--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think we're yet evolved to the…" description: "\"I don't think we're yet evolved to the point where we're clever enough to handle a complex a situation as climate change. The inertia of humans is so h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/james-lovelock-5790_change_i-don-t-think-we-re-yet-evolved-to-the-p_208788.jpg" --- # I don't think we're yet evolved to the point where we're… ![“I don't think we're yet evolved to the point where we're clever enough to handle a complex a situation as climate change. The inertia of humans is so huge that you can't really do anything meaningful.” quote by James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/james-lovelock-5790_change_i-don-t-think-we-re-yet-evolved-to-the-p_208788.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/james-lovelock-5790_change_i-don-t-think-we-re-yet-evolved-to-the-p_208788.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/james-lovelock-5790_change_i-don-t-think-we-re-yet-evolved-to-the-p_208788.jpg) > “I don't think we're yet evolved to the point where we're clever enough to handle a complex a situation as climate change. The inertia of humans is so huge that you can't really do anything meaningful.” [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human society lacks the collective will and capacity to effectively address the massive, complex challenge of climate change. **In simple terms:** We aren't ready to solve climate change. Key Takeaway Build collective will and act now. Themes environment politics human behavior Mood urgent hopeful Type activist informational When to use this quote - policy making - community activism - technological innovation - education outreach Key Concepts systemic inertia collective action Questions to Reflect On - What small actions can scale up to larger impact? - How can we motivate large‑scale behavioral change? A Different Perspective It may overlook successful grassroots initiatives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Climate change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate-change/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Inertia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inertia/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The inertia of humans is so huge that you can't really do anything meaningful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-inertia-of-humans-is-so-huge-that-you-can-t-really-do-anything/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [The way we like to think of ourselves is not the way we look. We like to think of ourselves as more evolved than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-jacobson/the-way-we-like-to-think-of-ourselves-is-not-the-way-we-look-we-like/) [Nina Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-jacobson/) > [Everyone wants answers and wants to know what the timeline is. Unfortunately, it's a complex situation, and we don't have the final answers yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/everyone-wants-answers-and-wants-to-know-what-the-timeline-is/) [Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/) > [AIDS is a complex situation that's sure to bring out the best and the worst in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-de-st-phalle/aids-is-a-complex-situation-that-s-sure-to-bring-out-the-best-and-the/) [Niki de St. Phalle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-de-st-phalle/) > [Too many escape into complexity these days. For it is an escape for persons to cry, when this question of the equality of peoples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/too-many-escape-into-complexity-these-days-for-it-is-an-escape-for/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [Terms like 'good' and 'bad' are extremely simplistic in what is a far more complex situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/terms-like-good-and-bad-are-extremely-simplistic-in-what-is-a-far/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [“The valuable capacity of the human mind to simplify a complex situation in a compact characterization becomes dangerous when not controlled in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidin-vadukut/the-valuable-capacity-of-the-human-mind-to-simplify-a-complex/) [Sidin Vadukut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidin-vadukut/) > [I never think in metaphors or fully make those kind of associations myself. I just lay down a complex situation and hope things arise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-never-think-in-metaphors-or-fully-make-those-kind-of-associations/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [I found that I faced a highly complex situation, and that I couldnt hope to change it until I had armed myself with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-sadat/i-found-that-i-faced-a-highly-complex-situation-and-that-i-couldnt/) [Anwar Sadat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anwar-sadat/) > [All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothea-brande/all-that-is-necessary-to-break-the-spell-of-inertia-and-frustration/) [Dorothea Brande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothea-brande/) > [“When describing me, Tracy often refers to a well-known concept of physics: 'inertia.' As Newton avers in his first law: 'An object that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox-2/when-describing-me-tracy-often-refers-to-a-well-known-concept-of/) [Michael J Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox-2/) > [It takes forever if you go by inertia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/it-takes-forever-if-you-go-by-inertia/) [Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/) > [“We know how ninety-nine percent of the universe works," he told Carter shortly after they met, "and that's the clockworks, that's what we build…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-david-gold/we-know-how-ninety-nine-percent-of-the-universe-works-he-told-carter/) [Glen David Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-david-gold/) > [Sometimes you make up your mind about something without knowing why, and your decision persists by the power of inertia. Every year it gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/sometimes-you-make-up-your-mind-about-something-without-knowing-why/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Change is not overcoming inertia as much as it is redirecting, guiding, tweaking what already is and what has already happened. We must believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/change-is-not-overcoming-inertia-as-much-as-it-is-redirecting-guiding/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) ## More by James Lovelock > [The Earth's population will be culled from today's 6.6 billion to as few as 500 million, with most of the survivors living in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-earth-s-population-will-be-culled-from-today-s-6-6-billion-to-as/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [“City wisdom became almost entirely centered on the problems of human relationships, in contrast to the wisdom of any natural tribal group, where relationships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/city-wisdom-became-almost-entirely-centered-on-the-problems-of-human/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [You never know with politicians what they are really saying. And I don't say that in a negative way-they have an appalling job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/you-never-know-with-politicians-what-they-are-really-saying-and-i-don/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [The oil companies regard nuclear power as their rival, who will reduce their profits, so they put out a lot of disinformation about nuclear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-oil-companies-regard-nuclear-power-as-their-rival-who-will-reduce/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [If a power station were to be built down the road, I'd prefer a nuclear plant over an oil burner, and definitely over a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/if-a-power-station-were-to-be-built-down-the-road-i-d-prefer-a/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [The tropical rain forests are a telling example. Once cut down, they rarely recover. Rainfall drops, deserts spread, the climate warms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-tropical-rain-forests-are-a-telling-example-once-cut-down-they/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [“When we burn fossil fuel for energy we are, in qualitative terms, doing nothing more wrong than burning wood. Our wrongdoing, if that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/when-we-burn-fossil-fuel-for-energy-we-are-in-qualitative-terms-doing/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [By the end of this century, climate change will reduce the human population to a few breeding pairs surviving near the Arctic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/by-the-end-of-this-century-climate-change-will-reduce-the-human/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [The world has not warmed up very much since the millennium. Twelve years is a reasonable time… it (the temperature) has stayed almost constant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-world-has-not-warmed-up-very-much-since-the-millennium-twelve/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [By 2040, the Sahara will be moving into Europe and Berlin will be as hot as Baghdad. Atlanta will end up a kudzu jungle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/by-2040-the-sahara-will-be-moving-into-europe-and-berlin-will-be-as/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [“One of the striking things about places heavily contaminated by radioactive nuclides is the richness of their wildlife. This is true of the land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/one-of-the-striking-things-about-places-heavily-contaminated-by/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [Esso has been the main one in America spreading the disinformation that there is no global warming problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/esso-has-been-the-main-one-in-america-spreading-the-disinformation/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [Gas is almost a give-away in the U.S. at the moment. They've gone for fracking in a big way. This is what makes me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/gas-is-almost-a-give-away-in-the-u-s-at-the-moment-they-ve-gone-for/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [I'm a scientist, not a theologian. I don't know if there is a God or not. Religion requires certainty. Revere and respect Gaia. Have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/i-m-a-scientist-not-a-theologian-i-don-t-know-if-there-is-a-god-or/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [Composing computer programs to solve scientific problems is like writing poetry. You must choose every word with care and link it with the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/composing-computer-programs-to-solve-scientific-problems-is-like/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) [Explore all 99 James Lovelock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. 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