--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Across generations, wariness of new…" description: "\"“Across generations, wariness of new individuals, groups, and ideas was built into the circuits of the human brain's alarm response because those who h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3b/bruce-d-perry-39168_empathy_across-generations-wariness-of-new-indiv_2092984.jpg" --- # Across generations, wariness of new individuals, groups… ![“Across generations, wariness of new individuals, groups, and ideas was built into the circuits of the human brain's alarm response because those who had this wariness were more likely to survive to reproduce. It was just safer to assume danger- and expect the worst- than to count on the kindness…” quote by Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3b/bruce-d-perry-39168_empathy_across-generations-wariness-of-new-indiv_2092984.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3b/bruce-d-perry-39168_empathy_across-generations-wariness-of-new-indiv_2092984.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3b/bruce-d-perry-39168_empathy_across-generations-wariness-of-new-indiv_2092984.jpg) > ““Across generations, wariness of new individuals, groups, and ideas was built into the circuits of the human brain's alarm response because those who had this wariness were more likely to survive to reproduce. It was just safer to assume danger- and expect the worst- than to count on the kindness of strangers.”” [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human brains evolved to prioritize safety, leading to innate suspicion of the unfamiliar, which can hinder trust and cooperation. **In simple terms:** Our brains are wired to fear the unknown. Key Takeaway Balance caution with openness. Themes evolution trust fear social behavior Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - team building - community integration - education - mental health counseling Key Concepts survival instincts neuroscience psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can we train ourselves to trust responsibly? - When does caution become counterproductive? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on suspicion can stifle innovation and empathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Evolutionary biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolutionary-biology/) [Evolutionary psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolutionary-psychology/) [Fear of the unknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-of-the-unknown/) [Human brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-brain/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Kindness Of Strangers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness-of-strangers/) [Kindness-of-strangers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness-of-strangers-2/) [Strangers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangers/) [Wariness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wariness/) ## Related quotes > [“changed expression. Wariness, maybe. I felt a body move so close it was skimming my own, and a warm hand protectively settled at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/changed-expression-wariness-maybe-i-felt-a-body-move-so-close-it-was/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [From a pragmatic point of view, the difference between living against a background of foreigness (an indifferent Universe) and one of intimacy (a benevolent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/from-a-pragmatic-point-of-view-the-difference-between-living-against/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Wariness had driven away poetry; from hesitating to feel came the moment when you no longer could.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/wariness-had-driven-away-poetry-from-hesitating-to-feel-came-the/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) > [I would prefer a thousand mistakes in extravagance of love to any paralysis in wariness of fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-may/i-would-prefer-a-thousand-mistakes-in-extravagance-of-love-to-any/) [Gerald May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-may/) > [“Laine had been very proud of herself last night. Nicholas had talked about ghosts and magic and woven a bit of a spell himself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-m-irwin/laine-had-been-very-proud-of-herself-last-night-nicholas-had-talked/) [Stephen M. Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-m-irwin/) > [There's a particularly British wariness of appearing to try too hard. It's somehow distasteful. Everything should come to us seamlessly and, if you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-reardon/there-s-a-particularly-british-wariness-of-appearing-to-try-too-hard/) [Kate Reardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-reardon/) > [“negativistic thinking. A necessary survival mechanism from when we were running from the tigers and bears. Keeping a lookout for the next potential threat.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-brearton/negativistic-thinking-a-necessary-survival-mechanism-from-when-we/) T.J. Brearton > [“True relaxation was a state of being that had been virtually unknown to him since childhood. The best that could be said of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dean-foster/true-relaxation-was-a-state-of-being-that-had-been-virtually-unknown/) [Alan Dean Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dean-foster/) > [I have to confess that I have so rarely experienced triumph that I cannot claim to know it well enough to judge, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/i-have-to-confess-that-i-have-so-rarely-experienced-triumph-that-i/) [Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/) > [Right when I started touring, there was this wariness I had of the world outside of my small town. But I'm not that person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/right-when-i-started-touring-there-was-this-wariness-i-had-of-the/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [Wariness about change is a kind of prairie wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/wariness-about-change-is-a-kind-of-prairie-wisdom/) [Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/) > [(An unhappy childhood was not) an unsuitable preparation for my future, in that it demanded a constant wariness, the habit of observation, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/an-unhappy-childhood-was-not-an-unsuitable-preparation-for-my-future/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“When those fault lines inside of us quake on account of all that is built up and unkempt between two people in love—on account…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/durga-chew-bose/when-those-fault-lines-inside-of-us-quake-on-account-of-all-that-is/) [Durga Chew-Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/durga-chew-bose/) > [“Mystery, why so attractive to me? You blind me with fear, place hope on my tongue, and with a cold kiss draw me forward.