“natural selection didn’t design your mind to see the world clearly; it designed your mind to have perceptions and beliefs that would… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
Think of it : zillions and zillions of organisms running around, each under the hypnotic spell of a single truth, all these… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
Understanding the often unconscious nature of genetic control is the first step toward understanding that—in many realms, not just sex—we’re all puppets,… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
Next time you see an unblemished expanse of grass, think about the chemicals that probably got dumped in your vicinity to create… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
..various people had long had the feeling that gain through pain was nature's way — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“This has been the point of much of this book. The human brain is a machine designed by natural selection to respond… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“Human nature consists of knobs and of mechanisms for tuning the knobs, and both are invisible in their own way.” — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
Next time you see a yardful of sprouting dandelions, note that they look remarkably like things we call "flowers." And later, when… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“What causes all the hatred? At some level, it’s always the same thing: human beings operating under the influence of human brains… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“Sensual pleasures are the whip natural selection uses to control us, to keep us in the thrall of its warped values system.” — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“that the stories we tell about things, and thus the beliefs we have about their history and their nature, shape our experience of… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“Nature has gone to great lengths to hide our subconscious from ourselves. Why?” — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
Your brain may give birth to any technology, but other brains will decide whether the technology thrives. The number of possible technologies is infinite,… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?" asked the Christian theologian Tertullian... Having received the revealed thruth via Christ, "we want no curious disputation."… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“A female in a high-MPI species may seek signs of generosity, trustworthiness, and, especially, an enduring commitment to her in particular.” — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“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.” — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“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… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“realizing you’re not king can be the first step toward getting some real power.” — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them.” — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“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.… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
Like a lawyer, the human brain wants victory, not truth; and, like a lawyer, it is sometimes more admirable for skill than virtue. — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“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.… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
“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… — Robert Wright Copy Share Image
