--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most of its functions involve what some…" description: "\"“Most of its functions involve what some researchers call the “four Fs”: fighting, feeding, fleeing, and … reproductive behavior.”\" — John Medina" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/john-medina-7046_functions_most-of-its-functions-involve-what-some_1581120.png" --- # Most of its functions involve what some researchers call… ![“Most of its functions involve what some researchers call the “four Fs”: fighting, feeding, fleeing, and … reproductive behavior.” quote by John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/john-medina-7046_functions_most-of-its-functions-involve-what-some_1581120.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/john-medina-7046_functions_most-of-its-functions-involve-what-some_1581120.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/john-medina-7046_functions_most-of-its-functions-involve-what-some_1581120.png) > ““Most of its functions involve what some researchers call the “four Fs”: fighting, feeding, fleeing, and … reproductive behavior.”” [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote outlines the four basic survival drives that dominate animal behavior. **In simple terms:** Four drives: fight, feed, flee, reproduce. Key Takeaway Recognize core survival motives. Themes biology psychology evolution Mood analytical educational Type scientific informative When to use this quote - parenting - animal studies - stress management Key Concepts Survival drives behavioral biology Questions to Reflect On - How do these drives manifest in modern life? - Can they be redirected positively? A Different Perspective Human behavior is more complex than these four drives alone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feeding Fleeing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeding-fleeing-5973485/) [Fleeing Reproductive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fleeing-reproductive-5973484/) [Functions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/functions/) [Functions Involve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/functions-involve-5973483/) [Reproductive Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reproductive-behavior-583855/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [The blind conviction that we have to do something about other people's reproductive behavior, and that we may have to do it whether they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/the-blind-conviction-that-we-have-to-do-something-about-other-people/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > [As a consequence of these hesitations and of the vague character of such innovations, the Commission on Human Rights itself had doubts from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-cassin/as-a-consequence-of-these-hesitations-and-of-the-vague-character-of/) [Rene Cassin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-cassin/) > [Uses are always much broader than functions, and usually far less contentious. The word function carries overtones of purpose andpropriety, of concern with why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-smith/uses-are-always-much-broader-than-functions-and-usually-far-less/) [Frank Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-smith/) > [Conservatives believe the economy functions better if the rich have more money and everyone else has less. But they're wrong. It's just the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/conservatives-believe-the-economy-functions-better-if-the-rich-have/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [I promise to myself I will make cars that work and functions worldwide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfried-vahland/i-promise-to-myself-i-will-make-cars-that-work-and-functions-worldwide/) [Winfried Vahland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winfried-vahland/) > [Clearly, as a CEO, you have other functions that are managed by other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-waleed-bin-talal/clearly-as-a-ceo-you-have-other-functions-that-are-managed-by-other/) [Al-Waleed bin Talal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-waleed-bin-talal/) > [Computers have cut-and-paste functions. So does right-wing historical memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/computers-have-cut-and-paste-functions-so-does-right-wing-historical/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [Cities perform most functions in a very Industrial Age model.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/cities-perform-most-functions-in-a-very-industrial-age-model/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [The English tradition offers the great tapestry novel, where you have the emotional aspect of a detective's personal life, the circumstances of the crime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/the-english-tradition-offers-the-great-tapestry-novel-where-you-have/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) > [It used to hurt when people ran down my films. I used to feel inferior. I wouldn't go to parties or award functions because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-shetty/it-used-to-hurt-when-people-ran-down-my-films-i-used-to-feel-inferior/) [Rohit Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohit-shetty/) > [Today, you have neuroscientists working on a genetic, behavioural or cognitive level, and then you have informaticians, chemists and mathematicians. They all have their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-markram/today-you-have-neuroscientists-working-on-a-genetic-behavioural-or/) [Henry Markram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-markram/) > [There are several patients - there are thousands of patients, tens of thousands of patients, that carry either a stimulator in the brain or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-nicolelis/there-are-several-patients-there-are-thousands-of-patients-tens-of/) [Miguel Nicolelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-nicolelis/) > [From ancient times, the core idea of the soul is the soul is the capacity to integrate different functions into a single being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/from-ancient-times-the-core-idea-of-the-soul-is-the-soul-is-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The circulatory system of man and the vertebrate animals can be considered as made up of a small number of organs or subordinate systems,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-krogh/the-circulatory-system-of-man-and-the-vertebrate-animals-can-be/) [August Krogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-krogh/) > [We are victims of the post-Enlightenment view that the world functions like a sophisticated machine, to be understood like a textbook engineering problem and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-are-victims-of-the-post-enlightenment-view-that-the-world/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## More by John Medina > [Don't start with the details. Start with the key ideas, and in a hierarchical fashion, form the details around these larger notions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/don-t-start-with-the-details-start-with-the-key-ideas-and-in-a/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“The more handles one creates at the moment of learning, the more likely the information is to be assessed at a later date. