--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I mean by it, and roughly what most…" description: "\"What I mean by it, and roughly what most biologists who talk about culture mean by it, is either behavior itself, or information that leads to behavior..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/hal-whitehead-26990_behave_what-i-mean-by-it-and-roughly-what-most_479576.jpg" --- # What I mean by it, and roughly what most biologists who… ![“What I mean by it, and roughly what most biologists who talk about culture mean by it, is either behavior itself, or information that leads to behavior. Information that is picked up through social learning - so, from being with, watching, being taught by others. It's a way that individuals behave…” quote by Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/hal-whitehead-26990_behave_what-i-mean-by-it-and-roughly-what-most_479576.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/hal-whitehead-26990_behave_what-i-mean-by-it-and-roughly-what-most_479576.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/hal-whitehead-26990_behave_what-i-mean-by-it-and-roughly-what-most_479576.jpg) > “What I mean by it, and roughly what most biologists who talk about culture mean by it, is either behavior itself, or information that leads to behavior. Information that is picked up through social learning - so, from being with, watching, being taught by others. It's a way that individuals behave or get information about how they will behave that comes directly from the behavior of others.” [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Culture transmits behavior through social learning, where individuals acquire information by observing and being taught by others. **In simple terms:** People learn by watching and copying others. Key Takeaway Observe and learn from others. Themes culture social learning behavior information transfer Mood reflective analytical Type educational observational When to use this quote - education - workplace training - family traditions - media influence Key Concepts memetics social cognition learning theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify the information you acquire socially? - What role does critical thinking play in cultural transmission? A Different Perspective Social learning can be limited by misinformation or conformity pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave/) [Behave Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave-information-4126891/) [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Behavior Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior-information-4126890/) [Biologist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biologist/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Culture Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture-mean-1269885/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Talk Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-culture-1280369/) ## Related quotes > [It indicates a person who has not only good manners but who possesses a sense of balance, a sure mastery of himself, a moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-gramsci/it-indicates-a-person-who-has-not-only-good-manners-but-who-possesses/) [Antonio Gramsci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-gramsci/) > [Our institute's agenda is relatively simple. We study the relationship between social-economic change and culture. By culture we mean beliefs, values and lifestyles. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/our-institute-s-agenda-is-relatively-simple-we-study-the-relationship/) [Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/) > [My heritage and my culture and where I'm from mean the most to me, more than anything,.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-mills/my-heritage-and-my-culture-and-where-i-m-from-mean-the-most-to-me/) [Patty Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-mills/) > [What does culture mean? It's not a physical thing. I love a museum, but that, for me, doesn't make you a better person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karamo-brown/what-does-culture-mean-it-s-not-a-physical-thing-i-love-a-museum-but/) [Karamo Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karamo-brown/) > [“I beg your pardon, sir, said the Frenchman. I am not a coloniser. Well, let’s talk Algeria then. Let’s talk about your culture and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rawi-hage/i-beg-your-pardon-sir-said-the-frenchman-i-am-not-a-coloniser-well/) [Rawi Hage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rawi-hage/) > [Nowadays it's a big issue in Europe because you are forced to describe yourself by your culture, and you begin to forget about yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burhan-sonmez/nowadays-it-s-a-big-issue-in-europe-because-you-are-forced-to/) [Burhan Sonmez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burhan-sonmez/) > [Comedians and people in general have a cultural right to talk about their own culture and race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/comedians-and-people-in-general-have-a-cultural-right-to-talk-about/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [It's always hard to talk about the culture that you are from, especially with Islam, it is a very sensitive subject and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-myard/it-s-always-hard-to-talk-about-the-culture-that-you-are-from/) [Jacques Myard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-myard/) > [Whenever I talk about my culture, I want to shine a light on it. Even though I'm having fun, I want to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-koy/whenever-i-talk-about-my-culture-i-want-to-shine-a-light-on-it-even/) [Jo Koy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-koy/) > [Bird taxonomy is a difficult field because of the severe anatomical constraints imposed by flight. There are only so many ways to design a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/bird-taxonomy-is-a-difficult-field-because-of-the-severe-anatomical/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [I don't think in biology it's very controversial at all. Whether certain behavior is culture or is not culture is argued. I think virtually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/i-don-t-think-in-biology-it-s-very-controversial-at-all-whether/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [Psychologists would say that the only two important forms of social learning are imitation and teaching, and they will spend time trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/psychologists-would-say-that-the-only-two-important-forms-of-social/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Le biologiste passe, la grenouille reste. The biologist passes, the frog remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/le-biologiste-passe-la-grenouille-reste-the-biologist-passes-the-frog/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) ## More by Hal Whitehead > [Studying the behavior of large whales has been likened to astronomy. The observer glimpses his subjects, often at long range; he cannot do experiments,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/studying-the-behavior-of-large-whales-has-been-likened-to-astronomy/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [But one thing that seems pretty clear when we look at human religion is that it's highly tied in with human culture. So if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/but-one-thing-that-seems-pretty-clear-when-we-look-at-human-religion/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [We believe we're seeing, in other animals, a process, or an attribute, that isn't fundamentally different from what we see in humans, so it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/we-believe-we-re-seeing-in-other-animals-a-process-or-an-attribute/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [Whales are cultural animals, and we're cultural animals, so although we shouldn't expect whales to do what we do, it doesn't seem unreasonable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/whales-are-cultural-animals-and-we-re-cultural-animals-so-although-we/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [Culture is not usually one of the criterion for personhood, but it has been argued that culture is sort of a medium for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/culture-is-not-usually-one-of-the-criterion-for-personhood-but-it-has/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [Conversation with animals could happen, but I think it