--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You need to understand how human beings…" description: "\"You need to understand how human beings bring together their brains and enable their ideas to combine and recombine, to meet and, indeed, to mate. In o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/matt-ridley-8082_brain_you-need-to-understand-how-human-beings_2070344.jpg" --- # You need to understand how human beings bring together… ![“You need to understand how human beings bring together their brains and enable their ideas to combine and recombine, to meet and, indeed, to mate. In other words, you need to understand how ideas have sex.” quote by Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/matt-ridley-8082_brain_you-need-to-understand-how-human-beings_2070344.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/matt-ridley-8082_brain_you-need-to-understand-how-human-beings_2070344.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/matt-ridley-8082_brain_you-need-to-understand-how-human-beings_2070344.jpg) > “You need to understand how human beings bring together their brains and enable their ideas to combine and recombine, to meet and, indeed, to mate. In other words, you need to understand how ideas have sex.” [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideas combine and recombine like mating, driving innovation. **In simple terms:** Ideas mix like genes to create new concepts. Key Takeaway Foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Themes innovation ideas collaboration Mood analytical inspirational Type explanatory philosophical When to use this quote - research teams - brainstorming sessions - cross‑disciplinary projects - startup pivots Key Concepts memetics creative synthesis Questions to Reflect On - How can we encourage diverse idea exchange? - What barriers prevent idea recombination? A Different Perspective Complex ideas may be oversimplified as “sex.” ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) ## Related quotes > [That's why every society on the planet has very definite rules, ideas about how sex should be regulated, how sex should be expressed, what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/that-s-why-every-society-on-the-planet-has-very-definite-rules-ideas/) [Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/) > [When you become sufficiently expert in the state of the art, you stop picking ideas at random. You are thoughtful in how to select…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ng/when-you-become-sufficiently-expert-in-the-state-of-the-art-you-stop/) [Andrew Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ng/) > [For every manager, it is important to explain your ideas. It's very important the club understand those ideas and are ready to work together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-conte/for-every-manager-it-is-important-to-explain-your-ideas-it-s-very/) [Antonio Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-conte/) > [Simple ideas are easier to understand. Ideas that are easier to understand are repeated. Ideas that are repeated change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/simple-ideas-are-easier-to-understand-ideas-that-are-easier-to/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [People don't understand this: Ideas are important, but they're not essential. What's essential and important is the execution of the idea. Everyone has had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis/people-don-t-understand-this-ideas-are-important-but-they-re-not/) [John Landis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis/) > [Tragedy is formed 'round ideas it does not expound, and to understand its history is, in some part, to understand those ideas and their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-williams/tragedy-is-formed-round-ideas-it-does-not-expound-and-to-understand/) [Bernard Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-williams/) > [That is what it is like with Pep. At first, you don't understand. But then you grow up, you work, and now we understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernandinho/that-is-what-it-is-like-with-pep-at-first-you-don-t-understand-but/) [Fernandinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernandinho/) > [Nothing is more common than for men to think that because they are familiar with words they understand the ideas they stand for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/nothing-is-more-common-than-for-men-to-think-that-because-they-are/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [“People understand ideas when ideas relate to something they already know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-knapp/people-understand-ideas-when-ideas-relate-to-something-they-already/) [Brian Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-knapp/) > [“...genius, having the widest experience of the human intelligence, can best understand the ideas most directly in opposition to those which form the foundation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/genius-having-the-widest-experience-of-the-human-intelligence-can/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [People need to understand that the technology is for them. It's not to them. It's not over them. People still sometimes want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-dyson/people-need-to-understand-that-the-technology-is-for-them-it-s-not-to/) [Esther Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-dyson/) > [What women need to understand is that you cannot save a child if you can't save yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/what-women-need-to-understand-is-that-you-cannot-save-a-child-if-you/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [“Before you go on any mission, you need to understand what you know, identify what you don’t know, and try to guess what could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/before-you-go-on-any-mission-you-need-to-understand-what-you-know/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [“I’m gonna take a minute here because you seriously need to understand how magnificent this guy is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-cooksey/i-m-gonna-take-a-minute-here-because-you-seriously-need-to-understand/) [Jenn Cooksey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-cooksey/) > [You need to understand plant chemistry, be inured to discomfort and awesomely flexible. When something breaks down-the plane, the boat, you just have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/you-need-to-understand-plant-chemistry-be-inured-to-discomfort-and/) [Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/) ## More by Matt Ridley > [I felt cheated by the way grown-ups told me that the future of the world was bleak when I became a teenager in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/i-felt-cheated-by-the-way-grown-ups-told-me-that-the-future-of-the/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [“If you attend a meeting of evolutionary biologists somewhere in America, you might be lucky and spot a tall, gray-whiskered, smiling man bearing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/if-you-attend-a-meeting-of-evolutionary-biologists-somewhere-in/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [“Merchants and craftsmen make prosperity; chiefs, priests and thieves fritter it