--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The human brain is like a railroad…" description: "\"The human brain is like a railroad freight car -- guaranteed to have a certain capacity but often running empty.\" — Benjamin Franklin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5a/benjamin-franklin-65_brain_the-human-brain-is-like-a-railroad-freig_1929660.png" --- # The human brain is like a railroad freight car… ![“The human brain is like a railroad freight car -- guaranteed to have a certain capacity but often running empty.” quote by Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5a/benjamin-franklin-65_brain_the-human-brain-is-like-a-railroad-freig_1929660.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5a/benjamin-franklin-65_brain_the-human-brain-is-like-a-railroad-freig_1929660.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5a/benjamin-franklin-65_brain_the-human-brain-is-like-a-railroad-freig_1929660.png) > “The human brain is like a railroad freight car -- guaranteed to have a certain capacity but often running empty.” [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The brain has a high capacity but is often underutilized, leading to wasted potential. **In simple terms:** Brain capacity is high but often idle. Key Takeaway Engage your mind actively. Themes potential learning efficiency Mood motivational inquisitive Type self-help psychological When to use this quote - studying - creative projects - problem solving Key Concepts cognitive capacity neuroplasticity Questions to Reflect On - What activities fill your mental bandwidth? - How can you reduce mental clutter? A Different Perspective Distractions and habits can keep the mind empty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Brain Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain-like/) [Freight Car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freight-car-3012927/) [Human brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-brain/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Railroad Freight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/railroad-freight-3012926/) ## Related quotes > [It sounds like something from a Woody Guthrie song, but it's true; I was raised in a freight car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-haggard/it-sounds-like-something-from-a-woody-guthrie-song-but-it-s-true-i/) [Merle Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-haggard/) > [“If human brain is like the world, then positive thinking must be the size of mountain, and negative thinking must be the size of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-tak/if-human-brain-is-like-the-world-then-positive-thinking-must-be-the/) [Nikita Tak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-tak/) > [“The human brain is like a freight car, guaranteed to carry a certain capacity but often running empty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-gokul/the-human-brain-is-like-a-freight-car-guaranteed-to-carry-a-certain/) [Lorraine Gokul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-gokul/) > [He has a brain like Einstein's - dead since 1955](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-perret/he-has-a-brain-like-einstein-s-dead-since-1955/) [Gene Perret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-perret/) > [“The most amazing mechanism in the known universe is the human brain; it takes in information all the time then uses it, all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-dubin/the-most-amazing-mechanism-in-the-known-universe-is-the-human-brain/) [Amanda Dubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-dubin/) > [C++ is an insult to the human brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niklaus-wirth/c-is-an-insult-to-the-human-brain/) [Niklaus Wirth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niklaus-wirth/) > [Never expect naything from any body because human brain changes when the status changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-expect-naything-from-any-body-because-human-brain-changes-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The human brain has left and right brain symmetry with its own nature and can process information which initially appears to have no pattern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-buzan/the-human-brain-has-left-and-right-brain-symmetry-with-its-own-nature/) [Tony Buzan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-buzan/) > [The human brain must continue to frame the problems for the electronic machine to solve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sarnoff/the-human-brain-must-continue-to-frame-the-problems-for-the/) [David Sarnoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sarnoff/) > [The hope is that, in not too many years, human brains and computing machines will be coupled together very tightly, and that the resulting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-r-licklider/the-hope-is-that-in-not-too-many-years-human-brains-and-computing/) [J. 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Every single time you lift off the bone and open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/when-i-look-at-the-human-brain-i-m-still-in-awe-of-it-every-single/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [Translating is a respectable, valuable, creative and worthwhile use of a human brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bellos/translating-is-a-respectable-valuable-creative-and-worthwhile-use-of/) [David Bellos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bellos/) ## More by Benjamin Franklin > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Give me 26 lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/give-me-26-lead-soldiers-and-i-will-conquer-the-world/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [In the affairs of this world, men are saved not by faith, but by the want of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/in-the-affairs-of-this-world-men-are-saved-not-by-faith-but-by-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [By heaven we understand a state of happiness infinite in degree, and endless in duration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/by-heaven-we-understand-a-state-of-happiness-infinite-in-degree-and/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I have thought that wild flowers might be the alphabet of angels, — whereby they write on hills and fields mysterious truths, which it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-have-thought-that-wild-flowers-might-be-the-alphabet-of-angels/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [How do you become better tomorrow? By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/how-do-you-become-better-tomorrow-by-improving-yourself-the-world-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Little leaks sink the ship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/little-leaks-sink-the-ship/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/who-is-rich-he-that-is-content-who-is-that-nobody/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“But on the whole, though I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/but-on-the-whole-though-i-never-arrived-at-the-perfection-i-had-been/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The good particular men may do separately, in relieving the sick, is small, compared with what they may do collectively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-good-particular-men-may-do-separately-in-relieving-the-sick-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Love your Neighbour; yet don't pull down your Hedge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/love-your-neighbour-yet-don-t-pull-down-your-hedge/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/take-counsel-in-wine-but-resolve-afterwards-in-water/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [He that's secure is not safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/he-that-s-secure-is-not-safe/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) [Explore all 1,692 Benjamin Franklin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## More Brain quotes > [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/) [Vilayanur S. 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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. 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