--- title: "9 Learn Quotes By Alison Gopnik" description: "9 Learn quotes by Alison Gopnik. Plus more from Alison Gopnik and more Learn sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/alison-gopnik-4163_ability_culture-is-our-nature-and-the-ability-to_1713265.png" --- > [Culture is our nature, and the ability to learn and change is our most important and fundamental instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/culture-is-our-nature-and-the-ability-to-learn-and-change-is-our-most/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/alison-gopnik-4163_ability_culture-is-our-nature-and-the-ability-to_1713265.png) > [The real excitement is collaborating with computer scientists and neuroscientists and starting to understand in detail how children learn so much so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/the-real-excitement-is-collaborating-with-computer-scientists-and/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/alison-gopnik-4163_children_the-real-excitement-is-collaborating-wit_2672328.png) > [We learn differently as children than as adults. For grown-ups, learning a new skill is painful, attention-demanding, and slow. Children learn unconsciously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/we-learn-differently-as-children-than-as-adults-for-grown-ups/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ee/alison-gopnik-4163_adult_we-learn-differently-as-children-than-as_1594342.png) > [If you wanted to design a robot that could learn as well as it possibly could, you might end up with something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/if-you-wanted-to-design-a-robot-that-could-learn-as-well-as-it/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e02/alison-gopnik-4163_could_if-you-wanted-to-design-a-robot-that-cou_1395163.png) > [Scientists and philosophers tend to treat knowledge, imagination and love as if they were all very separate parts of human nature. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/scientists-and-philosophers-tend-to-treat-knowledge-imagination-and/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a56/alison-gopnik-4163_children_scientists-and-philosophers-tend-to-trea_2680811.jpg) > [If you just casually look at a baby, it doesn't look like there's very much going on there, but they know more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/if-you-just-casually-look-at-a-baby-it-doesn-t-look-like-there-s-very/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf3/alison-gopnik-4163_adult_if-you-just-casually-look-at-a-baby-it-d_1755190.jpg) > [Teaching is a very effective way to get children to learn something specific - this tube squeaks, say, or a squish then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/teaching-is-a-very-effective-way-to-get-children-to-learn-something/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/alison-gopnik-4163_causes_teaching-is-a-very-effective-way-to-get_2659083.png) > [Scientists learn about the world in three ways: They analyze statistical patterns in the data, they do experiments, and they learn from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/scientists-learn-about-the-world-in-three-ways-they-analyze/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/alison-gopnik-4163_children_scientists-learn-about-the-world-in-thre_2529585.jpg) > [What, of course, we want in a university is for people to learn the skills they're going to need outside the classroom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/what-of-course-we-want-in-a-university-is-for-people-to-learn-the/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/alison-gopnik-4163_also_what-of-course-we-want-in-a-university-i_1151729.png) ## Other authors on Learn ## More by Alison Gopnik > [Philosophers and psychologists have long puzzled over the question of how we know as much as we do despite our limited experiences. One way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/philosophers-and-psychologists-have-long-puzzled-over-the-question-of/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Adults often assume that most learning is the result of teaching and that exploratory, spontaneous learning is unusual. But actually, spontaneous learning is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/adults-often-assume-that-most-learning-is-the-result-of-teaching-and/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Adults tend to think they have much free will. Kids younger than six are less sure. They may be more realistic!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/adults-tend-to-think-they-have-much-free-will-kids-younger-than-six/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [From an evolutionary perspective children are, literally, designed to learn. Childhood is a special period of protected immaturity. It gives the young breathing time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/from-an-evolutionary-perspective-children-are-literally-designed-to/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [We don't wife our husbands and we don't child our parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/we-don-t-wife-our-husbands-and-we-don-t-child-our-parents/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [There is a tension between our desire to get our kids to turn out a particular way versus letting them develop to be their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/there-is-a-tension-between-our-desire-to-get-our-kids-to-turn-out-a/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [“Instead, it may be that experience itself has changed our brains so that we perceive and interpret the world in a certain way. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/instead-it-may-be-that-experience-itself-has-changed-our-brains-so/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Caring for children has always been one of the deepest and most satisfying things that a human being does, and yet it is hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/caring-for-children-has-always-been-one-of-the-deepest-and-most/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Imaginary friends are one of the weirder forms of pretend play in childhood. But the research shows that imaginary friends actually help children understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/imaginary-friends-are-one-of-the-weirder-forms-of-pretend-play-in/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [“Like their parents, the Korean children used more verbs than the English-speaking kids, while the English-speaking kids used more nouns. But in addition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/like-their-parents-the-korean-children-used-more-verbs-than-the/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [“We decided to become development psychologists and study children because there aren't any Martians. These brilliant beings with the little bodies and big heads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/we-decided-to-become-development-psychologists-and-study-children/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Each new generation of children grows up in the new environment its parents have created, and each generation of brains becomes wired in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/each-new-generation-of-children-grows-up-in-the-new-environment-its/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [I'm the oldest of six children and I had my own first baby when I was 23. So I've always been interested in babies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/i-m-the-oldest-of-six-children-and-i-had-my-own-first-baby-when-i-was/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [“‎Literature is the equivalent of the climate scientist’s computer simulations: set up some new starting conditions, run the whole complicated process and see what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/literature-is-the-equivalent-of-the-climate-scientist-s-computer/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [The brain knows the real secret of seduction, more effective than even music and martinis. Just keep whispering, 'Gee, you are really special' to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/the-brain-knows-the-real-secret-of-seduction-more-effective-than-even/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn/alison-gopnik/#itemlist", "name": "9 Learn Quotes By Alison Gopnik", "numberOfItems": 9, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Culture is our nature, and the ability to learn and change is our most important and fundamental instinct.