away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/merchants-and-craftsmen-make-prosperity-chiefs-priests-and-thieves/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [At some point, human intelligence became collective and cumulative in a way that happened to no other animal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/at-some-point-human-intelligence-became-collective-and-cumulative-in/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [We consciously decide whether to consider people; we fall in love despite ourselves; we entirely fail to fall in love with people who fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/we-consciously-decide-whether-to-consider-people-we-fall-in-love/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [It's terrifying the way molecular biology has become more and more jargon ridden. But I strongly believe that my book can be read by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/it-s-terrifying-the-way-molecular-biology-has-become-more-and-more/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [“The gene contains a single 'word', repeated over and over again: CAG, CAG, CAG, CAG ... The repetition continues sometimes just six times, sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/the-gene-contains-a-single-word-repeated-over-and-over-again-cag-cag/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [“If you think being descended from apes is bad for your self esteem, then get used to the idea that you are also descended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/if-you-think-being-descended-from-apes-is-bad-for-your-self-esteem/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [Government can encourage innovation, but mainly by doing less, not doing more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/government-can-encourage-innovation-but-mainly-by-doing-less-not/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [Note even Jonathan Swift would dare to write a satire in which politicians argued that - in a world where species are vanishing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/note-even-jonathan-swift-would-dare-to-write-a-satire-in-which/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [The evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in 1976 coined the term ‘meme’ for a unit of cultural imitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/the-evolutionary-biologist-richard-dawkins-in-1976-coined-the-term/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [This idea holds out hope that the human race will prosper mightily in the years ahead-because ideas are having sex with each other as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/this-idea-holds-out-hope-that-the-human-race-will-prosper-mightily-in/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [“Well, in OUR country,’ said Alice, still panting a little, ‘you’d generally get to somewhere else—if you ran very fast for a long time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/well-in-our-country-said-alice-still-panting-a-little-you-d-generally/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [“Far from being choosy, female primates seemed to be initiators of much promiscuity. Hrdy began to suggest that there was something wrong with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/far-from-being-choosy-female-primates-seemed-to-be-initiators-of-much/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) > [Every minute, every second, the pattern of genes being expressed in your brain changes, often in direct or indirect response to events outside the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/every-minute-every-second-the-pattern-of-genes-being-expressed-in/) [Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) [Explore all 81 Matt Ridley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/) ## More Brain quotes > [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/) [Vilayanur S. Ramachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/) > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [down with ought with because with every brain that thinks it thinks nor dares to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/down-with-ought-with-because-with-every-brain-that-thinks-it-thinks/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-prefer-the-word-musician-i-m-a-musician-and-a-composer-i-have-a/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [Thinking of sex provides enough mental stimulation to reduce risk of diseases that damage the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thinking-of-sex-provides-enough-mental-stimulation-to-reduce-risk-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [Without illusions. I love you because you are fallible and because your poor misguided testosterone-corrupted brain has you doing cartwheels trying not to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/without-illusions-i-love-you-because-you-are-fallible-and-because/) [Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/) > [being asked to decide between your passion for work and your passion for children was like being asked by your doctor whether you preferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-bevington/being-asked-to-decide-between-your-passion-for-work-and-your-passion/) [Helen Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-bevington/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/) [Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/) > [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [I am the way I am. If you like me because I'm glamorous, so be it. If you like me, because I speak well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-arora-khan/i-am-the-way-i-am-if-you-like-me-because-i-m-glamorous-so-be-it-if/) [Malaika Arora Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-arora-khan/) [Browse all 8,465 Brain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You need to understand how human beings bring together their brains and enable their ideas to combine and recombine, to meet and, indeed, to mate. In other words, you need to understand how ideas have sex.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Ridley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/you-need-to-understand-how-human-beings-bring-together-their-brains/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/you-need-to-understand-how-human-beings-bring-together-their-brains/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/matt-ridley-8082_brain_you-need-to-understand-how-human-beings_2070344.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/matt-ridley-8082_brain_you-need-to-understand-how-human-beings_2070344.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/matt-ridley-8082_brain_you-need-to-understand-how-human-beings_2070344.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You need to understand how human beings bring together their brains and enable their ideas to combine and…” — Matt Ridley", "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": "Matt Ridley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You need to understand how human...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/you-need-to-understand-how-human-beings-bring-together-their-brains/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/you-need-to-understand-how-human-beings-bring-together-their-brains/#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 } } ] } ```