--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The brain is like a muscle. When it is in…" description: "\"The brain is like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very good. Understanding is joyous.\" — Carl Sagan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/carl-sagan-160_brain_the-brain-is-like-a-muscle-when-it-is-in_773206.jpg" --- # The brain is like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very… ![“The brain is like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very good. Understanding is joyous.” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/carl-sagan-160_brain_the-brain-is-like-a-muscle-when-it-is-in_773206.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/carl-sagan-160_brain_the-brain-is-like-a-muscle-when-it-is-in_773206.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/carl-sagan-160_brain_the-brain-is-like-a-muscle-when-it-is-in_773206.jpg) > “The brain is like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very good. Understanding is joyous.” [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Using the brain actively feels rewarding; learning brings joy and mental strength. **In simple terms:** Exercise your brain for joy. Key Takeaway Practice lifelong learning. Themes curiosity growth mental health Mood inspired optimistic Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - education - skill acquisition - problem solving Key Concepts neuroplasticity cognitive development Questions to Reflect On - What new skill excites you? - How does learning boost mood? A Different Perspective Overuse can lead to mental fatigue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [We are an intelligent species and the use of our intelligence quite properly gives us pleasure. In this respect the brain is like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-are-an-intelligent-species-and-the-use-of-our-intelligence-quite/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [There were two brothers called Both and Either; perceiving Either was a good, understanding, busy fellow, and Both a silly fellow and good for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/there-were-two-brothers-called-both-and-either-perceiving-either-was/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Being educated in the United States gave me a good understanding of American culture. I think I got a lot of influence from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masayoshi-son/being-educated-in-the-united-states-gave-me-a-good-understanding-of/) [Masayoshi Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masayoshi-son/) > [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/) > [Feeling good, the workout, building your muscles, let your blood flow right and eating the right type of food. That's what I care about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-khaled/feeling-good-the-workout-building-your-muscles-let-your-blood-flow/) [DJ Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-khaled/) > [Punctuation has its own philosophy, just as style does, although not as language does. Style is a good understanding of language, punctuation is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/punctuation-has-its-own-philosophy-just-as-style-does-although-not-as/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [Once kick the world, and the world and you will live together at a reasonably good understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/once-kick-the-world-and-the-world-and-you-will-live-together-at-a/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [It is my intent to beget a good understanding between the chymists and the mechanical philosophers who have hitherto been too little acquainted with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-boyle/it-is-my-intent-to-beget-a-good-understanding-between-the-chymists/) [Robert Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-boyle/) > [This is a timely and relevant initiative. The environmental challenges facing Singapore and the region are becoming more complex. Tackling them will require inter-disciplinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-tan/this-is-a-timely-and-relevant-initiative-the-environmental-challenges/) Andrew Tan > [I think that one of the greatest perspectives that I have, from being a buyer for my whole career until I became a producer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-jacobson/i-think-that-one-of-the-greatest-perspectives-that-i-have-from-being/) [Nina Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-jacobson/) > [I have a pretty good understanding of animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-stonestreet/i-have-a-pretty-good-understanding-of-animals/) [Eric Stonestreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-stonestreet/) > [But having a really good understanding of history, literature, psychology, sciences - is very, very important to actually being able to make movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/but-having-a-really-good-understanding-of-history-literature/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [A ''Successful Relations Don't Depend on How Good Understanding We Have. But It Depends on How Nicely We Avoid Mis-Understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/a-successful-relations-don-t-depend-on-how-good-understanding-we-have/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Green Giant contained a very strong and clear site and building design concept. Green Giant had strong formal, aesthetic and programmatic concepts, coupled with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mazria/green-giant-contained-a-very-strong-and-clear-site-and-building/) Edward Mazria > [Hmmm! I believe that a good understanding of all the variables behind a cause can lead u 2 a gud decision dear tc n ks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sardar-hyder-abbas/hmmm-i-believe-that-a-good-understanding-of-all-the-variables-behind/) [Sardar Hyder Abbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sardar-hyder-abbas/) ## More by Carl Sagan > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Telepathy’ literally means to feel at a distance, just as ‘telephone’ is to hear at a distance and ‘television’ is to see at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/telepathy-literally-means-to-feel-at-a-distance-just-as-telephone-is/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“On the scale of worlds—to say nothing of stars or galaxies—humans are inconsequential, a thin film of life on an obscure and solitary lump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/on-the-scale-of-worlds-to-say-nothing-of-stars-or-galaxies-humans-are/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [In our time, we have sifted the sands of Mars, we have established a presence there, we have fulfilled a century of dreams!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-our-time-we-have-sifted-the-sands-of-mars-we-have-established-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ “\[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :\] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-about-fulfilled-prophecies-he/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Don't judge everyone else by your own limited experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/don-t-judge-everyone-else-by-your-own-limited-experience/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors. The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/books-permit-us-to-voyage-through-time-to-tap-the-wisdom-of-our/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [We live on a hunk of rock and metal that circles a humdrum star that is one of 400 billion other stars that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-live-on-a-hunk-of-rock-and-metal-that-circles-a-humdrum-star-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. We humans are one species and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-tiny-blue-dot-set-in-a-sunbeam-here-it-is-that-s-where-we-live-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Any sufficiently crisp question can be answered by a single binary digit-0 or 1, yes or no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/any-sufficiently-crisp-question-can-be-answered-by-a-single-binary/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/humans-who-enslave-castrate-experiment-on-and-fillet-other-animals/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every star may be a sun to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-star-may-be-a-sun-to-someone/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) [Explore all 1,043 Carl Sagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## 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": "The brain is like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very good. Understanding is joyous.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carl Sagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-brain-is-like-a-muscle-when-it-is-in-use-we-feel-very-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-brain-is-like-a-muscle-when-it-is-in-use-we-feel-very-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/carl-sagan-160_brain_the-brain-is-like-a-muscle-when-it-is-in_773206.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/carl-sagan-160_brain_the-brain-is-like-a-muscle-when-it-is-in_773206.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa7/carl-sagan-160_brain_the-brain-is-like-a-muscle-when-it-is-in_773206.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The brain is like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very good. Understanding is joyous.” — Carl Sagan", "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": "Carl Sagan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The brain is like a muscle....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-brain-is-like-a-muscle-when-it-is-in-use-we-feel-very-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-brain-is-like-a-muscle-when-it-is-in-use-we-feel-very-good/#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 } } ] } ```