---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The brain seems a thoroughfare for…"
description: "\"The brain seems a thoroughfare for nerve-action passing its way to the motor animal. It has been remarked that Life's aim is an act not a thought. To-d..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/220/charles-scott-sherrington-2984_action_the-brain-seems-a-thoroughfare-for-nerve_2233109.jpg"
---

#  The brain seems a thoroughfare for nerve-action passing…

![“The brain seems a thoroughfare for nerve-action passing its way to the motor animal. It has been remarked that Life's aim is an act not a thought. To-day the dictum must be modified to admit that, often, to refrain from an act is no less an act than to commit one, because inhibition is coequally…” quote by Charles Scott Sherrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/220/charles-scott-sherrington-2984_action_the-brain-seems-a-thoroughfare-for-nerve_2233109.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/220/charles-scott-sherrington-2984_action_the-brain-seems-a-thoroughfare-for-nerve_2233109.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/220/charles-scott-sherrington-2984_action_the-brain-seems-a-thoroughfare-for-nerve_2233109.jpg)

> “The brain seems a thoroughfare for nerve-action passing its way to the motor animal. It has been remarked that Life's aim is an act not a thought. To-day the dictum must be modified to admit that, often, to refrain from an act is no less an act than to commit one, because inhibition is coequally with excitation a nervous activity.”

[Charles Scott Sherrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-scott-sherrington/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The nervous system balances excitation and inhibition, making both action and restraint forms of activity.

**In simple terms:** Both doing and not doing are nervous actions.

Key Takeaway

Recognize restraint as an active choice.

Themes

biology psychology self-control

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical scientific

When to use this quote

- making decisions
- self-discipline
- habit formation
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

neural inhibition motor activity psychophysiology

Questions to Reflect On

- How does recognizing restraint change your view of responsibility?
- When might restraint be more powerful than action?

A Different Perspective

Inhibition can be harder to detect than overt action, leading to underestimation of its impact.

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