---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ryan and Jethá propose that our…"
description: "\"“Ryan and Jethá propose that our ancestors, at least from 200,000 years ago, were living in a world of plenty where the resources of food and sex were ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/lynn-saxon-48255_thousand-years_ryan-and-jeth-propose-that-our-ancestors_1409125.jpg"
---

#  Ryan and Jethá propose that our ancestors, at least from…

![“Ryan and Jethá propose that our ancestors, at least from 200,000 years ago, were living in a world of plenty where the resources of food and sex were in abundance but were choosing to stay hungry. After a couple of hundred thousand years of this ‘Eden’ we apparently forgot who we were, got our…” quote by Lynn Saxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/lynn-saxon-48255_thousand-years_ryan-and-jeth-propose-that-our-ancestors_1409125.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/lynn-saxon-48255_thousand-years_ryan-and-jeth-propose-that-our-ancestors_1409125.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/lynn-saxon-48255_thousand-years_ryan-and-jeth-propose-that-our-ancestors_1409125.jpg)

> ““Ryan and Jethá propose that our ancestors, at least from 200,000 years ago, were living in a world of plenty where the resources of food and sex were in abundance but were choosing to stay hungry. After a couple of hundred thousand years of this ‘Eden’ we apparently forgot who we were, got our appetites back, and before we knew it we were drowning under babies we no longer chose to dispose of at birth.””

[Lynn Saxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-saxon/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Ancestors lived with abundant resources but chose restraint; modern humans have lost that discipline, leading to overpopulation.

**In simple terms:** Ancestors practiced restraint despite abundance.

Key Takeaway

Reclaim disciplined consumption to manage population growth.

Themes

resource abundance self‑restraint population dynamics

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

philosophical observational

When to use this quote

- family planning
- education on consumption
- environmental policy

Key Concepts

evolutionary psychology sociology

Questions to Reflect On

- What societal changes could encourage voluntary restraint?
- How does modern comfort affect our natural instincts?

A Different Perspective

Cultural shifts and economic incentives also drive reproductive choices.

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[Stay Hungry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-hungry/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/)

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> [“Every day there is a surprise for you, we ruin it by overthinking or neglection. So stay foolish to get surprise , stay hungry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-yadav/every-day-there-is-a-surprise-for-you-we-ruin-it-by-overthinking-or/)

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## More by Lynn Saxon

> [“Again they mention the Siriono who, they say, rarely if ever lack for sexual partners and where sex anxiety seems to be remarkably low.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-saxon/again-they-mention-the-siriono-who-they-say-rarely-if-ever-lack-for/)

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> [“They tell us that women make loud noises during sex “from the Lower East Side to the upper reaches of the Amazon”, overlooking the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-saxon/they-tell-us-that-women-make-loud-noises-during-sex-from-the-lower/)

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[Lynn Saxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-saxon/)

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Browse all 2,537 Hungry quotes

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