--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As I have often said, electrons and…" description: "\"As I have often said, electrons and gerbils don't cheat. People do.\" — Martin Gardner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/534/martin-gardner-15175_cheat_as-i-have-often-said-electrons-and-gerbi_2299378.jpg" --- # As I have often said, electrons and gerbils don't cheat… ![“As I have often said, electrons and gerbils don't cheat. People do.” quote by Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/534/martin-gardner-15175_cheat_as-i-have-often-said-electrons-and-gerbi_2299378.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/534/martin-gardner-15175_cheat_as-i-have-often-said-electrons-and-gerbi_2299378.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/534/martin-gardner-15175_cheat_as-i-have-often-said-electrons-and-gerbi_2299378.jpg) > “As I have often said, electrons and gerbils don't cheat. People do.” [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People are prone to cheating; even simple systems like electrons or gerbils follow natural rules. **In simple terms:** People cheat, not nature. Key Takeaway Guard against assuming innocence. Themes trust deception human behavior science ethics Mood cautious analytical Type ethical practical When to use this quote - business negotiations - academic integrity - software security - personal relationships Key Concepts psychology probability logic Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can you implement to reduce cheating? - How do you differentiate between intentional and systemic errors? A Different Perspective Not all cheating is intentional; system design can mitigate it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cheat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheat/) [Cheat People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheat-people-1263632/) [Cheating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheating/) [Electrons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electrons/) [Electrons Gerbils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electrons-gerbils-5431930/) [Gerbils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gerbils-71427/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Said Electrons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-electrons-5431931/) ## Related quotes > [If you're going to cheat and take people's history and you're not writing the Bible, you ain't really so great. But if you try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/if-you-re-going-to-cheat-and-take-people-s-history-and-you-re-not/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [When we find unjustified spikes in the prices of long-standing life-saving drugs, we should slap penalties on companies trying to cheat people who need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-we-find-unjustified-spikes-in-the-prices-of-long-standing-life/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Nature doesn't cheat - people do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-randi/nature-doesn-t-cheat-people-do/) [James Randi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-randi/) > [When it comes to writing, I don't want to cheat the people. I don't wanna rush that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-cole/when-it-comes-to-writing-i-don-t-want-to-cheat-the-people-i-don-t/) [Deon Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-cole/) > [“I wasn’t a nerd, mind you, but I’d spent a lot of my youth studying Epics, so I’d had limited experience with social interaction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-wasn-t-a-nerd-mind-you-but-i-d-spent-a-lot-of-my-youth-studying/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [Bees are easier to keep than a dog or a cat. They are more interesting than gerbils. They can be kept anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-hubbell/bees-are-easier-to-keep-than-a-dog-or-a-cat-they-are-more-interesting/) [Sue Hubbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-hubbell/) > [If you look up gerbil videos online, at least half of them are hiney gerbils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trisha/if-you-look-up-gerbil-videos-online-at-least-half-of-them-are-hiney/) [Trisha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trisha/) > [“...Neal doodling a sleepy gerbil on Georgie's arm . . . Georgie could never remember the difference between a gerbil, a hamster, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/neal-doodling-a-sleepy-gerbil-on-georgie-s-arm-georgie-could-never/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [Do you still Kill Gerbils?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cohn/do-you-still-kill-gerbils/) [Rachel Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cohn/) > [We're interested in things that have big teeth, and you can see the evolutionary value of that, and you can also see the practical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/we-re-interested-in-things-that-have-big-teeth-and-you-can-see-the/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Life is very complicated.. When you are simple, people try to CHEAT you; When you cheat others, people call you SMART!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-is-very-complicated-when-you-are-simple-people-try-to-cheat-you/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [In America, we do cheat. We have people who cheat in elections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/in-america-we-do-cheat-we-have-people-who-cheat-in-elections/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [sometimes it's okay to cheat on things - but don't ever cheat on people. because once you start, it's very hard to stop. you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-it-s-okay-to-cheat-on-things-but-don-t-ever-cheat-on-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a perfectionist. I'm not going to cheat the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-dale/i-m-a-perfectionist-i-m-not-going-to-cheat-the-people/) [Dick Dale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-dale/) > [Mathematics is not only real, but it is the only reality. That is that entire universe is made of matter, obviously. And matter is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/mathematics-is-not-only-real-but-it-is-the-only-reality-that-is-that/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) ## More by Martin Gardner > [If you ask me to tell you anything about the nature of what lies beyond the phaneron… my answer is “How should I know?”