--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s all in the genes”: an explanation…" description: "\"It’s all in the genes”: an explanation for the way things are that does not threaten the way things are. Why should someone feel unhappy or engage in a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/louis-menand-8583_antisocial_it-s-all-in-the-genes-an-explanation-for_804322.jpg" --- # It’s all in the genes”: an explanation for the way things… ![“It’s all in the genes”: an explanation for the way things are that does not threaten the way things are. Why should someone feel unhappy or engage in antisocial behavior when that person is living in the freest and most prosperous nation on earth? It can’t be the system! There must be a flaw in…” quote by Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/louis-menand-8583_antisocial_it-s-all-in-the-genes-an-explanation-for_804322.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/louis-menand-8583_antisocial_it-s-all-in-the-genes-an-explanation-for_804322.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/louis-menand-8583_antisocial_it-s-all-in-the-genes-an-explanation-for_804322.jpg) > “It’s all in the genes”: an explanation for the way things are that does not threaten the way things are. Why should someone feel unhappy or engage in antisocial behavior when that person is living in the freest and most prosperous nation on earth? It can’t be the system! There must be a flaw in the wiring somewhere.” [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) ## 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 critiques the tendency to attribute personal dissatisfaction to genetic determinism, ignoring societal and environmental factors that shape behavior. **In simple terms:** People blame genes for unhappiness, overlooking social influences. Key Takeaway Question genetic explanations and consider broader contexts. Themes psychology social critique determinism well‑being Mood critical reflective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - mental health counseling - public policy debates - education curricula - media analysis Key Concepts genetics free will social structure Questions to Reflect On - How do societal pressures shape personal fulfillment? - What role do genetics truly play in behavior? A Different Perspective Genetic explanations can oversimplify complex human experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Antisocial behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antisocial-behavior/) [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Flaws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flaws/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Prosperous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperous/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) ## Related quotes > [“It wasn’t that she necessarily wanted to “socialize” at the bonfire, but she wanted to broadcast to the general population that her antisocial behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-stroube/it-wasn-t-that-she-necessarily-wanted-to-socialize-at-the-bonfire-but/) [J.D. Stroube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-stroube/) > [“antisocial behavior is a trait of intelligence in a world of conformists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/antisocial-behavior-is-a-trait-of-intelligence-in-a-world-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tangier is one of the few places left in the world where, so long as you don't proceed to robbery, violence, or some form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/tangier-is-one-of-the-few-places-left-in-the-world-where-so-long-as/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [In the old days, words like sin and Satan had a moral certitude. 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When someone is anonymous, it opens the door to all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/i-ve-always-been-curious-about-the-psychology-of-the-person-behind/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Anti-social behavior is a trait of intelligence in a world full of conformists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/anti-social-behavior-is-a-trait-of-intelligence-in-a-world-full-of/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [One is faced with a dilemma: If one places total trust in all other users, one is vulnerable to the antisocial behavior of any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-j-corbato/one-is-faced-with-a-dilemma-if-one-places-total-trust-in-all-other/) [Fernando J. Corbato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-j-corbato/) > [Materialism sets us free from sin-by proving that there is no such thing as sin. There's just antisocial behavior, which we can control with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-e-johnson/materialism-sets-us-free-from-sin-by-proving-that-there-is-no-such/) [Phillip E. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-e-johnson/) > [When someone is anonymous, it opens the door to all kinds of antisocial behavior, as seen by the Ku Klux Klan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/when-someone-is-anonymous-it-opens-the-door-to-all-kinds-of/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [These data suggest very strongly that participating in the playing of violent video games by children and youth increase aggressive thought and behavior; increase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leland-yee/these-data-suggest-very-strongly-that-participating-in-the-playing-of/) Leland Yee > [Any analysis of 'sin' or 'evil' or 'demonic influence' or 'negative thinking' or 'systemic evil' or 'antisocial behavior' that fails to see the lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-schuller/any-analysis-of-sin-or-evil-or-demonic-influence-or-negative-thinking/) [Robert H. Schuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-h-schuller/) > ['Grand Theft Auto', in its deification of antisocial behavior, is where I heap the most of my scorn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/grand-theft-auto-in-its-deification-of-antisocial-behavior-is-where-i/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) ## More by Louis Menand > [“For Peirce, inquiry is always communal—it is the median of many observations that gives the position of the star—and the last analysis really is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/for-peirce-inquiry-is-always-communal-it-is-the-median-of-many/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [If time is a staircase, reality is a Slinky. Decades can be parsed. Television, frequently accused of destabilizing life, is actually what stitches the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/if-time-is-a-staircase-reality-is-a-slinky-decades-can-be-parsed/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [Basically what you want in any profession - I would say the same thing if I were a lawyer or a doctor - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/basically-what-you-want-in-any-profession-i-would-say-the-same-thing/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [“In modern societies, the reproduction of custom is no longer understood to be one of the chief purposes of existence, and the ends of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/in-modern-societies-the-reproduction-of-custom-is-no-longer/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [One of the functions of literary criticism, or reviewing, generally - and I, most of my reviews actually are not about literature - but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/one-of-the-functions-of-literary-criticism-or-reviewing-generally-and/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [You have to have students wanting to take the courses, otherwise you're not going, they're not going to be very effective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/you-have-to-have-students-wanting-to-take-the-courses-otherwise-you/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [“We