--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well, if you can't then write in the…" description: "\"Well, if you can't then write in the press or put on television the importance of parents changing what they're doing, then the safe way out is to say,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/jerome-kagan-38604_adhd_well-if-you-can-t-then-write-in-the-pres_562874.jpg" --- # Well, if you can't then write in the press or put on… ![“Well, if you can't then write in the press or put on television the importance of parents changing what they're doing, then the safe way out is to say, "Look, learning disabilities is probably genes. ADHD, probably genes." And that is the political alternative to not blaming the victim.” quote by Jerome Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/jerome-kagan-38604_adhd_well-if-you-can-t-then-write-in-the-pres_562874.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/jerome-kagan-38604_adhd_well-if-you-can-t-then-write-in-the-pres_562874.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/jerome-kagan-38604_adhd_well-if-you-can-t-then-write-in-the-pres_562874.jpg) > “Well, if you can't then write in the press or put on television the importance of parents changing what they're doing, then the safe way out is to say, "Look, learning disabilities is probably genes. ADHD, probably genes." And that is the political alternative to not blaming the victim.” [Jerome Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Attributing learning disabilities to genetics is a political move to avoid blaming families, sidestepping responsibility. **In simple terms:** Blaming genes avoids addressing parental roles. Key Takeaway Seek comprehensive, evidence‑based explanations. Themes education policy genetics responsibility Mood critical thoughtful Type political educational When to use this quote - policy debates - parental workshops - media interviews - academic conferences Key Concepts social determinants neurodevelopment Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance genetics and environment in discourse? - What policies support families without stigmatizing them? A Different Perspective Genetics does play a role; oversimplification can mislead. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adhd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adhd/) [Disability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disability/) [Learning Disabilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-disabilities/) [Learning disability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-disability/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Whether you want it or not, your genes have a political past, your skin a political tone. your eyes a political color. ... you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/whether-you-want-it-or-not-your-genes-have-a-political-past-your-skin/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [“What strengthen the bonds between the children and their parents is spreading the fun and humor during family gatherings and times, and enforcing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryam-abdullah-alnaymi/what-strengthen-the-bonds-between-the-children-and-their-parents-is/) [Maryam Abdullah Alnaymi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryam-abdullah-alnaymi/) > [The education of my brother and myself was of paramount importance to my parents, and in addition to their strong encouragement, they were prepared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-isaac-friedman/the-education-of-my-brother-and-myself-was-of-paramount-importance-to/) [Jerome Isaac Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-isaac-friedman/) > [Getting a good education was of immense importance to my parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-allam/getting-a-good-education-was-of-immense-importance-to-my-parents/) [Roger Allam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-allam/) > [I wanted to translate from one flat surface to another.In fact, my learning disabilities controlled a lot of things. I don't recognize faces, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/i-wanted-to-translate-from-one-flat-surface-to-another-in-fact-my/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [My parents lovingly passed down the lessons of their lives so that my sister, Jana, and I may also teach our children the foundational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-schlereth/my-parents-lovingly-passed-down-the-lessons-of-their-lives-so-that-my/) [Mark Schlereth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-schlereth/) > [Crime takes root when household budgets are unable to address the conditions that can lead to despair and violence, and government services and policies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-adams/crime-takes-root-when-household-budgets-are-unable-to-address-the/) [Eric Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-adams/) > [I had learning disabilities, and I couldn't express myself in the written word,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-linney/i-had-learning-disabilities-and-i-couldn-t-express-myself-in-the/) [Laura Linney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-linney/) > [“Predominantly inattentive type Perhaps the majority of girls with AD/HD fall into the primarily inattentive type, and are most likely to go undiagnosed. Generally,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-g-nadeau/predominantly-inattentive-type-perhaps-the-majority-of-girls-with-ad/) Kathleen G. Nadeau > [I'm often in conversations with people who have learning disabilities, and they talk about how they were teased and perhaps laughed at sometimes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-pinkney/i-m-often-in-conversations-with-people-who-have-learning-disabilities/) [Jerry Pinkney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-pinkney/) > [Too often, our most vulnerable students - English-language learners, immigrants, poor kids, teenage parents, students with behavioral problems and learning disabilities - fall through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-polis/too-often-our-most-vulnerable-students-english-language-learners/) [Jared Polis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-polis/) > [I was not good in school. I could never read very fast or very well. I got tested for learning disabilities, for dyslexia. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-tatum/i-was-not-good-in-school-i-could-never-read-very-fast-or-very-well-i/) [Channing Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-tatum/) > [A major cause of the Roman Empire's decline, after six centuries of world dominance was its replacement of stone aqueducts by lead pipes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harris-l-coulter/a-major-cause-of-the-roman-empire-s-decline-after-six-centuries-of/) [Harris L Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harris-l-coulter/) > [Learning disabilities cannot be cured, but they can be treated successfully and children with LD can go on to live happy, successful lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ford/learning-disabilities-cannot-be-cured-but-they-can-be-treated/) Anne Ford > [“Why Does He Do That? That's the number one question, isn't it? Maybe it's his drinking, you say. Maybe it's his learning disabilities. