--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's an awful stretcher to believe that a…" description: "\"It's an awful stretcher to believe that a peacock's tail was thus formed but ... most people just don't get it - I must be a very bad explainer\" — Char..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/charles-darwin-507_awful_it-s-an-awful-stretcher-to-believe-that_2223893.jpg" --- # It's an awful stretcher to believe that a peacock's tail… ![“It's an awful stretcher to believe that a peacock's tail was thus formed but ... most people just don't get it - I must be a very bad explainer” quote by Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/charles-darwin-507_awful_it-s-an-awful-stretcher-to-believe-that_2223893.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/charles-darwin-507_awful_it-s-an-awful-stretcher-to-believe-that_2223893.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/charles-darwin-507_awful_it-s-an-awful-stretcher-to-believe-that_2223893.jpg) > “It's an awful stretcher to believe that a peacock's tail was thus formed but ... most people just don't get it - I must be a very bad explainer” [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights difficulty in explaining complex traits like the peacock's tail, suggesting many misunderstand the underlying evolutionary mechanisms. **In simple terms:** People often struggle to grasp how elaborate traits evolve. Key Takeaway Simplify explanations of natural selection. Themes evolution communication misunderstanding Mood frustrated reflective Type educational explanatory When to use this quote - teaching biology - public outreach - science communication Key Concepts natural selection sexual selection explanatory challenges Questions to Reflect On - How can we better illustrate the role of sexual selection? - What analogies help clarify complex evolutionary concepts? A Different Perspective Complex traits may involve multiple factors beyond simple selection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Many a peacock hides his peacock tail from all eyes--and calls it his pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/many-a-peacock-hides-his-peacock-tail-from-all-eyes-and-calls-it-his/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [It dances today, my heart, like a peacock it dances, it dances. 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