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/mystery-why-so-attractive-to-me-you-blind-me-with-fear-place-hope-on/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [My default state is wariness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/my-default-state-is-wariness/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) ## More by Bruce D. Perry > [For years mental health professionals taught people that they could be psychologically healthy without social support, that “unless you love yourself, no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/for-years-mental-health-professionals-taught-people-that-they-could/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [The more healthy relationships a child has, the more likely he will be to recover from trauma and thrive. Relationships are the agents of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/the-more-healthy-relationships-a-child-has-the-more-likely-he-will-be/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [Relationships matter: the currency for systemic change was trust, and trust comes through forming healthy working relationships. People, not programs, change people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/relationships-matter-the-currency-for-systemic-change-was-trust-and/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [The truth is, you cannot love yourself unless you have been loved and are loved. The capacity to love cannot be built in isolation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/the-truth-is-you-cannot-love-yourself-unless-you-have-been-loved-and/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [Relationships are the agents of change and the most powerful therapy is human love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/relationships-are-the-agents-of-change-and-the-most-powerful-therapy/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [“The capacity to love cannot be built in isolation. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/the-capacity-to-love-cannot-be-built-in-isolation-i/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [“When a baby gets hungry and cries his levels of stress hormones will move upward. But if Mom or Dad regularly comes to feed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/when-a-baby-gets-hungry-and-cries-his-levels-of-stress-hormones-will/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [More than 35 percent of the children exposed to a single traumatic event will develop serious mental health problems .. The real crisis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/more-than-35-percent-of-the-children-exposed-to-a-single-traumatic/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [It is the rare and strong person that can carry their trauma without having it spill into the next generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/it-is-the-rare-and-strong-person-that-can-carry-their-trauma-without/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [“We ignore the emotional needs of young children at our peril.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/we-ignore-the-emotional-needs-of-young-children-at-our-peril/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) [Explore all 11 Bruce D. Perry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) ## More Empathy quotes > [I have a lot of empathy, and I think that's where mothering starts. You are there to empathise and facilitate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-have-a-lot-of-empathy-and-i-think-that-s-where-mothering-starts-you/) [Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Cinematography speaks to everything that women do inherently well: It's multitasking, it's empathy, and it's channeling visuals into human emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/cinematography-speaks-to-everything-that-women-do-inherently-well-it/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Understanding breeds empathy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/understanding-breeds-empathy/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Making a movie is about following characters and embarking on an adventure with them, seeing their reactions, and seeing what they do, having empathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franck-khalfoun/making-a-movie-is-about-following-characters-and-embarking-on-an/) Franck Khalfoun > [“A novel is not an allegory...it is a sensual experience of another world. If you don't enter that world, hold your breath with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/a-novel-is-not-an-allegory-it-is-a-sensual-experience-of-another/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [Empathic listening takes time, but it doesn't take anywhere near as much time as it takes to back up and correct misunderstandings when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/empathic-listening-takes-time-but-it-doesn-t-take-anywhere-near-as/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [I try to treat every job with the exact same level of respect. When I go into it, it doesn't matter what the budget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-try-to-treat-every-job-with-the-exact-same-level-of-respect-when-i/) [Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/) > [“CWC (Church Women Concerned) enabled us as women in that part of South Africa, to see ourselves as ordinary citizens who found themselves in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sindiwe-magona/cwc-church-women-concerned-enabled-us-as-women-in-that-part-of-south/) Sindiwe Magona > [Ultimately, my character is defined by the quality of my sensitivity to other people. I exist in equilibrium. I am here to the degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/ultimately-my-character-is-defined-by-the-quality-of-my-sensitivity/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [I began to use my sensitivity. And I realized I wasn't weird because I cried a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/i-began-to-use-my-sensitivity-and-i-realized-i-wasn-t-weird-because-i/) [Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/) > [“The emotional intelligence model consists of four clusters: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.  ● Self-Awareness is a propensity for self-reflection and thoughtfulness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-bolton/the-emotional-intelligence-model-consists-of-four-clusters-self/) [Chuck Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-bolton/) > [I need voices of reason and of hysteria and of empathy. I need to have an Alanis moment. I need advice from Elizabeth Bennett.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-need-voices-of-reason-and-of-hysteria-and-of-empathy-i-need-to-have/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) [Browse all 2,480 Empathy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Across generations, wariness of new individuals, groups, and ideas was built into the circuits of the human brain's alarm response because those who had this wariness were more likely to survive to reproduce. It was just safer to assume danger- and expect the worst- than to count on the kindness of strangers.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bruce D. Perry" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/across-generations-wariness-of-new-individuals-groups-and-ideas-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Empathy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/across-generations-wariness-of-new-individuals-groups-and-ideas-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3b/bruce-d-perry-39168_empathy_across-generations-wariness-of-new-indiv_2092984.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3b/bruce-d-perry-39168_empathy_across-generations-wariness-of-new-indiv_2092984.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3b/bruce-d-perry-39168_empathy_across-generations-wariness-of-new-indiv_2092984.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Across generations, wariness of new individuals, groups, and ideas was built into the circuits of the human…” — Bruce D. Perry", "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": "Bruce D. Perry", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Across generations, wariness of new individuals,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/across-generations-wariness-of-new-individuals-groups-and-ideas-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/across-generations-wariness-of-new-individuals-groups-and-ideas-was/#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 } } ] } ```