--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have associations to things. We have…" description: "\"We have associations to things. We have, you know, we have associations to tables and to - and to dogs and to cats and to Harvard professors, and that'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ec/daniel-kahneman-431_animal_we-have-associations-to-things-we-have-y_2513499.jpg" --- # We have associations to things. We have, you know, we have… ![“We have associations to things. We have, you know, we have associations to tables and to - and to dogs and to cats and to Harvard professors, and that's the way the mind works. It's an association machine.” quote by Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ec/daniel-kahneman-431_animal_we-have-associations-to-things-we-have-y_2513499.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ec/daniel-kahneman-431_animal_we-have-associations-to-things-we-have-y_2513499.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ec/daniel-kahneman-431_animal_we-have-associations-to-things-we-have-y_2513499.jpg) > “We have associations to things. We have, you know, we have associations to tables and to - and to dogs and to cats and to Harvard professors, and that's the way the mind works. It's an association machine.” [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The mind links ideas automatically, forming networks of associations that shape perception and decision‑making. **In simple terms:** Our brains connect concepts automatically. Key Takeaway Recognize and question automatic links. Themes cognitive psychology associative thinking bias Mood analytical curious Type cognitive psychological When to use this quote - marketing - education - personal decision making - creative brainstorming Key Concepts associationism network theory mental models Questions to Reflect On - How do your associations influence choices? - What steps break unhelpful links? A Different Perspective Associations can reinforce stereotypes or errors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Association](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/association/) [Association Machine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/association-machine-1180275/) [Associations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/associations/) [Associations Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/associations-things-1180274/) [Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cat/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Harvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harvard/) [Know Associations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-associations-1180276/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Professors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professors/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Tables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tables/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Working it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-it/) ## Related quotes > [I hope this doesn't sound pompous but I don't think of myself as famous, whatever fame I've got has come through what I've done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cushing/i-hope-this-doesn-t-sound-pompous-but-i-don-t-think-of-myself-as/) [Peter Cushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cushing/) > [There can be associations - enlightened businesses, for example - that do not work on the basis of us against them or wanting profit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/there-can-be-associations-enlightened-businesses-for-example-that-do/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [The Americans make associations to give entertainment, to found seminaries, to build inns, to construct churches, to diffuse books, to send missionaries to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-americans-make-associations-to-give-entertainment-to-found/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [The best hope for peace in the world lies in the simple but far-reaching recognition that we all have many different associations and affiliations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/the-best-hope-for-peace-in-the-world-lies-in-the-simple-but-far/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [I extend my appreciation to the associations, movements and all those who defend human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-extend-my-appreciation-to-the-associations-movements-and-all-those/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Associations are both subtle and powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/associations-are-both-subtle-and-powerful/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Harvard Medical School, the University of South Florida and the American Psychiatric Association have all conducted studies showing that the earlier one begins gambling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-bachus/harvard-medical-school-the-university-of-south-florida-and-the/) [Spencer Bachus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-bachus/) > [As president of the American Historical Association, I started a programme to make dissertations into e-books in 1999. 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