---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: However, if we consider that all the…"
description: "\"However, if we consider that all the characteristics which have been cited are only differences in degree of structure, may we not suppose that this sp..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/jean-baptiste-lamarck-27412_acquisition_however-if-we-consider-that-all-the-char_1811331.jpg"
---

#  However, if we consider that all the characteristics which…

![“However, if we consider that all the characteristics which have been cited are only differences in degree of structure, may we not suppose that this special condition of organization of man has been gradually acquired at the close of a long period of time, with the aid of circumstances which have…” quote by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/jean-baptiste-lamarck-27412_acquisition_however-if-we-consider-that-all-the-char_1811331.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/jean-baptiste-lamarck-27412_acquisition_however-if-we-consider-that-all-the-char_1811331.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/jean-baptiste-lamarck-27412_acquisition_however-if-we-consider-that-all-the-char_1811331.jpg)

> “However, if we consider that all the characteristics which have been cited are only differences in degree of structure, may we not suppose that this special condition of organization of man has been gradually acquired at the close of a long period of time, with the aid of circumstances which have proved favorable? What a subject for reflection for those who have the courage to enter into it!”

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Human organization evolved gradually through structural differences shaped by favorable circumstances over long periods.

**In simple terms:** Human structure changed slowly with help from the environment.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the role of environment in shaping humanity.

Themes

evolution environment gradualism

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

philosophical scientific

When to use this quote

- education
- policy planning
- long‑term research
- social development

Key Concepts

natural selection adaptation complexity

Questions to Reflect On

- How do environmental pressures drive structural change?
- What limits exist on gradual adaptation?

A Different Perspective

May overlook genetic constraints and non‑environmental factors.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Acquisition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquisition/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [All the acquisitions or losses wrought by nature on individuals, through the influence of the environment in which their race has long been placed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/all-the-acquisitions-or-losses-wrought-by-nature-on-individuals/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [The good things in history are usually of very short duration, but afterward have a decisive influence on what happens over long periods of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-good-things-in-history-are-usually-of-very-short-duration-but/)

[Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/)

> [I want you to say to me right from the start, "We are here to serve customers. We're not here for me to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/i-want-you-to-say-to-me-right-from-the-start-we-are-here-to-serve/)

[Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/)

> [We have a number of brothers left in the prisons, about 15 of them. And for the most part, they're in bad condition. Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sekou-odinga/we-have-a-number-of-brothers-left-in-the-prisons-about-15-of-them-and/)

[Sekou Odinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sekou-odinga/)

> [The observation that species are amazingly conservative and static entities throughout long periods of time has all the qualities of the emperor's new clothes:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niles-eldredge/the-observation-that-species-are-amazingly-conservative-and-static/)

[Niles Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niles-eldredge/)

> [You don't have to have perfect wisdom to get very rich - just a bit better than average over a long period of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/you-don-t-have-to-have-perfect-wisdom-to-get-very-rich-just-a-bit/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

> [I've had very deep relationships that lasted for long periods of time with people - you could almost call them marriages, even though I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/i-ve-had-very-deep-relationships-that-lasted-for-long-periods-of-time/)

[Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/)

> [There was a long period of time when Sam Fuller had a lot of projects fall through and had a lot of difficulties getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/there-was-a-long-period-of-time-when-sam-fuller-had-a-lot-of-projects/)

[Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/)

> [Any time there's a coaching change, that's something that's pretty significant, and especially for the New York Giants, who have had the same coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cruz/any-time-there-s-a-coaching-change-that-s-something-that-s-pretty/)

[Victor Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cruz/)

> [Before success comes patience... when we add to our accomplishments the element of hard work over a long period of time, we'll place a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/before-success-comes-patience-when-we-add-to-our-accomplishments-the/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [The Shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-shadow-is-a-moral-problem-that-challenges-the-whole-ego/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [What really counts is not the immediate act of courage or of valor, but those who bear the struggle day in and day out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/what-really-counts-is-not-the-immediate-act-of-courage-or-of-valor/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [You have a lot of suspicion from the neighbors of Afghanistan about U.S. intentions. Iran is already, to some extent, trying to undermine the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/you-have-a-lot-of-suspicion-from-the-neighbors-of-afghanistan-about-u/)

[Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/)

> [For a long period of time, the media covered rap music and hip hop the same way they cover a lot of black people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/for-a-long-period-of-time-the-media-covered-rap-music-and-hip-hop-the/)

[Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/)

> [ \[Barack Obama\] will spend long periods of time explaining to people why he won't use it. At the end of the explanation, nobody knows… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/barack-obama-will-spend-long-periods-of-time-explaining-to-people-why/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