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/the-more-handles-one-creates-at-the-moment-of-learning-the-more/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/if-you-wanted-to-create-an-education-environment-that-was-directly/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“Every time I lectured to a group of parents-to-be about baby brain development,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/every-time-i-lectured-to-a-group-of-parents-to-be-about-baby-brain/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [We must do a better job of encouraging lifelong curiosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/we-must-do-a-better-job-of-encouraging-lifelong-curiosity/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“reasoning is a uniquely human talent. It may have arisen from our need to understand one another’s intentions and motivations. This allowed us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/reasoning-is-a-uniquely-human-talent-it-may-have-arisen-from-our-need/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you would probably design…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/if-you-wanted-to-create-an-education-environment-that-was-directly-2/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“Emotionally arousing events tend to be better remembered than neutral events. While”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/emotionally-arousing-events-tend-to-be-better-remembered-than-neutral/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“attention Brain Rule #6 We don’t pay attention to boring things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/attention-brain-rule-6-we-don-t-pay-attention-to-boring-things/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [Most brain scientists have not taught 4th grade, and don't know very much about the classroom, even though they might study learning in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/most-brain-scientists-have-not-taught-4th-grade-and-don-t-know-very/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“The more parents talk to their children, even in the earliest moments of life, the better their kids’ linguistic abilities become”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/the-more-parents-talk-to-their-children-even-in-the-earliest-moments/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [Even though we don't know squat about how the brain works, the little we do know suggests that if you wanted to design a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/even-though-we-don-t-know-squat-about-how-the-brain-works-the-little/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“More research has since confirmed and extended these simple findings. In addition to satisfying relationships, other behaviors that predict happiness include:        •    a steady dose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/more-research-has-since-confirmed-and-extended-these-simple-findings/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [What you do and learn in life physically changes what your brain looks like—it literally rewires it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/what-you-do-and-learn-in-life-physically-changes-what-your-brain/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [Brain scientists and education scientists don't get together very often, and we end up living in our own little silos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/brain-scientists-and-education-scientists-don-t-get-together-very/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) [Explore all 93 John Medina quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) ## More Functions quotes > [We are victims of the post-Enlightenment view that the world functions like a sophisticated machine, to be understood like a textbook engineering problem and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/we-are-victims-of-the-post-enlightenment-view-that-the-world/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [The circulatory system of man and the vertebrate animals can be considered as made up of a small number of organs or subordinate systems,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-krogh/the-circulatory-system-of-man-and-the-vertebrate-animals-can-be/) [August Krogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-krogh/) > [From ancient times, the core idea of the soul is the soul is the capacity to integrate different functions into a single being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/from-ancient-times-the-core-idea-of-the-soul-is-the-soul-is-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [There are several patients - there are thousands of patients, tens of thousands of patients, that carry either a stimulator in the brain or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-nicolelis/there-are-several-patients-there-are-thousands-of-patients-tens-of/) [Miguel Nicolelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-nicolelis/) > [Today, you have neuroscientists working on a genetic, behavioural or cognitive level, and then you have informaticians, chemists and mathematicians. They all have their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-markram/today-you-have-neuroscientists-working-on-a-genetic-behavioural-or/) [Henry Markram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-markram/) > [It used to hurt when people ran down my films. I used to feel inferior. I wouldn't go to parties or award functions because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-shetty/it-used-to-hurt-when-people-ran-down-my-films-i-used-to-feel-inferior/) [Rohit Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohit-shetty/) > [The English tradition offers the great tapestry novel, where you have the emotional aspect of a detective's personal life, the circumstances of the crime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/the-english-tradition-offers-the-great-tapestry-novel-where-you-have/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) > [Cities perform most functions in a very Industrial Age model.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/cities-perform-most-functions-in-a-very-industrial-age-model/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [Computers have cut-and-paste functions. So does right-wing historical memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/computers-have-cut-and-paste-functions-so-does-right-wing-historical/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [Clearly, as a CEO, you have other functions that are managed by other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-waleed-bin-talal/clearly-as-a-ceo-you-have-other-functions-that-are-managed-by-other/) [Al-Waleed bin Talal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-waleed-bin-talal/) > [I promise to myself I will make cars that work and functions worldwide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfried-vahland/i-promise-to-myself-i-will-make-cars-that-work-and-functions-worldwide/) [Winfried Vahland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winfried-vahland/) > [Conservatives believe the economy functions better if the rich have more money and everyone else has less. But they're wrong. It's just the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/conservatives-believe-the-economy-functions-better-if-the-rich-have/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [Uses are always much broader than functions, and usually far less contentious. The word function carries overtones of purpose andpropriety, of concern with why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-smith/uses-are-always-much-broader-than-functions-and-usually-far-less/) [Frank Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-smith/) > [As a consequence of these hesitations and of the vague character of such innovations, the Commission on Human Rights itself had doubts from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-cassin/as-a-consequence-of-these-hesitations-and-of-the-vague-character-of/) [Rene Cassin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-cassin/) > [If children do not understand the Constitution, they cannot understand how our government functions, or what their rights and responsibilities are as citizens of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/if-children-do-not-understand-the-constitution-they-cannot-understand/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) [Browse all 92 Functions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/functions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Most of its functions involve what some researchers call the “four Fs”: fighting, feeding, fleeing, and … reproductive behavior.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Medina" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/most-of-its-functions-involve-what-some-researchers-call-the-four-fs/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Functions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/most-of-its-functions-involve-what-some-researchers-call-the-four-fs/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/john-medina-7046_functions_most-of-its-functions-involve-what-some_1581120.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/john-medina-7046_functions_most-of-its-functions-involve-what-some_1581120.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/john-medina-7046_functions_most-of-its-functions-involve-what-some_1581120.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most of its functions involve what some researchers call the “four Fs”: fighting, feeding, fleeing, and ……” — John Medina", "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": "John Medina", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Most of its functions involve what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/most-of-its-functions-involve-what-some-researchers-call-the-four-fs/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/most-of-its-functions-involve-what-some-researchers-call-the-four-fs/#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 } } ] } ```