--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Darwin's theory is as dead as he is…" description: "\"Darwin's theory is as dead as he is. Everyone is surviving, fit or not. Years ago, any kid dumb enough to chase a shiny object down a well was dead, an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/lenny-bruce-4320_darwin_darwin-s-theory-is-as-dead-as-he-is-ever_2323039.jpg" --- # Darwin's theory is as dead as he is. Everyone is… ![“Darwin's theory is as dead as he is. Everyone is surviving, fit or not. Years ago, any kid dumb enough to chase a shiny object down a well was dead, and out of the gene pool. Now they got the technology and medicine to save the fool so he can breed more open mouth breathers.” quote by Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/lenny-bruce-4320_darwin_darwin-s-theory-is-as-dead-as-he-is-ever_2323039.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/lenny-bruce-4320_darwin_darwin-s-theory-is-as-dead-as-he-is-ever_2323039.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/lenny-bruce-4320_darwin_darwin-s-theory-is-as-dead-as-he-is-ever_2323039.jpg) > “Darwin's theory is as dead as he is. Everyone is surviving, fit or not. Years ago, any kid dumb enough to chase a shiny object down a well was dead, and out of the gene pool. Now they got the technology and medicine to save the fool so he can breed more open mouth breathers.” [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evolutionary fitness no longer eliminates the unfit due to medical advances, allowing harmful traits to persist. **In simple terms:** Medicine lets unfit individuals survive and reproduce. Key Takeaway Consider long‑term societal impacts of medical technology. Themes evolution medicine society ethics technology Mood critical thought‑provoking ironic Type ethical philosophical social When to use this quote - healthcare policy debates - bioethics curricula - public education on genetics - research funding decisions Key Concepts natural selection genetic drift public health policy Questions to Reflect On - Should we intervene in natural selection? - What responsibilities accompany life‑extending technologies? A Different Perspective Medical progress can create new ethical dilemmas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darwin/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Surviving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surviving/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [“In Paley's famous illustration, the adaptation of all the parts of the watch to the function, or purpose, of showing the time, is held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-henry-huxley/in-paley-s-famous-illustration-the-adaptation-of-all-the-parts-of-the/) [Thomas Henry Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-henry-huxley/) > [“Darwin’s theory described the survival of the fittest, but not the arrival of the fittest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/darwin-s-theory-described-the-survival-of-the-fittest-but-not-the/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [“Who gave the decisive deathblow to the argument from design on the basis of biological complexity? Both philosophers and biologists are divided on this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maarten-boudry/who-gave-the-decisive-deathblow-to-the-argument-from-design-on-the/) Maarten Boudry > [If Darwin's theory should be true, it will not degrade man; it will simply raise the whole animal world into dignity, leaving man as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/if-darwin-s-theory-should-be-true-it-will-not-degrade-man-it-will/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is the only workable explanation that has ever been proposed for the remarkable fact of our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/darwin-s-theory-of-evolution-by-natural-selection-is-the-only/) [John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/) > [Darwin's theory of evolution is a framework by which we understand the diversity of life on Earth. But there is no equation sitting there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/darwin-s-theory-of-evolution-is-a-framework-by-which-we-understand/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I was brought up to understand Darwin's theory of evolution. I spent hours and hours in the Natural History Museum in London looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-was-brought-up-to-understand-darwin-s-theory-of-evolution-i-spent/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [“I recently asked more than seventy eminent researchers if they would have done I their work differently if they had thought Darwin's theory was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-s-skell/i-recently-asked-more-than-seventy-eminent-researchers-if-they-would/) Philip S. Skell > [“Darwin's theory was received in Russia with profound sympathy. While in Western Europe it met firmly established old traditions which it had first to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-onufrievich-kovalevski/darwin-s-theory-was-received-in-russia-with-profound-sympathy-while/) Vladimir Onufrievich Kovalevskiĭ > [“Darwin’s ideas are devices for generating data. Darwin’s theory opens possibilities for inquiry; Agassiz’s closes them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/darwin-s-ideas-are-devices-for-generating-data-darwin-s-theory-opens/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [“Darwin’s theory, laid out in On the Origin of Species in 1859, suggested that people and apes shared a common ancestor, and, coupled with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grann/darwin-s-theory-laid-out-in-on-the-origin-of-species-in-1859/) [David Grann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grann/) > [“For these two years I have been gravitating towards your doctrines, and since the publication of your primula paper with accelerated velocity. By about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-henry-huxley/for-these-two-years-i-have-been-gravitating-towards-your-doctrines-2/) [Thomas Henry Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-henry-huxley/) > [“The starting point of Darwin 's theory of evolution is precisely the existence of those differences between individual members of a race or species…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pearson/the-starting-point-of-darwin-s-theory-of-evolution-is-precisely-the/) [Karl Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pearson/) > [The classics of Marxism, while fully appreciating the significance of the Darwinian theory, pointed out the errors of which Darwin was guilty. Darwin's theory,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/the-classics-of-marxism-while-fully-appreciating-the-significance-of/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [“Charles Darwin, whose theory changed the whole current of the world's thought, was not a great reader of books, but a careful observer of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/charles-darwin-whose-theory-changed-the-whole-current-of-the-world-s/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) ## More by Lenny Bruce > [Satire is tragedy plus time. You give it enough time, the public, the reviewers will allow you to satirize it. Which is rather ridiculous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/satire-is-tragedy-plus-time-you-give-it-enough-time-the-public-the/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I am influenced by every second of my waking hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-am-influenced-by-every-second-of-my-waking-hour/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Never trust a preacher with more than two suits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/never-trust-a-preacher-with-more-than-two-suits/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I would be with a bunch of Kennedy fans watching the debate, and their comment would