--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: David Dobbs said in a piece for The…" description: "\"“David Dobbs said in a piece for The Atlantic, “the very genes that give us the most trouble as a species, causing behaviors that are self-destructive ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/eric-barker-18158_habits_david-dobbs-said-in-a-piece-for-the-atla_618685.jpg" --- # David Dobbs said in a piece for The Atlantic, “the very… ![“David Dobbs said in a piece for The Atlantic, “the very genes that give us the most trouble as a species, causing behaviors that are self-destructive and antisocial, also underlie humankind’s phenomenal adaptability and evolutionary success. With a bad environment and poor parenting, orchid…” quote by Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/eric-barker-18158_habits_david-dobbs-said-in-a-piece-for-the-atla_618685.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/eric-barker-18158_habits_david-dobbs-said-in-a-piece-for-the-atla_618685.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/eric-barker-18158_habits_david-dobbs-said-in-a-piece-for-the-atla_618685.jpg) > ““David Dobbs said in a piece for The Atlantic, “the very genes that give us the most trouble as a species, causing behaviors that are self-destructive and antisocial, also underlie humankind’s phenomenal adaptability and evolutionary success. With a bad environment and poor parenting, orchid children can end up depressed, drug-addicted, or in jail—but with the right environment and good parenting, they can grow up to be society’s most creative, successful, and happy people.” This”” [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Genetic traits that can cause self‑destructive behavior also enable adaptability; environment determines outcomes. **In simple terms:** Genes can be both a curse and a gift, depending on upbringing. Key Takeaway Shape environments to nurture potential. Themes nature vs nurture potential environment creativity mental health Mood reflective hopeful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - parenting - education - social policy - mental health interventions Key Concepts genetics adaptability resilience social behavior Questions to Reflect On - How can society better support at‑risk youth? - What role does personal agency play? A Different Perspective Even with good environment, personal choices still matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-environment-213297/) [Causing Behaviors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causing-behaviors-4820673/) [Genes Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes-trouble-5010357/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Happy people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-people/) [Orchid Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orchid-children-2311157/) [Parenting Orchid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting-orchid-5010356/) [Poor Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-parenting-213438/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Trouble Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble-species-5010358/) ## Related quotes > [Everybody is talking about the behavior. Behaviors float downstream to us. We need to paddle upstream. The problems that are causing the behaviors, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-w-greene/everybody-is-talking-about-the-behavior-behaviors-float-downstream-to/) [Ross W. Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-w-greene/) > [“According to Jay Belsky, a leading proponent of this view and a psychology professor and child care expert at the University of London, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/according-to-jay-belsky-a-leading-proponent-of-this-view-and-a/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [Poor parenting may be reflected in poor sibling relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/poor-parenting-may-be-reflected-in-poor-sibling-relationships/) [Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/) > [“We look at the way some kids behave and instantly blame the parents, and more often than not we’re correct. The school bully is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wiggins/we-look-at-the-way-some-kids-behave-and-instantly-blame-the-parents/) [Karl Wiggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wiggins/) > [ The man Hillary \[Clinton\] introduced at the meeting goes so far as to say that no amount of trauma to children - or poor… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/the-man-hillary-clinton-introduced-at-the-meeting-goes-so-far-as-to/) [Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/) > [“The word indulgent has become a popular catchphrase for dishes we should not eat for health's sake. I never use it to describe food,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-hall-foose/the-word-indulgent-has-become-a-popular-catchphrase-for-dishes-we/) [Martha Hall Foose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-hall-foose/) > [I barely have time for my own children. To adopt more children and not have time for them, that would be poor parenting on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-barely-have-time-for-my-own-children-to-adopt-more-children-and-not/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) ## More by Eric Barker > [Showing gratitude for the good things you have is the most powerful happiness boosting activity there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/showing-gratitude-for-the-good-things-you-have-is-the-most-powerful/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [“Dan Ariely did a study in which people were given the opportunity to cheat on a test. (They didn’t know the researchers administering the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/dan-ariely-did-a-study-in-which-people-were-given-the-opportunity-to/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [“Too often we label things “good” or “bad” when the right