--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that there are no innate…" description: "\"“I believe that there are no innate, intrinsic differences among a human being , a baboon or a grain of sand.”\" — Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2-207_postmodernism_i-believe-that-there-are-no-innate-intri_2918988.jpg" --- # I believe that there are no innate, intrinsic differences… ![“I believe that there are no innate, intrinsic differences among a human being , a baboon or a grain of sand.” quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2-207_postmodernism_i-believe-that-there-are-no-innate-intri_2918988.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2-207_postmodernism_i-believe-that-there-are-no-innate-intri_2918988.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2-207_postmodernism_i-believe-that-there-are-no-innate-intri_2918988.jpg) > ““I believe that there are no innate, intrinsic differences among a human being , a baboon or a grain of sand.”” [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote asserts that all living beings share no inherent, essential differences, emphasizing fundamental equality. **In simple terms:** All beings are fundamentally equal. Key Takeaway Embrace universal equality. Themes equality philosophy humanism Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - ethical debates - education - policy making Key Concepts intrinsic value speciesism egalitarianism Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect rights? - Can equality be truly achieved? A Different Perspective Biological differences still exist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Postmodernism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/postmodernism/) ## Related quotes > [“I have come to believe that our innate purpose is nothing more than to be the greatest version of ourselves. 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Each person has his or her own "measure"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-taylor/herder-put-forward-the-idea-that-each-of-us-has-an-original-way-of/) [Charles Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-taylor/) > [Growing up, I decided, a long time ago, I wouldn't accept any manmade differences between human beings, differences made at somebody else's insistence or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/growing-up-i-decided-a-long-time-ago-i-wouldn-t-accept-any-manmade/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The postmodern reply to the modern consists of recognizing that the past, since it cannot really be destroyed, because its destruction leads to silence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-postmodern-reply-to-the-modern-consists-of-recognizing-that-the/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“An attempt to wrest from God the prerogatives of absolute freedom and infinity leads to the inversion of Pentecost and what is in effect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-e-gunton/an-attempt-to-wrest-from-god-the-prerogatives-of-absolute-freedom-and/) Colin E. Gunton > [“Oedipa wondered whether, at the end of this (if it were supposed to end), she too might not be left with only compiled memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/oedipa-wondered-whether-at-the-end-of-this-if-it-were-supposed-to-end/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Postmodernism has turned into this devil's vortex where no matter what you do, your neck will be turned and your face shoved into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/postmodernism-has-turned-into-this-devil-s-vortex-where-no-matter/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [“Diversion consoles us - in trivial ways - in the face of our miseries or perplexities; yet, paradoxically, it becomes the worst of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-groothuis/diversion-consoles-us-in-trivial-ways-in-the-face-of-our-miseries-or/) [Douglas Groothuis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-groothuis/) > [To the extent that I've ever understood postmodernism - and I'm sure there are people out there who do, but I'm not one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-erickson/to-the-extent-that-i-ve-ever-understood-postmodernism-and-i-m-sure/) [Steve Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-erickson/) > [Altermodern is an in-progress redefinition of modernity in the era of globalisation, stressing the experience of wandering in time, space and mediums. The term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-bourriaud/altermodern-is-an-in-progress-redefinition-of-modernity-in-the-era-of/) Nicolas Bourriaud ## More by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr > [“Every idea is an incitement. It offers itself for belief and if believed it is acted on unless some other belief outweighs it or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/every-idea-is-an-incitement-it-offers-itself-for-belief-and-if/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/the-right-to-swing-my-fist-ends-where-the-other-man-s-nose-begins/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [“We are very quiet there, but it is the quiet of a storm centre. .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/we-are-very-quiet-there-but-it-is-the-quiet-of-a-storm-centre/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [“A child's education should begin at least 100 years before he was born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/a-child-s-education-should-begin-at-least-100-years-before-he-was-born/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [Man's mind, stretched by a new idea, never goes back to its original dimensions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/man-s-mind-stretched-by-a-new-idea-never-goes-back-to-its-original/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [“Academic life is but half life it is a withdrawal from the fight to utter smart things that cost you nothing except the thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/academic-life-is-but-half-life-it-is-a-withdrawal-from-the-fight-to/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [You commit a sin of omission if you do not utilize all the power that is within you. 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He only shows that he is not adapted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/a-man-who-called-everyone-a-damn-fool-is-like-a-man-who-damns-the/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [“We have shared the incommunicable experience of war, we have felt, we still feel, the passion of life to its top. In our youth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/we-have-shared-the-incommunicable-experience-of-war-we-have-felt-we/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [“The rational study of law is still to a large extent the study of history. History must be a part of the study, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/the-rational-study-of-law-is-still-to-a-large-extent-the-study-of/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/take-a-music-bath-once-or-twice-a-week-for-a-few-seasons-and-you-will/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [To be seventy years young is sometimes for more cheerful and hopeful than to be forty years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/to-be-seventy-years-young-is-sometimes-for-more-cheerful-and-hopeful/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) > [“But, nevertheless, the generation that carried on the war has been set apart by its experience. Through our great good fortune, in our youth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/but-nevertheless-the-generation-that-carried-on-the-war-has-been-set/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) [Explore all 30 Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr-2/) ## More Postmodernism quotes > [Altermodern is an in-progress redefinition of modernity in the era of globalisation, stressing the experience of wandering in time, space and mediums. 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Gunton > [The postmodern reply to the modern consists of recognizing that the past, since it cannot really be destroyed, because its destruction leads to silence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-postmodern-reply-to-the-modern-consists-of-recognizing-that-the/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“The dominant theories of elite art and criticism in the 20th century grew out of a militant denial of human nature. One legacy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-dominant-theories-of-elite-art-and-criticism-in-the-20th-century/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“May one plead, Your Honor, postmodernism as an involuntary condition?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lethem/may-one-plead-your-honor-postmodernism-as-an-involuntary-condition/) [Jonathan Lethem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lethem/) > [“here is the nub of the issue between Christianity and postmodernism: what is freedom?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heath-white/here-is-the-nub-of-the-issue-between-christianity-and-postmodernism/) [Heath White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heath-white/) > [“Women's liberation is one thing, but the permeation of anti-male sentiment in post-modern popular culture - from our mocking sitcom plots to degrading commercial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-madison/women-s-liberation-is-one-thing-but-the-permeation-of-anti-male/) [Tiffany Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-madison/) > [Postmodernism - and is that term used much any more? - is simply a reiteration of the sophistic or the rhetorical worldview.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-roochnik/postmodernism-and-is-that-term-used-much-any-more-is-simply-a/) [David Roochnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-roochnik/) > [“Worship, then, needs to be characterized by hospitality; it needs to be inviting. 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