do not (on Holmes’s reasoning) permit the free expression of ideas because some individual may have the right one. No individual alone can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/we-do-not-on-holmes-s-reasoning-permit-the-free-expression-of-ideas/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [Literature is being taught as though it were only political medicine or political poison-a view that is not only illiberal but illiterate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/literature-is-being-taught-as-though-it-were-only-political-medicine/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [ “\[According to Holmes\], ‘Every year if not every day we have to wager our salvation upon some prophecy based upon imperfect knowledge. While that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/according-to-holmes-every-year-if-not-every-day-we-have-to-wager-our/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [It's difficult to get a job and people stay in school longer because they're employed as teaching assistants or instructors by their schools, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/it-s-difficult-to-get-a-job-and-people-stay-in-school-longer-because/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [Just in higher education alone, more people go to college now, by enormous amounts, than went to college in the '50's and '60's. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/just-in-higher-education-alone-more-people-go-to-college-now-by/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [Obviously input is helpful to faculty in trying to come up with a curriculum, but ultimately it's the faculty's job to know what students…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/obviously-input-is-helpful-to-faculty-in-trying-to-come-up-with-a/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [Universities are set up to get people to work together by having them disagree with each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/universities-are-set-up-to-get-people-to-work-together-by-having-them/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [ “What \[Peirce\] meant was that since nature evolves by chance variation, then the laws of nature must evolve by chance variation as well. Variations… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/what-peirce-meant-was-that-since-nature-evolves-by-chance-variation/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) > [Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic. Never, btw, ask that androgynous paper clip anything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-menand/never-be-afraid-to-try-something-new-remember-amateurs-built-the-ark/) [Louis Menand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) [Explore all 79 Louis Menand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-menand/) ## More Antisocial quotes > [“It wasn’t that she necessarily wanted to “socialize” at the bonfire, but she wanted to broadcast to the general population that her antisocial behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-stroube/it-wasn-t-that-she-necessarily-wanted-to-socialize-at-the-bonfire-but/) [J.D. Stroube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-stroube/) > [“It is easy to criticize the antisocial, but hard to get close to know what keeps them at bay.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/it-is-easy-to-criticize-the-antisocial-but-hard-to-get-close-to-know/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Any analysis of 'sin' or 'evil' or 'demonic influence' or 'negative thinking' or 'systemic evil' or 'antisocial behavior' that fails to see the lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-schuller/any-analysis-of-sin-or-evil-or-demonic-influence-or-negative-thinking/) [Robert H. Schuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-h-schuller/) > [These data suggest very strongly that participating in the playing of violent video games by children and youth increase aggressive thought and behavior; increase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leland-yee/these-data-suggest-very-strongly-that-participating-in-the-playing-of/) Leland Yee > [When someone is anonymous, it opens the door to all kinds of antisocial behavior, as seen by the Ku Klux Klan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/when-someone-is-anonymous-it-opens-the-door-to-all-kinds-of/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [I've invented Twofacebook, the antisocial network. You start being friends w/entire world & defriend people one by one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/i-ve-invented-twofacebook-the-antisocial-network-you-start-being/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [Nobody adopts antisocial behaviour unless they fear that they will fail if they remain on the social side of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-adler/nobody-adopts-antisocial-behaviour-unless-they-fear-that-they-will/) [Alfred Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-adler/) > [The vital energies regulate themselves naturally without compulsive duty or compulsive morality both of which are sure signs of existing antisocial impulses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-reich/the-vital-energies-regulate-themselves-naturally-without-compulsive/) [Wilhelm Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-reich/) > [“Quit being a diva. Get over yourself. And for God’s sake, quit being such an antisocial loner before you end up lonely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-layne/quit-being-a-diva-get-over-yourself-and-for-god-s-sake-quit-being/) [Lauren Layne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-layne/) > [I drink much less than most people think, and I think much more than most people would believe. I am quite sincere about some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/i-drink-much-less-than-most-people-think-and-i-think-much-more-than/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [We've enshrined the purity, sanctity, value, and importance of bringing children into the world, yet we don't discuss death. There used to be an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/we-ve-enshrined-the-purity-sanctity-value-and-importance-of-bringing/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [Leave an extrovert alone for two minutes and he will reach for his cell phone. In contrast, after an hour or two of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rauch/leave-an-extrovert-alone-for-two-minutes-and-he-will-reach-for-his/) [Jonathan Rauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rauch/) > [I love that there are beaches you can walk your dog on in San Francisco. Fort Funston is big and always packed with hundreds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wiedlin/i-love-that-there-are-beaches-you-can-walk-your-dog-on-in-san/) [Jane Wiedlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wiedlin/) > [I was lousy in school. Real screwed-up. A moron. I was antisocial and didn't bother with the other kids. A really bad student. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/i-was-lousy-in-school-real-screwed-up-a-moron-i-was-antisocial-and/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) > [“Sociopaths, or what psychiatrists call antisocial personalities, have lifelong patterns of deceitfulness for personal gain. They lack remorse and empathy and are wizards at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-small/sociopaths-or-what-psychiatrists-call-antisocial-personalities-have/) Gary Small Browse all 133 Antisocial quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It’s all in the genes”: an explanation for the way things are that does not threaten the way things are. Why should someone feel unhappy or engage in antisocial behavior when that person is living in the freest and most prosperous nation on earth? It can’t be the system! 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