designation might merely be “different.” The Israeli military needed people who could analyze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/too-often-we-label-things-good-or-bad-when-the-right-designation/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [“This leads us to the strengths of being less than confident. Confidence makes it very hard for us to learn and improve. When we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/this-leads-us-to-the-strengths-of-being-less-than-confident/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [“a healthy mind tells itself flattering lies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/a-healthy-mind-tells-itself-flattering-lies/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [“But as any mathematician knows, averages can be deceptive. Andrew Robinson, CEO of famed advertising agency BBDO, once said, “When your head is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/but-as-any-mathematician-knows-averages-can-be-deceptive-andrew/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [“Decide when you want to leave work and you’ll know how many hours you have. Slot in what you need to get done by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/decide-when-you-want-to-leave-work-and-you-ll-know-how-many-hours-you/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [We all only have 1440 minutes a day. Accept you can't do it all, focus on what's important and do that well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/we-all-only-have-1440-minutes-a-day-accept-you-can-t-do-it-all-focus/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [“Anyone who knows baseball knows Ted Williams. He played professionally from 1939 to 1960 and is one of the undisputed greatest hitters of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/anyone-who-knows-baseball-knows-ted-williams-he-played-professionally/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [“1.​HAPPINESS: having feelings of pleasure or contentment in and about your life 2.​ACHIEVEMENT: achieving accomplishments that compare favorably against similar goals others have strived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/1-happiness-having-feelings-of-pleasure-or-contentment-in-and-about/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [“Without a plan, we do what’s passive and easy—not what is really fulfilling. Robert Epstein surveyed thirty thousand”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/without-a-plan-we-do-what-s-passive-and-easy-not-what-is-really/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [The first step is crucial - keep it tiny. Do not be ambitious yet. That leads to failure. Consistency is what you’re shooting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/the-first-step-is-crucial-keep-it-tiny-do-not-be-ambitious-yet-that/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [“Mentoring a young person is four times more predictive of happiness than your health or how much money you make.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/mentoring-a-young-person-is-four-times-more-predictive-of-happiness/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [“Oh, the irony. Cognitive biases prevent us from understanding cognitive biases.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/oh-the-irony-cognitive-biases-prevent-us-from-understanding-cognitive/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) > [“Fundamentally, your brain doesn’t like or want to believe in randomness. It always believes you have some control, even when you don’t. It may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-barker/fundamentally-your-brain-doesn-t-like-or-want-to-believe-in/) [Eric Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) [Explore all 34 Eric Barker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-barker/) ## More Habits quotes > [“Malchut is also the Alma D’Itgalya, “the Revealed World.” Here our latent potential is actualized through behavior and expression.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laibl-wolf/malchut-is-also-the-alma-d-itgalya-the-revealed-world-here-our-latent/) [Laibl Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laibl-wolf/) > [I would drink gallons of coffee a day. Even now, off caffeine, I talk faster than anyone you've ever met. I finally recognized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-englander/i-would-drink-gallons-of-coffee-a-day-even-now-off-caffeine-i-talk/) [Nathan Englander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-englander/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [I doubt that we Americans can come to terms with our money neuroses without understanding the more florid pathology of the very rich for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-slater/i-doubt-that-we-americans-can-come-to-terms-with-our-money-neuroses/) [Philip Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-slater/) > [Winning is a habit. 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Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/chaos-often-breeds-life-when-order-breeds-habit/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-of-an-anonymous-abbess-lord-thou-knowest-better-than-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you're in a meeting and a man talks loudly over you, rather than copying that behaviour and normalising it, what you could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-foster/if-you-re-in-a-meeting-and-a-man-talks-loudly-over-you-rather-than/) [Dawn Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-foster/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) [Browse all 12,567 Habits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“David Dobbs said in a piece for The Atlantic, “the very genes that give us the most trouble as a species, causing behaviors that are self-destructive and antisocial, also underlie humankind’s phenomenal adaptability and evolutionary success. 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