would be easier for it to happen with creatures we share a bit more with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/conversation-with-animals-could-happen-but-i-think-it-would-be-easier/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [Religion's pretty pervasive in humans. And why it's pervasive in humans is debated a lot. There are indications of things that look like religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/religion-s-pretty-pervasive-in-humans-and-why-it-s-pervasive-in/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [Humans are particularly interesting; our culture is incredible, there's no doubt about that. In many respects, no other species matches ours. But in quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/humans-are-particularly-interesting-our-culture-is-incredible-there-s/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [The real controversy comes with anthropologists - not all, but some - who see themselves as studying culture, and they then see culture from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/the-real-controversy-comes-with-anthropologists-not-all-but-some-who/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [I was very lucky. I was just finishing my PhD at Cambridge in 1981. This opportunity came up because whaling was drawing to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/i-was-very-lucky-i-was-just-finishing-my-phd-at-cambridge-in-1981/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [I don't like to be dismissive of whales speaking possibilities. There is a pretty New Age-y, poorly thought set of ideas about this going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/i-don-t-like-to-be-dismissive-of-whales-speaking-possibilities-there/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [I don't think in biology it's very controversial at all. Whether certain behavior is culture or is not culture is argued. I think virtually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/i-don-t-think-in-biology-it-s-very-controversial-at-all-whether/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [I never thought of that one, that linguistics could be driving cultural things. There are some thoughts that that does happen in humans, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/i-never-thought-of-that-one-that-linguistics-could-be-driving/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [Psychologists would say that the only two important forms of social learning are imitation and teaching, and they will spend time trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/psychologists-would-say-that-the-only-two-important-forms-of-social/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) > [It's kind of ironic that when you look at the evidence of intelligence and so on, a lot of it is anecdotal. A lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/it-s-kind-of-ironic-that-when-you-look-at-the-evidence-of/) [Hal Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) [Explore all 21 Hal Whitehead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/) ## More Behave quotes > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) [Burne Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burne-hogarth/) > [You can behave as badly as you like in America. Nobody notices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/you-can-behave-as-badly-as-you-like-in-america-nobody-notices/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“Then Olympus it is. But do try to behave. I know it’s hard for you, but… (Delphine) I won’t piss on the floor. (Jericho)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/then-olympus-it-is-but-do-try-to-behave-i-know-it-s-hard-for-you-but/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The possibility of saying anything about a thing rests on the assumption that it preserves its identity, or continues to be the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-possibility-of-saying-anything-about-a-thing-rests-on-the/) [Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/) > [Why does man behave like perfect idiot? This is the problem I wish to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-szent-gyorgyi/why-does-man-behave-like-perfect-idiot-this-is-the-problem-i-wish-to/) [Albert Szent-Gyorgyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-szent-gyorgyi/) > [This is a time in my life where I'm gonna behave like an elegant human being. Or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/this-is-a-time-in-my-life-where-i-m-gonna-behave-like-an-elegant/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [Most people, even in simple risky situations, don't behave the way the theory of utility would have them behave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-raiffa/most-people-even-in-simple-risky-situations-don-t-behave-the-way-the/) [Howard Raiffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-raiffa/) > [As a club, we have an educational purpose: to give back to those people who love Arsenal so that they learn moral values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/as-a-club-we-have-an-educational-purpose-to-give-back-to-those-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [What astonishes many of us is not so much that human nature is fundamentally corrupt; we are astonished rather that it does not behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-irving-seiden/what-astonishes-many-of-us-is-not-so-much-that-human-nature-is/) [Morton Irving Seiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-irving-seiden/) > [Do we behave out of fear of punishment, or out of the demands of our heart? For me, it is the latter, as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-we-behave-out-of-fear-of-punishment-or-out-of-the-demands-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you are in hard labor, remember that the length of labor is usually proportional to the number of people around. Avoid the presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-odent/when-you-are-in-hard-labor-remember-that-the-length-of-labor-is/) [Michel Odent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-odent/) > [The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room, each believing himself in mortal peril from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-superpowers-often-behave-like-two-heavily-armed-blind-men-feeling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For political and bureaucratic reasons, governments at all levels are telling far less to the public than to insiders about how to prepare for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/for-political-and-bureaucratic-reasons-governments-at-all-levels-are/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) [Browse all 1,587 Behave quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What I mean by it, and roughly what most biologists who talk about culture mean by it, is either behavior itself, or information that leads to behavior. Information that is picked up through social learning - so, from being with, watching, being taught by others. It's a way that individuals behave or get information about how they will behave that comes directly from the behavior of others.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hal Whitehead" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/what-i-mean-by-it-and-roughly-what-most-biologists-who-talk-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behave" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/what-i-mean-by-it-and-roughly-what-most-biologists-who-talk-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/hal-whitehead-26990_behave_what-i-mean-by-it-and-roughly-what-most_479576.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/hal-whitehead-26990_behave_what-i-mean-by-it-and-roughly-what-most_479576.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/hal-whitehead-26990_behave_what-i-mean-by-it-and-roughly-what-most_479576.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What I mean by it, and roughly what most biologists who talk about culture mean by it, is either behavior…” — Hal Whitehead", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Hal Whitehead", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-whitehead/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What I mean by it, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/what-i-mean-by-it-and-roughly-what-most-biologists-who-talk-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-whitehead/what-i-mean-by-it-and-roughly-what-most-biologists-who-talk-about/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```