--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But the mind is an attribute of the…" description: "\"But the mind is an attribute of the individual. There is no such thing as a collective brain. There is no such thing as a collective thought. An agreem..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/ayn-rand-59_agreement_but-the-mind-is-an-attribute-of-the-indi_1759210.jpg" --- # But the mind is an attribute of the individual. There is… ![“But the mind is an attribute of the individual. There is no such thing as a collective brain. There is no such thing as a collective thought. An agreement reached by a group of men is only a compromise or an average drawn upon many individual thoughts.” quote by Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/ayn-rand-59_agreement_but-the-mind-is-an-attribute-of-the-indi_1759210.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/ayn-rand-59_agreement_but-the-mind-is-an-attribute-of-the-indi_1759210.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/ayn-rand-59_agreement_but-the-mind-is-an-attribute-of-the-indi_1759210.jpg) > “But the mind is an attribute of the individual. There is no such thing as a collective brain. There is no such thing as a collective thought. An agreement reached by a group of men is only a compromise or an average drawn upon many individual thoughts.” [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The mind belongs to each person; group decisions are merely compromises of many individual thoughts. **In simple terms:** Individual minds, not a shared brain. Key Takeaway Value personal thinking over group consensus. Themes individualism philosophy decisionmaking Mood reflective critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - team meetings - policy debates - brainstorming sessions - collaborative projects Key Concepts Objectivism collective cognition compromise Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure your voice is heard in a group? - When is compromise beneficial? A Different Perspective Group consensus can dilute strong ideas and lead to mediocrity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agreement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agreement/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Collective consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collective-consciousness/) [Compromise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compromise/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individuality/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [The mind is the attribute of man. When man is born, he comes into existence with only one weapon with him--The reasoning mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-mind-is-the-attribute-of-man-when-man-is-born-he-comes-into/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Collectivism means the subjugation of the individual to a group - whether to a race, class or state does not matter. Collectivism holds that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/collectivism-means-the-subjugation-of-the-individual-to-a-group/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Oh, my dear Miss Everdeen. 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Can't you ever do things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/peter-keating-do-you-always-have-to-have-a-purpose-do-you-always-have/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) ## More by Ayn Rand > [There are no white lies, there is only the blackest of destruction, and a white lie is the blackest of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/there-are-no-white-lies-there-is-only-the-blackest-of-destruction-and/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [She watched the prairies the rivers, the towns slipping past at an untouchable distance below - and she noted that the sense of detachment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/she-watched-the-prairies-the-rivers-the-towns-slipping-past-at-an/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“This was reality, she thought, this sense of clear outlines, of purpose, of lightness, of hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/this-was-reality-she-thought-this-sense-of-clear-outlines-of-purpose/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [A “collective” mind does not exist. 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To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/she-was-fifteen-when-it-occurred-to-her-for-the-first-time-that-women/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Fransisco, you're some kind of very high nobility, aren't you?" He answered, "Not yet. The reason my family has lasted for such a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/fransisco-you-re-some-kind-of-very-high-nobility-aren-t-you-he/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Have you felt it too? Have you seen how your best friends love everything about you- except the things that count? 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I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-ashdown/i-am-formally-accountable-to-the-steering-board-of-the-pic-and-i-meet/) [Paddy Ashdown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-ashdown/) > [Because countries often have differing political and economic systems, agreements are needed to protect those invested in trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/because-countries-often-have-differing-political-and-economic-systems/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [As long as I sit at Henry Clay's desk, I will remember his lifelong desire to forge agreement, but I will also keep close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/as-long-as-i-sit-at-henry-clay-s-desk-i-will-remember-his-lifelong/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Gaia's main problems are not industrialization, ozone depletion, overpopulation, or resource depletion. 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