to find a safe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/imagine-a-world-full-of-brains-and-far-more-memes-than-can-possibly/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [All other species on this planet are gene machines only. They don't imitate at all well; we alone are gene machines and meme machines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/all-other-species-on-this-planet-are-gene-machines-only-they-don-t/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [“What happens when an animal or person dies? Something seems to have departed--something like a vital spark that makes the difference between life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/what-happens-when-an-animal-or-person-dies-something-seems-to-have/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [I have not come up with anything original. It needs a better brain than mine! I have done what I can do in taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/i-have-not-come-up-with-anything-original-it-needs-a-better-brain/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [Consciousness is an illusion constructed by the memes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/consciousness-is-an-illusion-constructed-by-the-memes/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes/susan-blackmore/#itemlist", "name": "4 Genes Quotes By Susan Blackmore", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they think about memes is they try to extend on the analogy with genes. That's not how it works. 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