--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Brains are no good if you don't use them." description: "\"Brains are no good if you don't use them.\" — Alexei Panshin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/alexei-panshin-24622_brain_brains-are-no-good-if-you-don-t-use-them_947864.png" --- # Brains are no good if you don't use them. ![“Brains are no good if you don't use them.” quote by Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/alexei-panshin-24622_brain_brains-are-no-good-if-you-don-t-use-them_947864.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/alexei-panshin-24622_brain_brains-are-no-good-if-you-don-t-use-them_947864.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/alexei-panshin-24622_brain_brains-are-no-good-if-you-don-t-use-them_947864.png) > “Brains are no good if you don't use them.” [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intelligence is useless without application; thinking must be paired with action. **In simple terms:** Intelligence needs action to be valuable. Key Takeaway Apply knowledge actively. Themes intelligence action practicality Mood pragmatic encouraging Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - problem solving - skill development - innovation - daily tasks Key Concepts cognitive science philosophy productivity Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure thoughtful action? - When should you prioritize thinking over doing? A Different Perspective Action without reflection can be reckless. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Brains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brains/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [Books are all right, but dead men's brains are no good unless you mix a live one's with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-horace-lorimer/books-are-all-right-but-dead-men-s-brains-are-no-good-unless-you-mix/) [George Horace Lorimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-horace-lorimer/) > [And so could you know it if you would only use the brains the good God has given you. Sometimes I really am tempted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/and-so-could-you-know-it-if-you-would-only-use-the-brains-the-good/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Something I think that I'm good at is that I don't complain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianluca-vialli/something-i-think-that-i-m-good-at-is-that-i-don-t-complain/) [Gianluca Vialli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianluca-vialli/) > [You can't do good if you don't feel good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/you-can-t-do-good-if-you-don-t-feel-good/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [When you take a selfie so good, you don't believe its you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-hartman/when-you-take-a-selfie-so-good-you-don-t-believe-its-you/) [Celeste Hartman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-hartman/) > [And after all this time that you still owe, you're still a good-for nothing I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/and-after-all-this-time-that-you-still-owe-you-re-still-a-good-for/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [If something is good, it's always good. You don't have to change it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/if-something-is-good-it-s-always-good-you-don-t-have-to-change-it/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [If you've found someone good, don't go looking for someone better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-ve-found-someone-good-don-t-go-looking-for-someone-better/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know I'm good enough. I don't need to show it to you. Either you know who I am, or you don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zlatan-ibrahimovic/i-know-i-m-good-enough-i-don-t-need-to-show-it-to-you-either-you-know/) [Zlatan Ibrahimovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zlatan-ibrahimovic/) > [It's always good to find out what you don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrissey/it-s-always-good-to-find-out-what-you-don-t-want-to-do/) [David Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrissey/) > [Whatever you are good at, do it, but don't be over exposed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/whatever-you-are-good-at-do-it-but-don-t-be-over-exposed/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [“when people mean to be good to you, you don't mind very much when they're not quite--always.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-mean-to-be-good-to-you-you-don-t-mind-very-much-when-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [So I'll do that, and I'll do my best and if my best isn't good enough, at least I will have done everything I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-nix/so-i-ll-do-that-and-i-ll-do-my-best-and-if-my-best-isn-t-good-enough/) [Garth Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-nix/) > [You’ll never be good if you don’t know that you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-murray/you-ll-never-be-good-if-you-don-t-know-that-you-are/) [Bill Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-murray/) ## More by Alexei Panshin > [“Night is irregular. What is not done in the daytime becomes possible at night: murder and sex and thought. Simple men are driven to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/night-is-irregular-what-is-not-done-in-the-daytime-becomes-possible/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [This is what makes science so hard, and ultimately so fun. Think of the limits of what we know as a great suite of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/this-is-what-makes-science-so-hard-and-ultimately-so-fun-think-of-the/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [You can't stamp on people and not get hurt in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/you-can-t-stamp-on-people-and-not-get-hurt-in-return/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [“There is something unique about the size, and shape, and feel of a real physical book, and there is a real discovery about running…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/there-is-something-unique-about-the-size-and-shape-and-feel-of-a-real/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [There's no reason to trade insults. We