--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: and how could Neumann Two not have known…" description: "\"“and how could Neumann Two not have known, but of course he didn’t, because that is how things are with Neumann Two, with everybody in this unit, in th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb5/anthony-doerr-886_psychology_and-how-could-neumann-two-not-have-known_360199.png" --- # and how could Neumann Two not have known, but of course he… ![“and how could Neumann Two not have known, but of course he didn’t, because that is how things are with Neumann Two, with everybody in this unit, in this army, in this world, they do as they’re told, they get scared, they move about with only themselves in mind. Name me someone who does not.” quote by Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb5/anthony-doerr-886_psychology_and-how-could-neumann-two-not-have-known_360199.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb5/anthony-doerr-886_psychology_and-how-could-neumann-two-not-have-known_360199.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb5/anthony-doerr-886_psychology_and-how-could-neumann-two-not-have-known_360199.png) > ““and how could Neumann Two not have known, but of course he didn’t, because that is how things are with Neumann Two, with everybody in this unit, in this army, in this world, they do as they’re told, they get scared, they move about with only themselves in mind. Name me someone who does not.”” [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Conformity and self‑interest dominate, leaving little room for altruism; most act out of fear or self‑preservation. **In simple terms:** People often act selfishly out of fear. Key Takeaway Beware of self‑preservation that hinders collective good. Themes conformity self‑interest fear altruism military culture Mood reflective somber Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - workplace environments - military units - community projects - social movements Key Concepts psychology of obedience group dynamics ethical dilemmas Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to act beyond self‑interest? - How can groups encourage genuine cooperation? A Different Perspective Altruistic actions can still emerge despite pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Neumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neumann-270040/) [Neumann Everybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neumann-everybody-3308434/) [Neumann Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neumann-known-3308433/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Scared Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scared-mind-1656020/) [Told Scared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-scared-630113/) ## Related quotes > [I remember my friend Johnny von Neumann used to say, 'with four parameters I can fit an elephant and with five I can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrico-fermi/i-remember-my-friend-johnny-von-neumann-used-to-say-with-four/) [Enrico Fermi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrico-fermi/) > [John von Neumann was the only student I was ever afraid of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/john-von-neumann-was-the-only-student-i-was-ever-afraid-of/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [There are two kinds of people in the world: Johnny Von Neumann and the rest of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-wigner/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-in-the-world-johnny-von-neumann-and-the/) [Eugene Wigner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-wigner/) > [My friend was just at my house for a couple days and she was going through my writing, and she grew silent. 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