## More by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

> [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [All known living bodies are sharply divided into two special kingdoms, based upon the essential differences which distinguish animals from plants, and in spite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/all-known-living-bodies-are-sharply-divided-into-two-special-kingdoms/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [After having produced aquatic animals of all ranks and having caused extensive variations in them by the different environments provided by the waters, nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/after-having-produced-aquatic-animals-of-all-ranks-and-having-caused/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [What nature does in the course of long periods we do every day when we suddenly change the environment in which some species of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/what-nature-does-in-the-course-of-long-periods-we-do-every-day-when/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [Habits form a second nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/habits-form-a-second-nature/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [In every animal which has not passed the limit of its development, a more frequent and continuous use of any organ gradually strengthens, develops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/in-every-animal-which-has-not-passed-the-limit-of-its-development-a/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [The form follows the function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/the-form-follows-the-function/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [A sound Physics of the Earth should include all the primary considerations of the earth's atmosphere, of the characteristics and continual changes of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/a-sound-physics-of-the-earth-should-include-all-the-primary/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [On our planet, all objects are subject to continual and inevitable changes which arise from the essential order of things. These changes take place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/on-our-planet-all-objects-are-subject-to-continual-and-inevitable/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [All knowledge that is not the real product of observation, or of consequences deduced from observation, is entirely groundless and illusory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/all-knowledge-that-is-not-the-real-product-of-observation-or-of/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [“First Law In every animal which has not passed the limit of its development, a more frequent and continuous use of any organ gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/first-law-in-every-animal-which-has-not-passed-the-limit-of-its/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [All the acquisitions or losses wrought by nature on individuals, through the influence of the environment in which their race has long been placed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/all-the-acquisitions-or-losses-wrought-by-nature-on-individuals/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [Now this circumscribed power, which we have scarcely examined, scarcely studied, this power to whose actions we nearly always attribute an intention and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/now-this-circumscribed-power-which-we-have-scarcely-examined-scarcely/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [It is not always the magnitude of the differences observed between species that must determine specific distinctions, but the constant preservation of those differences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/it-is-not-always-the-magnitude-of-the-differences-observed-between/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [It is not the organs-that is, the character and form of the animal's bodily parts-that have given rise to its habits and particular structures.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/it-is-not-the-organs-that-is-the-character-and-form-of-the-animal-s/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

[Explore all 20 Jean-Baptiste Lamarck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

## More Acquisition quotes

> [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/)

K. Anders Ericsson

> [ No one suffers so much as he \[the genius\] with the people, and, therefore, for the people, with whom he lives. For, in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-one-suffers-so-much-as-he-the-genius-with-the-people-and-therefore/)

[Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/)

> [Personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a checklist of acquisition. Your qualifications are not your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/personal-happiness-lies-in-knowing-that-life-is-not-a-checklist-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We may... affirm that the balance of power in a society accompanies the balance of property in land. The only possible way, then, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/we-may-affirm-that-the-balance-of-power-in-a-society-accompanies-the/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [Learning to play the guitar is a combination of mental and motor skill acquisition. And to develop motor skill, repetition is essential... Whenever musicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-roberts/learning-to-play-the-guitar-is-a-combination-of-mental-and-motor/)

[Howard Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-roberts/)

> [All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milarepa/all-worldly-pursuits-have-but-one-unavoidable-and-inevitable-end/)

[Milarepa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milarepa/)

> [When ice appears out of doors, and boys seize it up while it is solid, at first they experience new pleasures. But in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/when-ice-appears-out-of-doors-and-boys-seize-it-up-while-it-is-solid/)

[Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/)

> [Accounting consequences do not influence our operating or capital-allocation decisions. When acquisition costs are similar, we much prefer to purchase $2 of earnings that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/accounting-consequences-do-not-influence-our-operating-or-capital/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [A sustainable economy represents nothing less than a higher social order one as concerned with future generations as with our own, and more focused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/a-sustainable-economy-represents-nothing-less-than-a-higher-social/)

[Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/)

> [One industrial age belief is that GDP or GNP is a measure of progress. I don't care if you're the President of China or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/one-industrial-age-belief-is-that-gdp-or-gnp-is-a-measure-of-progress/)

[Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/)

> [I ended up doing four or five plays in college and being an English major with my thesis in language acquisition, which I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/i-ended-up-doing-four-or-five-plays-in-college-and-being-an-english/)

[Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/)

> [But most automotive dealerships are set up for customer acquisition - which is crazy when you consider the average cost of customer acquisition is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hughes/but-most-automotive-dealerships-are-set-up-for-customer-acquisition/)

Arthur Hughes

> [As priestcraft was always the enemy of knowledge, because priestcraft supports itself by keeping people in delusion and ignorance, it was consistent with its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/as-priestcraft-was-always-the-enemy-of-knowledge-because-priestcraft/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [Even as the unborn babe is in the womb of his mother, these five are fixed as his life destiny: his life span, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-as-the-unborn-babe-is-in-the-womb-of-his-mother-these-five-are/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [What becomes of a man who acquires a beautiful woman, with her "beauty" his sole target? He sabotages himself. He has gained no friend,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/what-becomes-of-a-man-who-acquires-a-beautiful-woman-with-her-beauty/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

[Browse all 395 Acquisition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquisition/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "However, if we consider that all the characteristics which have been cited are only differences in degree of structure, may we not suppose that this special condition of organization of man has been gradually acquired at the close of a long period of time, with the aid of circumstances which have proved favorable? What a subject for reflection for those who have the courage to enter into it!",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jean-Baptiste Lamarck"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/however-if-we-consider-that-all-the-characteristics-which-have-been/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Acquisition"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/however-if-we-consider-that-all-the-characteristics-which-have-been/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/jean-baptiste-lamarck-27412_acquisition_however-if-we-consider-that-all-the-char_1811331.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/jean-baptiste-lamarck-27412_acquisition_however-if-we-consider-that-all-the-char_1811331.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98a/jean-baptiste-lamarck-27412_acquisition_however-if-we-consider-that-all-the-char_1811331.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“However, if we consider that all the characteristics which have been cited are only differences in degree of…” — Jean-Baptiste Lamarck",
                "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": "Jean-Baptiste Lamarck",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "However, if we consider that all...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/however-if-we-consider-that-all-the-characteristics-which-have-been/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/however-if-we-consider-that-all-the-characteristics-which-have-been/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
