--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even very smart people can try to…" description: "\"Even very smart people can try to shoehorn new information that just doesn't fit into an existing paradigm.For a long time the story that we've been te..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/147/elizabeth-kolbert-7570_animal_even-very-smart-people-can-try-to-shoeho_2972371.jpg" --- # Even very smart people can try to shoehorn new information… ![“Even very smart people can try to shoehorn new information that just doesn't fit into an existing paradigm.For a long time the story that we've been telling ourselves is that humans are just another animal. We evolved from other animals and our place in the universe isn't particularly special…” quote by Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/147/elizabeth-kolbert-7570_animal_even-very-smart-people-can-try-to-shoeho_2972371.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/147/elizabeth-kolbert-7570_animal_even-very-smart-people-can-try-to-shoeho_2972371.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/147/elizabeth-kolbert-7570_animal_even-very-smart-people-can-try-to-shoeho_2972371.jpg) > “Even very smart people can try to shoehorn new information that just doesn't fit into an existing paradigm.For a long time the story that we've been telling ourselves is that humans are just another animal. We evolved from other animals and our place in the universe isn't particularly special. What I'm trying to convey in my book \[The Sixth Extinction\] is that we are unusual.” [Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kolbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans are biologically unique, not merely another animal, challenging the view that we are ordinary. **In simple terms:** Humans are unusual, not just another animal. Key Takeaway Recognize humanity’s distinct role in nature. Themes biology anthropology existentialism Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - public policy - environmental advocacy Key Concepts evolutionary uniqueness paradigm shift Questions to Reflect On - What evidence most convinces you of human uniqueness? - How does this view affect our responsibility to Earth? A Different Perspective Science alone cannot prove uniqueness without philosophical context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animal Evolved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-evolved-2200823/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Existing Paradigm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existing-paradigm-3328528/) [Extinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extinction/) [Extinction Unusual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extinction-unusual-4583274/) [Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [New information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-information/) [Paradigm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradigm/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sixth Extinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sixth-extinction-2288752/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Smart people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-people/) [Special](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Unusual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unusual/) [Very smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-smart/) ## Related quotes > [“The anthropologist Richard Leakey has warned that “Homo sapiens might not only be the agent of the sixth extinction, but also risks being one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kolbert/the-anthropologist-richard-leakey-has-warned-that-homo-sapiens-might/) [Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kolbert/) > [“the center of the American Museum of Natural History’s Hall of Biodiversity, there’s an exhibit embedded in the floor. The exhibit is arranged around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kolbert/the-center-of-the-american-museum-of-natural-history-s-hall-of/) [Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kolbert/) > [In order to change an existing paradigm you do not struggle to try and change the problematic model. You create a new model and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-order-to-change-an-existing-paradigm-you-do-not-struggle-to-try/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Many textbooks point out that no animal has evolved wheels and cite the fact as an example of how evolution is often incapable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/many-textbooks-point-out-that-no-animal-has-evolved-wheels-and-cite/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [The human animal has evolved as a preeminently social animal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-kass/the-human-animal-has-evolved-as-a-preeminently-social-animal/) [Leon Kass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-kass/) > [There is good reason to believe that we have already entered the Sixth Extinction, a period of destruction of species on a massive scale,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-is-good-reason-to-believe-that-we-have-already-entered-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“ON THE VERGE OF THE SIXTH EXTINCTION”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/on-the-verge-of-the-sixth-extinction/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All great leaders constantly seek new information and new ways of thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/all-great-leaders-constantly-seek-new-information-and-new-ways-of/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [“If he ever changes his stance on something, it's because he's received new information.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-graham/if-he-ever-changes-his-stance-on-something-it-s-because-he-s-received/) [Heather Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-graham/) > [We debase the richness of both nature and our own minds if we view the great pageant of our intellectual history as a compendium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/we-debase-the-richness-of-both-nature-and-our-own-minds-if-we-view/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I spend a lot of time going over old conversation summaries. A lot of the old ones are about ideas that ended in failure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-boyden/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-going-over-old-conversation-summaries-a-lot-of/) [Edward Boyden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-boyden/) > [There has never been a master plan. Anyone who wanted to do it, we fired because it takes on a life of its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/there-has-never-been-a-master-plan-anyone-who-wanted-to-do-it-we/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Abundance, like everything else in the universe, is simply a specific arrangement of energy and information. With our intention, we can change the energy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/abundance-like-everything-else-in-the-universe-is-simply-a-specific/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“they favor new information over old, even if the older information is more valuable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-keller/they-favor-new-information-over-old-even-if-the-older-information-is/) [Gary Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-keller/) > [Larousse is an invaluable tool for any cook. I've used this great resource all throughout my cooking career, and of course I look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-keller/larousse-is-an-invaluable-tool-for-any-cook-i-ve-used-this-great/) [Thomas Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-keller/) ## More by Elizabeth Kolbert > [“The size of the greenhouse forcing is estimated, at this point, to be 2.5 w/m2. A miniature Christmas light gives off about four tenths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kolbert/the-size-of-the-greenhouse-forcing-is-estimated-at-this-point-to-be-2/) [Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kolbert/) > [You've got to do everything, everything's got to be pointing in the same direction and you've got to really turn this whole economic engine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kolbert/you-ve-got-to-do-everything-everything-s-got-to-be-pointing-in-the/) [Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kolbert/) > [Well in the scientific there is virtually no debate over certain things. For example, that we are changing the world. Humans are changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kolbert/well-in-the-scientific-there-is-virtually-no-debate-over-certain/) [Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kolbert/) > [Humans will eventually become extinct. 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As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? 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It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Even very smart people can try to shoehorn new information that just doesn't fit into an existing paradigm.For a long time the story that we've been telling ourselves is that humans are just another animal. We evolved from other animals and our place in the universe isn't particularly special. 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