--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a tendency in American thought…" description: "\"There's a tendency in American thought - maybe elsewhere, but that's the culture I know best - to default to social Darwinism, even though even Darwin ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1e/n-k-jemisin-2-15368_american_there-s-a-tendency-in-american-thought-m_2920008.jpg" --- # There's a tendency in American thought - maybe elsewhere… ![“There's a tendency in American thought - maybe elsewhere, but that's the culture I know best - to default to social Darwinism, even though even Darwin noted that's a misapplication of his ideas.” quote by N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1e/n-k-jemisin-2-15368_american_there-s-a-tendency-in-american-thought-m_2920008.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1e/n-k-jemisin-2-15368_american_there-s-a-tendency-in-american-thought-m_2920008.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1e/n-k-jemisin-2-15368_american_there-s-a-tendency-in-american-thought-m_2920008.jpg) > “There's a tendency in American thought - maybe elsewhere, but that's the culture I know best - to default to social Darwinism, even though even Darwin noted that's a misapplication of his ideas.” [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American culture often misapplies Darwinian ideas, leading to social Darwinism that distorts original concepts. **In simple terms:** Misusing Darwin leads to social Darwinism. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about social Darwinism. Themes culture misinterpretation science ethics Mood critical analytical Type essay philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - education curricula - media analysis Key Concepts social Darwinism intellectual honesty Questions to Reflect On - How does Darwin’s theory differ from social Darwinism? - What cultural factors shape scientific interpretation? A Different Perspective Not all societies adopt the same view of Darwin. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-thought-1834079/) [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Darwinism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darwinism/) [Darwinism Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darwinism-darwin-4250259/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe/) [Maybe Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe-culture-1984499/) [Social darwinism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-darwinism/) ## Related quotes > [The predominant idea behind globalization, in its most virulent form, is an unpleasant kind of social Darwinism - that the world is for winners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/the-predominant-idea-behind-globalization-in-its-most-virulent-form/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [Im not advocating social Darwinism, I am witnessing actual Darwinism. If you are in a camp with a bunch of campers, and a bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruppert/im-not-advocating-social-darwinism-i-am-witnessing-actual-darwinism/) [Michael Ruppert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruppert/) > [“In the physical constitution of an organized being, that is, a being adapted suitably to the purposes of life, we assume it as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/in-the-physical-constitution-of-an-organized-being-that-is-a-being/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Herbert Spencer is little read now. Philosophers do not regard him as a major thinker. Social Darwinism has long been in disrepute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/herbert-spencer-is-little-read-now-philosophers-do-not-regard-him-as/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Obviously there have been some very poor uses of evolution in the 20th century. Social Darwinism for instance and we point out in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/obviously-there-have-been-some-very-poor-uses-of-evolution-in-the/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [“Of all the problems which will have to be faced in the future, in my opinion, the most difficult will be those concerning the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-darwin/of-all-the-problems-which-will-have-to-be-faced-in-the-future-in-my/) [Leonard Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-darwin/) > [In the post-enlightenment Europe of the 19th century the highest authority was no longer the Church. Instead it was science. Thus was born racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/in-the-post-enlightenment-europe-of-the-19th-century-the-highest/) [Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/) > [“My firm conviction is that if wide-spread Eugenic reforms are not adopted during the next hundred years or so, our Western Civilization is inevitably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-darwin/my-firm-conviction-is-that-if-wide-spread-eugenic-reforms-are-not/) [Leonard Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-darwin/) > [Nothing seemed to offer more striking proof to the late Victorian mind of the infernal truth of social Darwinism than the supposed demise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/nothing-seemed-to-offer-more-striking-proof-to-the-late-victorian/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [But it is one of these sort of mythologies about America and its intellectual history, that the right embraced this thing called social Darwinism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/but-it-is-one-of-these-sort-of-mythologies-about-america-and-its/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [“Dedicated to the memory of MY FATHER. For if I had not believed that he would have wished me to give such help as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-darwin/dedicated-to-the-memory-of-my-father-for-if-i-had-not-believed-that/) [Leonard Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-darwin/) > [There was no intellectual movement in American history called social Darwinism. The people who were supposedly the leaders of the social Darwinist movement never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/there-was-no-intellectual-movement-in-american-history-called-social/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [Since the universe is stupid, it's no wonder that social Darwinism tends to support, promote and finance the evolution of fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-brown/since-the-universe-is-stupid-it-s-no-wonder-that-social-darwinism/) [William C. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-brown/) > [... no compelling data to support its anachronistic social Darwinism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/no-compelling-data-to-support-its-anachronistic-social-darwinism/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Carnegie believed in the survival of the fittest. He believed in Social Darwinism. He believed that you had to give an opportunity to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nasaw/carnegie-believed-in-the-survival-of-the-fittest-he-believed-in/) [David Nasaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nasaw/) ## More by N. K. Jemisin > [I write for myself - but it is nice when other people like it, too!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/i-write-for-myself-but-it-is-nice-when-other-people-like-it-too/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [In the 'Dreamblood' books, I'm focusing more on what I like about epic fantasy: the layering and depth of tension; the chance to really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/in-the-dreamblood-books-i-m-focusing-more-on-what-i-like-about-epic/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [Actual Victorian mores and politics were a reaction to a specific series of historical events, technological and scientific developments, and ethical trends in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/actual-victorian-mores-and-politics-were-a-reaction-to-a-specific/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [I don't really understand why so many fantasy writers choose to focus on worlds that just seem strangely denuded. But to them, I guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/i-don-t-really-understand-why-so-many-fantasy-writers-choose-to-focus/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [To some degree, as I move outside of the exclusive genre audience, the exclusive genre issues don't bother me as much. Maybe that's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/to-some-degree-as-i-move-outside-of-the-exclusive-genre-audience-the/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [I would love to just write and not have everything I say or do turn into a political battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/i-would-love-to-just-write-and-not-have-everything-i-say-or-do-turn/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [As a black woman, I have no particular interest in maintaining the status quo. Why would I? The status quo is harmful; the status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/as-a-black-woman-i-have-no-particular-interest-in-maintaining-the/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [I've been very happy with Orbit and am thrilled that they're giving me more chances to explore my creative visions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/i-ve-been-very-happy-with-orbit-and-am-thrilled-that-they-re-giving/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [It's the way the human brain works: when enough events occur in a pattern, we stop thinking and go into macro mode.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/it-s-the-way-the-human-brain-works-when-enough-events-occur-in-a/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [A fantasy novel set in something other than medieval Europe, featuring an almost entirely black cast, is considered risky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/a-fantasy-novel-set-in-something-other-than-medieval-europe-featuring/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [I think the people who believe that works can and always should be divorced from the context are people who have the privilege to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/i-think-the-people-who-believe-that-works-can-and-always-should-be/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [It's human nature that we come in our own flavours, and it doesn't make any sense to write a monochromatic or monocultural story unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/it-s-human-nature-that-we-come-in-our-own-flavours-and-it-doesn-t/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [Magic is the mysteries into which not everyone is so lucky, or unlucky, as to be initiated. It can be affected by belief, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/magic-is-the-mysteries-into-which-not-everyone-is-so-lucky-or-unlucky/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [It takes practice to do anything unique within this field, period, in writing, practice doing anything unique in writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/it-takes-practice-to-do-anything-unique-within-this-field-period-in/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [I was raised to be very wary of the police. I was raised to stay away from them unless you absolutely have to. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/i-was-raised-to-be-very-wary-of-the-police-i-was-raised-to-stay-away/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) [Explore all 43 N. K. Jemisin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. 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