have our way of life and they have theirs. I wouldn't live as they do, but disrespect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/there-s-no-reason-to-trade-insults-we-have-our-way-of-life-and-they/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [I finished by saying that it struck me that all the ethical systems I was discussing were after the fact. That is, that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/i-finished-by-saying-that-it-struck-me-that-all-the-ethical-systems-i/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [“If you read Rite of Passage and enjoy yourself, I couldn't be more pleased. I hope it gets you of. On the other hand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/if-you-read-rite-of-passage-and-enjoy-yourself-i-couldn-t-be-more/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [“A book isn't a single, static thing with one unarguable meaning. Each reader who comes to it brings his own special knowledge, habits and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/a-book-isn-t-a-single-static-thing-with-one-unarguable-meaning-each/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [“I want to make it clear before we begin that I think your purpose is to learn and mine is to help you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/i-want-to-make-it-clear-before-we-begin-that-i-think-your-purpose-is/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [Some people get a feeling of power from being unpleasant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/some-people-get-a-feeling-of-power-from-being-unpleasant/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [If I had the opportunity, I would make the proposal that no man should be killed except by somebody who knows him well enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/if-i-had-the-opportunity-i-would-make-the-proposal-that-no-man-should/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [Maturity is the ability to sort the portions of truth from the accepted lies and self-deceptions that you have grown up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/maturity-is-the-ability-to-sort-the-portions-of-truth-from-the/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [“I don't like the idea of people who don't sing to themselves when they're all alone. They're too sober for me. At least hum--…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-people-who-don-t-sing-to-themselves-when/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [“Classics aren't books that are read for pleasure. Classics are books that are imposed on unwilling students, books that are subjected to analyses of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/classics-aren-t-books-that-are-read-for-pleasure-classics-are-books/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [Population pressure is the ultimate cause of every war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/population-pressure-is-the-ultimate-cause-of-every-war/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) [Explore all 24 Alexei Panshin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) ## More Brain quotes > [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/) [Vilayanur S. Ramachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/) > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [down with ought with because with every brain that thinks it thinks nor dares to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/down-with-ought-with-because-with-every-brain-that-thinks-it-thinks/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-prefer-the-word-musician-i-m-a-musician-and-a-composer-i-have-a/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [Thinking of sex provides enough mental stimulation to reduce risk of diseases that damage the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thinking-of-sex-provides-enough-mental-stimulation-to-reduce-risk-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [Without illusions. I love you because you are fallible and because your poor misguided testosterone-corrupted brain has you doing cartwheels trying not to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/without-illusions-i-love-you-because-you-are-fallible-and-because/) [Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/) > [being asked to decide between your passion for work and your passion for children was like being asked by your doctor whether you preferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-bevington/being-asked-to-decide-between-your-passion-for-work-and-your-passion/) [Helen Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-bevington/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/) [Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/) > [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [I am the way I am. If you like me because I'm glamorous, so be it. If you like me, because I speak well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-arora-khan/i-am-the-way-i-am-if-you-like-me-because-i-m-glamorous-so-be-it-if/) [Malaika Arora Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-arora-khan/) [Browse all 8,465 Brain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Brains are no good if you don't use them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexei Panshin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/brains-are-no-good-if-you-don-t-use-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/brains-are-no-good-if-you-don-t-use-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/alexei-panshin-24622_brain_brains-are-no-good-if-you-don-t-use-them_947864.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/alexei-panshin-24622_brain_brains-are-no-good-if-you-don-t-use-them_947864.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/alexei-panshin-24622_brain_brains-are-no-good-if-you-don-t-use-them_947864.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Brains are no good if you don't use them.” — Alexei Panshin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "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": "Alexei Panshin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Brains are no good if you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/brains-are-no-good-if-you-don-t-use-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/brains-are-no-good-if-you-don-t-use-them/#breadcrumb" }, { "@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 } } ] } ```