--- title: "1 Human Societies Quotes By Robert Wright" description: "1 Human Societies quotes by Robert Wright. Plus more from Robert Wright and more Human Societies sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/robert-wright-8640_community_if-two-people-stare-at-each-other-for-mo_1380899.png" --- > [If two people stare at each other for more than a few seconds, it means they are about to either make love or fight. Something similar might be said about human societies. If two nearby societies are in contact for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/if-two-people-stare-at-each-other-for-more-than-a-few-seconds-it/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/robert-wright-8640_community_if-two-people-stare-at-each-other-for-mo_1380899.png) ## More by Robert Wright > [Your brain may give birth to any technology, but other brains will decide whether the technology thrives. The number of possible technologies is infinite,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/your-brain-may-give-birth-to-any-technology-but-other-brains-will/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?" asked the Christian theologian Tertullian... Having received the revealed thruth via Christ, "we want no curious disputation."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/what-has-athens-to-do-with-jerusalem-asked-the-christian-theologian/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“A female in a high-MPI species may seek signs of generosity, trustworthiness, and, especially, an enduring commitment to her in particular.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/a-female-in-a-high-mpi-species-may-seek-signs-of-generosity/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“And don’t feel like you’re committing a felony-level violation of Buddhist dogma just because you think of yourself as being a self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/and-don-t-feel-like-you-re-committing-a-felony-level-violation-of/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“The keen sensitivity with which people detect the flaws of their rivals is one of nature's wonders. It takes a Herculean effort to control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/the-keen-sensitivity-with-which-people-detect-the-flaws-of-their/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“realizing you’re not king can be the first step toward getting some real power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/realizing-you-re-not-king-can-be-the-first-step-toward-getting-some/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“So if the conscious mind isn’t in control, what is in control?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/so-if-the-conscious-mind-isn-t-in-control-what-is-in-control/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/happiness-comes-down-to-choosing-between-the-discomfort-of-becoming/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“They will, on the one hand, have sex with just about anything that moves, given an easy chance, like males in a low-MPI species.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/they-will-on-the-one-hand-have-sex-with-just-about-anything-that/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [Like a lawyer, the human brain wants victory, not truth; and, like a lawyer, it is sometimes more admirable for skill than virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/like-a-lawyer-the-human-brain-wants-victory-not-truth-and-like-a/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“It may seem seem cynical to see all religion as basically self-serving, and indeed the idea has been put pithily by a famous cynic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/it-may-seem-seem-cynical-to-see-all-religion-as-basically-self/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“Brewer said the basic idea is to not fight the urge to, say, smoke a cigarette. That doesn’t mean you succumb to the urge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/brewer-said-the-basic-idea-is-to-not-fight-the-urge-to-say-smoke-a/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [Humans have various ways of coping with extended stress, and one is the anticipation of a better time. Here, as with retribution, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/humans-have-various-ways-of-coping-with-extended-stress-and-one-is/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [God knows greed won't vanish. Neither will hatred or chauvanism. Human nature is a stubborn thing. But it isn't beyond control. Even if our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/god-knows-greed-won-t-vanish-neither-will-hatred-or-chauvanism-human/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) > [“natural selection didn’t design your mind to see the world clearly; it designed your mind to have perceptions and beliefs that would help take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wright/natural-selection-didn-t-design-your-mind-to-see-the-world-clearly-it/) [Robert Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wright/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-societies/robert-wright/#itemlist", "name": "1 Human Societies Quotes By Robert Wright", "numberOfItems": 1, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If two people stare at each other for more than a few seconds, it means they are about to either make love or fight. 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