……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/if-you-ask-me-to-tell-you-anything-about-the-nature-of-what-lies/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [Debunking bad science should be constant obligation of the science community, even if it takes time away from serious research or seems to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/debunking-bad-science-should-be-constant-obligation-of-the-science/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [Mathematics is not only real, but it is the only reality. That is that entire universe is made of matter, obviously. And matter is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/mathematics-is-not-only-real-but-it-is-the-only-reality-that-is-that/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [There is still a difference between something and nothing, but it is purely geometrical and there is nothing behind the geometry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/there-is-still-a-difference-between-something-and-nothing-but-it-is/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [Let the Bible be the Bible. It's not about science. It's not accurate history. It is a grab bag of religious fantasies written by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/let-the-bible-be-the-bible-it-s-not-about-science-it-s-not-accurate/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [It is part of the pholosophic dullness of our time that there are millions of rational monsters walking about on their hind legs, observing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/it-is-part-of-the-pholosophic-dullness-of-our-time-that-there-are/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [Politicians, real-estate agents, used-car salesmen, and advertising copy-writers are expected to stretch facts in self-serving directions, but scientists who falsify their results are regarded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/politicians-real-estate-agents-used-car-salesmen-and-advertising-copy/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [“Her constant orders for beheading are shocking to those modern critics of children's literature who feel that juvenile fiction should be free of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/her-constant-orders-for-beheading-are-shocking-to-those-modern/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [The violence and double-talk in the Alice books probably does no harm to children, but the novels should not be allowed to circulate indiscriminately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/the-violence-and-double-talk-in-the-alice-books-probably-does-no-harm/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [Mathematics is not only real, but it is the only reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/mathematics-is-not-only-real-but-it-is-the-only-reality/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [As Bertrand Russell once wrote, two plus two is four even in the interior of the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/as-bertrand-russell-once-wrote-two-plus-two-is-four-even-in-the/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [Mathemagical mathematics combines the beauty of mathematical structure with the entertainment value of a trick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/mathemagical-mathematics-combines-the-beauty-of-mathematical/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [The last level of metaphor in the Alice books is this: that life, viewed rationally and without illusion, appears to be a nonsense tale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/the-last-level-of-metaphor-in-the-alice-books-is-this-that-life/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [The universe is almost like a huge magic trick and scientists are trying to figure out how it does what it does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/the-universe-is-almost-like-a-huge-magic-trick-and-scientists-are/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [Although Lewis Carroll thought of The Hunting of the Snark as a nonsense ballad for children, it is hard to imagine - in fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/although-lewis-carroll-thought-of-the-hunting-of-the-snark-as-a/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) [Explore all 44 Martin Gardner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) ## More Cheat quotes > [You can't cheat comedy. You know, it either is going to be there on the day you capture or it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-lin/you-can-t-cheat-comedy-you-know-it-either-is-going-to-be-there-on-the/) [Justin Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-lin/) > [I'm not a cheat. I'm not a diver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-young/i-m-not-a-cheat-i-m-not-a-diver/) [Ashley Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-young/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [Even with cheat codes, you can't get on my level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-with-cheat-codes-you-can-t-get-on-my-level/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As they say in New York, Get over it and, if you can't get over it, Get over talking about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-keyes/as-they-say-in-new-york-get-over-it-and-if-you-can-t-get-over-it-get/) [Marian Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-keyes/) > [I hated myself totally white. So now I cheat. It's my white hair, and I put color there. My grandson says I'm punk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-hated-myself-totally-white-so-now-i-cheat-it-s-my-white-hair-and-i/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [“Some people will lie, cheat, steal and back-stab to to get ahead...and to think, all they have to do is READ!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fortune/some-people-will-lie-cheat-steal-and-back-stab-to-to-get-ahead-and-to/) [Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fortune/) > [“If love was a game, a lot of people would cheat to win, but little would play it the right way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-gabryelle-dos-santos/if-love-was-a-game-a-lot-of-people-would-cheat-to-win-but-little/) [Amanda gabryelle dos santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-gabryelle-dos-santos/) > [“Rock-Paper-Scissors for it.” “But you always cheat,” Blake whined. “And then you just punch me and growl that ‘rock beats face’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-adams/rock-paper-scissors-for-it-but-you-always-cheat-blake-whined-and-then/) [Kyle Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-adams/) > [“The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children's games from the beginning, and will probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-human-race-to-which-so-many-of-my-readers-belong-has-been-playing/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [I dont play when it comes to being unfaithful. You cheat, you get no second chance & you lost the best thing that ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dont-play-when-it-comes-to-being-unfaithful-you-cheat-you-get-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Then they're like addicts; they can't help themselves... They will steal, cheat, embezzle and commit other crimes just to get money to gamble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warren-kindt/then-they-re-like-addicts-they-can-t-help-themselves-they-will-steal/) [John Warren Kindt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warren-kindt/) > [There can never be such a thing as a free market, because it is human nature to cheat, monopolize, and buy off others so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/there-can-never-be-such-a-thing-as-a-free-market-because-it-is-human/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [People still cheat on their wives, that hasn't fallen out of fashion. We all speak of it badly, but it has not fallen out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/people-still-cheat-on-their-wives-that-hasn-t-fallen-out-of-fashion/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) [Browse all 1,132 Cheat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheat/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As I have often said, electrons and gerbils don't cheat. 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