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-praed/why-does-he-do-that-that-s-the-number-one-question-isn-t-it-maybe-it/) Beth Praed ## More by Jerome Kagan > [At each stage of development the child needs different resources from the family. During the first year, a variety of experience and the availability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/at-each-stage-of-development-the-child-needs-different-resources-from/) [Jerome Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/) > [Genes and family may determine the foundation of the house, but time and place determine its form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/genes-and-family-may-determine-the-foundation-of-the-house-but-time/) [Jerome Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/) > [No one has found a gene for IQ. "Heritability" means that identicial twins are more similar than fraternal twins, right? Fraternal twins more similar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/no-one-has-found-a-gene-for-iq-heritability-means-that-identicial/) [Jerome Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/) > [The fundamental problem is that the gap in educational achievement, which is a key in our technological economy, is due in my opinion -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/the-fundamental-problem-is-that-the-gap-in-educational-achievement/) [Jerome Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/) > [All the work on heritability was never based on looking at genes; it was based on the similarity between identical twins or between parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/all-the-work-on-heritability-was-never-based-on-looking-at-genes-it/) [Jerome Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/) > [During the latency years, American children need experiences that promote academic talents, a sense of responsibility, and most important, a belief that they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/during-the-latency-years-american-children-need-experiences-that/) [Jerome Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/) > [After hunger, a human's most important need is to know what is virtuous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/after-hunger-a-human-s-most-important-need-is-to-know-what-is-virtuous/) [Jerome Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/) > [We don't want to blame the victim. The civil rights movement had a profound effect on the United States and on the American mind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/we-don-t-want-to-blame-the-victim-the-civil-rights-movement-had-a/) [Jerome Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/) > [Although humans inherit a biological bias that permits them to feel anger, jealousy, selfishness and envy, and to be rude, aggressive or violent, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/although-humans-inherit-a-biological-bias-that-permits-them-to-feel/) [Jerome Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/) > [Genes do make a contribution to the IQ score - but a flower needs soil. The environment for poor people is so overwhelmingly powerful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/genes-do-make-a-contribution-to-the-iq-score-but-a-flower-needs-soil/) [Jerome Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/) [Explore all 11 Jerome Kagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/) ## More Adhd quotes > [“One of the defining symptoms of ADHD is distraction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-orlov/one-of-the-defining-symptoms-of-adhd-is-distraction/) [Melissa Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-orlov/) > [Working is the best thing for me because I'm borderline ADHD, so I need some kind of focus or I go a bit extreme.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-winstone/working-is-the-best-thing-for-me-because-i-m-borderline-adhd-so-i/) [Jaime Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-winstone/) > [I have severe ADHD!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-beaumont/i-have-severe-adhd/) [Lucy Beaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-beaumont/) > [Increased physical activity during the school day can help children's attention, classroom behavior, and achievement test scores. Meanwhile, the decline of play is closely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darell-hammond/increased-physical-activity-during-the-school-day-can-help-children-s/) [Darell Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darell-hammond/) > [I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as an adult, but I don't remember a time when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-mandel/i-was-diagnosed-with-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-add/) [Howie Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-mandel/) > [You're always moving and thinking about a whole bunch of things. But those traits work well for me in studios and in meetings about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/you-re-always-moving-and-thinking-about-a-whole-bunch-of-things-but/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [The ADHD side of me does lead to certain disorganisation and chaos in my life, and I have many flaws and things I'm bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bacon/the-adhd-side-of-me-does-lead-to-certain-disorganisation-and-chaos-in/) [Richard Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bacon/) > [“because people with ADHD don’t receive and process information in a hierarchical way, Maria’s suffering enters his mind at about the same level as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-orlov/because-people-with-adhd-don-t-receive-and-process-information-in-a/) [Melissa Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-orlov/) > [“neurodiversity: the notion that conditions like autism, dyslexia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be regarded as naturally occurring cognitive variations with distinctive strengths that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-silberman/neurodiversity-the-notion-that-conditions-like-autism-dyslexia-and/) Steve Silberman > [“The whole notion that ADHD is a specific disease easily remedied by a pill is convenient but alarming. In several schools throughout the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/the-whole-notion-that-adhd-is-a-specific-disease-easily-remedied-by-a/) [David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/) > [When the link between the use of unsafe, mercury-laden vaccine and autism, ADHD, asthma, allergies and diabetes becomes undeniable, mainstream medicine will be sporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-rimland/when-the-link-between-the-use-of-unsafe-mercury-laden-vaccine-and/) Bernard Rimland > [“Not enough people realize that ADHD is not a disorder about loss of focus. It is a disorder of loss of emotional control, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/not-enough-people-realize-that-adhd-is-not-a-disorder-about-loss-of/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [These diagnostic profiles like depression, ADHD, autism, dyslexia, it's half science and the other half is a committee of doctors bickering over what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/these-diagnostic-profiles-like-depression-adhd-autism-dyslexia-it-s/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [“a great deal of damage is caused by lack of knowledge about, and misinterpretation of, ADHD symptoms. Couples who learn about the specific patterns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-orlov/a-great-deal-of-damage-is-caused-by-lack-of-knowledge-about-and/) [Melissa Orlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-orlov/) > [“My thoughts are like butterflies. They are beautiful, but they fly away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-thoughts-are-like-butterflies-they-are-beautiful-but-they-fly-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 114 Adhd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adhd/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Well, if you can't then write in the press or put on television the importance of parents changing what they're doing, then the safe way out is to say, \"Look, learning disabilities is probably genes. ADHD, probably genes.\" And that is the political alternative to not blaming the victim.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jerome Kagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/well-if-you-can-t-then-write-in-the-press-or-put-on-television-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adhd" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/well-if-you-can-t-then-write-in-the-press-or-put-on-television-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/jerome-kagan-38604_adhd_well-if-you-can-t-then-write-in-the-pres_562874.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/jerome-kagan-38604_adhd_well-if-you-can-t-then-write-in-the-pres_562874.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/jerome-kagan-38604_adhd_well-if-you-can-t-then-write-in-the-pres_562874.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Well, if you can't then write in the press or put on television the importance of parents changing what…” — Jerome Kagan", "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": "Jerome Kagan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kagan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Well, if you can't then write...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/well-if-you-can-t-then-write-in-the-press-or-put-on-television-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kagan/well-if-you-can-t-then-write-in-the-press-or-put-on-television-the/#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 } } ] } ```