--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He divides his time between thinking…" description: "\"“He divides his time between thinking about sex and thinking about mathematics.”\" — Neal Stephenson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/neal-stephenson-362_mathematics_he-divides-his-time-between-thinking-abo_2245802.png" --- # He divides his time between thinking about sex and… ![“He divides his time between thinking about sex and thinking about mathematics.” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/neal-stephenson-362_mathematics_he-divides-his-time-between-thinking-abo_2245802.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/neal-stephenson-362_mathematics_he-divides-his-time-between-thinking-abo_2245802.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/neal-stephenson-362_mathematics_he-divides-his-time-between-thinking-abo_2245802.png) > ““He divides his time between thinking about sex and thinking about mathematics.”” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He constantly oscillates between sexual thoughts and mathematical reasoning, highlighting a dual preoccupation. **In simple terms:** He thinks about sex and math. Key Takeaway Balance creative and analytical drives. Themes creativity intellect desire Mood playful thoughtful Type humorous observational When to use this quote - personal reflection - creative work - relationship dynamics Key Concepts dual focus cognitive tension Questions to Reflect On - How do you integrate disparate interests? - What benefits arise from such contrast? A Different Perspective May neglect other responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Sex Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex-thinking-742983/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-mathematics-5110251/) [Thinking Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-sex-270891/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“She wondered if she had grown obsessed with sex. She admitted to thinking about it almost all the time. ... "And if I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-m-thomas/she-wondered-if-she-had-grown-obsessed-with-sex-she-admitted-to/) [D.M. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-m-thomas/) > [What's the best part of being a mathematician? I'm not a religious man, but it's almost like being in touch with God when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-halmos/what-s-the-best-part-of-being-a-mathematician-i-m-not-a-religious-man/) [Paul Halmos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-halmos/) > [“It's a joyful thing, being a Catholic. I can't even think about sex without thinking about bodily waste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/it-s-a-joyful-thing-being-a-catholic-i-can-t-even-think-about-sex/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [There is always that one person you will truly love or think about. She is the one who drives you crazy. She has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/there-is-always-that-one-person-you-will-truly-love-or-think-about/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [A well-known mathematician once told me that the great thing about liking both math and sex was that he could do either one while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-landsburg/a-well-known-mathematician-once-told-me-that-the-great-thing-about/) [Steven Landsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-landsburg/) > [Instead of thinking about the sex, I'd always think about the clap and the crabs those people have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/instead-of-thinking-about-the-sex-i-d-always-think-about-the-clap-and/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“Huh. I'm truly a hopeless case. Here I am, in probably the last few moments of not only my life but possibly my entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoenix-emrys/huh-i-m-truly-a-hopeless-case-here-i-am-in-probably-the-last-few/) [Phoenix Emrys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoenix-emrys/) > [“The abortion isn’t what they(conservative pro-life men of 1940s) are thinking about; they’re really thinking about sex. They’re really thinking about love and reducing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-paley/the-abortion-isn-t-what-they-conservative-pro-life-men-of-1940s-are/) [Grace Paley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-paley/) > [I'm not saying that women don't think about sex also. I'm saying that women are capable, for at least brief periods of time, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/i-m-not-saying-that-women-don-t-think-about-sex-also-i-m-saying-that/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [“How could she not know he was thinking about sex? he wondered. It was all he'd been thinking about for the last eighteen hours,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-janzen/how-could-she-not-know-he-was-thinking-about-sex-he-wondered-it-was/) [Tara Janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-janzen/) > [I just write about what comes up. Sometimes you're thinking about Palestine, and sometimes you're thinking about sex. People have a lot going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirah/i-just-write-about-what-comes-up-sometimes-you-re-thinking-about/) [Mirah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirah/) > [Anyone who's onstage is going to attract a certain number of misguided people. But I was never very interested in groupies. Instead of thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/anyone-who-s-onstage-is-going-to-attract-a-certain-number-of/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“I'm thinking he might be a sex pest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-cosway/i-m-thinking-he-might-be-a-sex-pest/) [L.H. Cosway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-cosway/) > [“Oh, my God. What was she thinking?! Sex - even superior mind-blowing sex - wasn't worth not being able to see again. Then again……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolyn-palliata/oh-my-god-what-was-she-thinking-sex-even-superior-mind-blowing-sex/) [Jolyn Palliata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolyn-palliata/) > [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/) ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. The ability to move, far from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-insects-here-see-you-as-a-big-slab-of-animated-but-not-very-well/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Space and Time! Two minor omissions that no one is likely to notice," grumbled Newton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/space-and-time-two-minor-omissions-that-no-one-is-likely-to-notice/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Mathematics quotes > [It is indeed a surprising and fortunate fact that nature can be expressed by relatively low-order mathematical functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/it-is-indeed-a-surprising-and-fortunate-fact-that-nature-can-be/) [Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/) > [“π is a mathematician’s dessert”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-maslakovic/is-a-mathematician-s-dessert/) [Neve Maslakovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-maslakovic/) > [For the execution of the voyage to the Indies, I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-columbus/for-the-execution-of-the-voyage-to-the-indies-i-did-not-make-use-of/) [Christopher Columbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-columbus/) > [Rule number something or other -- never tell anybody anything unless you're going to get something better in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/rule-number-something-or-other-never-tell-anybody-anything-unless-you/) [Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/) > [If enough money is involved and enough people believe that two plus two equals five the media will report the story with a straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/if-enough-money-is-involved-and-enough-people-believe-that-two-plus/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [There's no reason for men to be better at maths than women - it's just about our perception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-riley/there-s-no-reason-for-men-to-be-better-at-maths-than-women-it-s-just/) [Rachel Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-riley/) > [“I had a chat with May and I had a sweet talk with April but the lovely conversation that left me to ponder was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/i-had-a-chat-with-may-and-i-had-a-sweet-talk-with-april-but-the/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [For a physicist mathematics is not just a tool by means of which phenomena can be calculated, it is the main source of concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/for-a-physicist-mathematics-is-not-just-a-tool-by-means-of-which/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. 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At the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/in-school-math-and-science-were-my-favorite-subjects-but-i-probably/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [“How in the world did I ever find you?” Mackenzie Winters “Math class.” Brandon Knight”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-jeanisse/how-in-the-world-did-i-ever-find-you-mackenzie-winters-math-class/) [Bella Jeanisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-jeanisse/) > [“One is the notion that knowledge is worth acquiring, all knowledge, and that a solid grounding in mathematics provides one with the essential language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-patterson-jr/one-is-the-notion-that-knowledge-is-worth-acquiring-all-knowledge-and/) [William H. 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Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-j-adler/) [Browse all 5,382 Mathematics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He divides his time between thinking about sex and thinking about mathematics.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neal Stephenson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/he-divides-his-time-between-thinking-about-sex-and-thinking-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Mathematics" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/he-divides-his-time-between-thinking-about-sex-and-thinking-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/neal-stephenson-362_mathematics_he-divides-his-time-between-thinking-abo_2245802.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/neal-stephenson-362_mathematics_he-divides-his-time-between-thinking-abo_2245802.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df7/neal-stephenson-362_mathematics_he-divides-his-time-between-thinking-abo_2245802.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He divides his time between thinking about sex and thinking about mathematics.” — Neal Stephenson", "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": "Neal Stephenson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He divides his time between thinking...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/he-divides-his-time-between-thinking-about-sex-and-thinking-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/he-divides-his-time-between-thinking-about-sex-and-thinking-about/#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 } } ] } ```