--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are not designed to deal with the many…" description: "\"“We are not designed to deal with the many stress-inducing situations of the twenty-first century. For most of human history, the stressors we faced we..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59c/jed-diamond-17194_history_we-are-not-designed-to-deal-with-the-man_1408273.jpg" --- # We are not designed to deal with the many stress-inducing… ![“We are not designed to deal with the many stress-inducing situations of the twenty-first century. For most of human history, the stressors we faced were mainly physical, like running away from wild animals. Now they are almost entirely psychological. When was the last time you were frightened by a…” quote by Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59c/jed-diamond-17194_history_we-are-not-designed-to-deal-with-the-man_1408273.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59c/jed-diamond-17194_history_we-are-not-designed-to-deal-with-the-man_1408273.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59c/jed-diamond-17194_history_we-are-not-designed-to-deal-with-the-man_1408273.jpg) > ““We are not designed to deal with the many stress-inducing situations of the twenty-first century. For most of human history, the stressors we faced were mainly physical, like running away from wild animals. Now they are almost entirely psychological. When was the last time you were frightened by a lion? The things that cause us stress in our modern world are the ones that go inside our heads.”” [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern stress is largely psychological, unlike ancestral physical threats, making coping harder. **In simple terms:** Modern stress is mental, not physical. Key Takeaway Learn mental coping strategies. Themes stress psychology modern life evolutionary mismatch Mood anxious reflective Type advice analytical When to use this quote - workplace - social media - urban living - healthcare - education Key Concepts cognitive load threat perception adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How can we train our minds for modern stress? - What practices reduce psychological stress? A Different Perspective Physical threats are rare, so mental training may be insufficient alone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cause Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cause-stress-239774/) [Deal Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deal-stress-496882/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Stressors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-stressors-4954578/) [Last time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-time/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Modern world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-world/) [Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress/) [Stress relief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress-relief/) [Stressors Faced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stressors-faced-4954577/) [Wild animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-animals/) ## Related quotes > [“Some clinicians and researchers believe that andropause is primarily the result of our loss of testosterone. 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The ability to understand that two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/our-new-understanding-of-energy-and-hence-energy-healing-is-full-of/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [“Not only does depression take away our spiritual and emotional health, it also undermines our physical health.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/not-only-does-depression-take-away-our-spiritual-and-emotional-health/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [“In my experience as a psychotherapist, I have found that stress underlies most of the psychological, social, and medical problems people face in contemporary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/in-my-experience-as-a-psychotherapist-i-have-found-that-stress/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [“Many of us have been burned by love and vowed to keep ourselves safe and not get pulled in again. But, inevitably, we do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/many-of-us-have-been-burned-by-love-and-vowed-to-keep-ourselves-safe/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [“Anxiety is a state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation. Often, men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/anxiety-is-a-state-of-apprehension-uncertainty-and-fear-resulting/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) ## More by Jed Diamond > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [“Some clinicians and researchers believe that andropause is primarily the result of our loss of testosterone. 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It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' 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