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alison Gopnik" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/culture-is-our-nature-and-the-ability-to-learn-and-change-is-our-most/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/alison-gopnik-4163_ability_culture-is-our-nature-and-the-ability-to_1713265.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/alison-gopnik-4163_ability_culture-is-our-nature-and-the-ability-to_1713265.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/alison-gopnik-4163_ability_culture-is-our-nature-and-the-ability-to_1713265.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Culture is our nature, and the ability to learn and change is our most important and fundamental instinct.” — Alison Gopnik", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The real excitement is collaborating with computer scientists and neuroscientists and starting to understand in detail how children learn so much so quickly.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alison Gopnik" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/the-real-excitement-is-collaborating-with-computer-scientists-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/alison-gopnik-4163_children_the-real-excitement-is-collaborating-wit_2672328.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/alison-gopnik-4163_children_the-real-excitement-is-collaborating-wit_2672328.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/alison-gopnik-4163_children_the-real-excitement-is-collaborating-wit_2672328.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The real excitement is collaborating with computer scientists and neuroscientists and starting to understand…” — Alison Gopnik", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We learn differently as children than as adults. 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But when it comes to children, all three are deeply entwined. 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Every single minute is incredibly full of thought and novelty. It's easy as adults to take for granted everything it took to arrive at the state where we are.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alison Gopnik" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/if-you-just-casually-look-at-a-baby-it-doesn-t-look-like-there-s-very/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf3/alison-gopnik-4163_adult_if-you-just-casually-look-at-a-baby-it-d_1755190.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf3/alison-gopnik-4163_adult_if-you-just-casually-look-at-a-baby-it-d_1755190.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf3/alison-gopnik-4163_adult_if-you-just-casually-look-at-a-baby-it-d_1755190.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you just casually look at a baby, it doesn't look like there's very much going on there, but they know…” — Alison Gopnik", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Teaching is a very effective way to get children to learn something specific - this tube squeaks, say, or a squish then a press then a pull causes the music to play. But it also makes children less likely to discover unexpected information and to draw unexpected conclusions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alison Gopnik" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/teaching-is-a-very-effective-way-to-get-children-to-learn-something/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/alison-gopnik-4163_causes_teaching-is-a-very-effective-way-to-get_2659083.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/alison-gopnik-4163_causes_teaching-is-a-very-effective-way-to-get_2659083.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/alison-gopnik-4163_causes_teaching-is-a-very-effective-way-to-get_2659083.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Teaching is a very effective way to get children to learn something specific - this tube squeaks, say, or a…” — Alison Gopnik", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Scientists learn about the world in three ways: They analyze statistical patterns in the data, they do experiments, and they learn from the data and ideas of other scientists. The recent studies show that children also learn in these ways.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alison Gopnik" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/scientists-learn-about-the-world-in-three-ways-they-analyze/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/alison-gopnik-4163_children_scientists-learn-about-the-world-in-thre_2529585.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/alison-gopnik-4163_children_scientists-learn-about-the-world-in-thre_2529585.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/alison-gopnik-4163_children_scientists-learn-about-the-world-in-thre_2529585.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Scientists learn about the world in three ways: They analyze statistical patterns in the data, they do…” — Alison Gopnik", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What, of course, we want in a university is for people to learn the skills they're going to need outside the classroom. So, having a system that had more emphasis on inquiry and exploration but also on learning and practising specific skills would fit much better with how we know people learn.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alison Gopnik" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/what-of-course-we-want-in-a-university-is-for-people-to-learn-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/alison-gopnik-4163_also_what-of-course-we-want-in-a-university-i_1151729.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/alison-gopnik-4163_also_what-of-course-we-want-in-a-university-i_1151729.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bd/alison-gopnik-4163_also_what-of-course-we-want-in-a-university-i_1151729.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What, of course, we want in a university is for people to learn the skills they're going to need outside the…” — Alison Gopnik", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn/alison-gopnik/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn/alison-gopnik/", "name": "Learn Quotes by Alison Gopnik", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn/alison-gopnik/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/508/alison-gopnik-4163_ability_culture-is-our-nature-and-the-ability-to_1713265.png" }, "description": "9 Learn quotes by Alison Gopnik. 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