be, 'He's really slaughtering Nixon.' Then we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-would-be-with-a-bunch-of-kennedy-fans-watching-the-debate-and-their/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [If you're from New York and you're Catholic, you're still Jewish. If you're from Butte Montana and you're Jewish, you're still goyisch. The Air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-you-re-from-new-york-and-you-re-catholic-you-re-still-jewish-if/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I think it's about time we gave up religion and got back to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-think-it-s-about-time-we-gave-up-religion-and-got-back-to-god/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Alright, let's admit it, we Jews killed Christ - but it was only for three days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/alright-let-s-admit-it-we-jews-killed-christ-but-it-was-only-for/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“People are leaving the church and going back to God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going-back-to-god/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Dig: I'm Jewish. Count Basie's Jewish. Ray Charles is Jewish. Eddie Cantor's goyish. B'nai B'rith is goyish; Hadassah, Jewish. If you live in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/dig-i-m-jewish-count-basie-s-jewish-ray-charles-is-jewish-eddie/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I won't say ours was a tough school, but we had our own coroner. We used to write essays like: What I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-won-t-say-ours-was-a-tough-school-but-we-had-our-own-coroner-we/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“If you can't say "Fuck" you can't say, "Fuck the government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-you-can-t-say-fuck-you-can-t-say-fuck-the-government/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“Take away the right to say ‘fuck’ and you take away the right to say ‘fuck the government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/take-away-the-right-to-say-fuck-and-you-take-away-the-right-to-say/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [The role of a comedian is to make the audience laugh, at a minimum of once every fifteen seconds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/the-role-of-a-comedian-is-to-make-the-audience-laugh-at-a-minimum-of/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [If I get busted in New York, the freest city in the world, that will be the end of my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-i-get-busted-in-new-york-the-freest-city-in-the-world-that-will-be/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“Liberals can understand everything but people who don't understand them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/liberals-can-understand-everything-but-people-who-don-t-understand/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) [Explore all 112 Lenny Bruce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) ## More Darwin quotes > [One of my earliest memories is being backstage at 'Bran Nue Dae' in Darwin when I was about eight. It's such a fun, happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-sebbens/one-of-my-earliest-memories-is-being-backstage-at-bran-nue-dae-in/) [Shari Sebbens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-sebbens/) > [“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. —Charles Darwin”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-force/it-is-not-the-strongest-of-the-species-that-survive-nor-the-most/) [Marie Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-force/) > [One of the great issues in biology is the origin of altruism - of why you would do something for someone else that could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/one-of-the-great-issues-in-biology-is-the-origin-of-altruism-of-why/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [“Darwin was a dreamer, I can assure you. No evolution or anything of the sort. For every one who can reason, I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/darwin-was-a-dreamer-i-can-assure-you-no-evolution-or-anything-of-the/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [Darwin has interested us in the history of nature's technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/darwin-has-interested-us-in-the-history-of-nature-s-technology/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [ “\[Religious belief is\] outmoded and ridiculous. \[Belief in gods was a\] worn out but once useful crutch in mankind's journey towards truth. We consider… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-w-atkins/religious-belief-is-outmoded-and-ridiculous-belief-in-gods-was-a-worn/) [P.W. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-w-atkins/) > [“The funny thing is if in England, you ask a man in the street who the greatest living Darwinian is, he will say Richard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-mayr/the-funny-thing-is-if-in-england-you-ask-a-man-in-the-street-who-the/) [Ernst Mayr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-mayr/) > [Clausius and Darwin cannot both be right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-caillois/clausius-and-darwin-cannot-both-be-right/) [Roger Caillois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-caillois/) > [“In Paley's famous illustration, the adaptation of all the parts of the watch to the function, or purpose, of showing the time, is held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-henry-huxley/in-paley-s-famous-illustration-the-adaptation-of-all-the-parts-of-the/) [Thomas Henry Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-henry-huxley/) > [ \[Charles\] Darwin, for example, is the one who made us face the fact that the primary way we tell the Christ story doesn't work… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/charles-darwin-for-example-is-the-one-who-made-us-face-the-fact-that/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“Mighty men of science and mighty deeds. A Newton who binds the universe together in uniform law; Lagrange, Laplace, Leibnitz with their wondrous mathematical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-william-sanderson/mighty-men-of-science-and-mighty-deeds-a-newton-who-binds-the/) Frederick William Sanderson > [“Socrates could enjoy a banquet now and again, and must have derived considerable satisfaction from his conversations while the hemlock was taking effect, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/socrates-could-enjoy-a-banquet-now-and-again-and-must-have-derived/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Darwin and Nietzsche were the common spiritual and intellectual source for the mean-spirited and bellicose ideological assault on progress, liberalism, and democracy that fired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arno-j-mayer/darwin-and-nietzsche-were-the-common-spiritual-and-intellectual/) Arno J. Mayer > [Darwin himself recorded the fact that he accepted the Malthusian idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/darwin-himself-recorded-the-fact-that-he-accepted-the-malthusian-idea/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [“There is a massive, irreconcilable conflict between science and religion. Religion was humanity's original cosmology, biology and anthropology. It provided explanations for the origin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anderson-thomson-jr/there-is-a-massive-irreconcilable-conflict-between-science-and/) J. Anderson Thomson Jr [Browse all 185 Darwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darwin/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Darwin's theory is as dead as he is. Everyone is surviving, fit or not. Years ago, any kid dumb enough to chase a shiny object down a well was dead, and out of the gene pool. 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