--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of our needs in a very complex…" description: "\"One of our needs in a very complex society, where we encounter more people every day than probably our ancestors encountered over their whole lifetime,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/paul-solman-37861_ancestor_one-of-our-needs-in-a-very-complex-socie_2220418.jpg" --- # One of our needs in a very complex society, where we… ![“One of our needs in a very complex society, where we encounter more people every day than probably our ancestors encountered over their whole lifetime, is our need to very rapidly evaluate other people. And one of the most potent ways of doing that is through our automobiles. So, a car isn't just…” quote by Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/paul-solman-37861_ancestor_one-of-our-needs-in-a-very-complex-socie_2220418.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/paul-solman-37861_ancestor_one-of-our-needs-in-a-very-complex-socie_2220418.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/paul-solman-37861_ancestor_one-of-our-needs-in-a-very-complex-socie_2220418.jpg) > “One of our needs in a very complex society, where we encounter more people every day than probably our ancestors encountered over their whole lifetime, is our need to very rapidly evaluate other people. And one of the most potent ways of doing that is through our automobiles. So, a car isn't just a thing. It's a set of symbols and associations that we have to figure out in order to understand how we navigate our social worlds with that car.” [Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cars serve as symbolic extensions of identity, shaping rapid judgments about people in modern society **In simple terms:** Vehicles act as social signals influencing how we assess others Key Takeaway Be aware of bias from material symbols Themes social perception symbolic interaction identity signaling Mood observant critical Type sociological reflective When to use this quote - first impressions - marketing strategies - urban planning Key Concepts Social psychology status signaling Questions to Reflect On - How do personal vehicle choices affect others' perceptions? - What alternative cues could improve fair social evaluation? A Different Perspective Relying on car cues can reinforce stereotypes ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) [Association](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/association/) [Automobile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/automobile/) [Automobiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/automobiles/) [Automobiles Car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/automobiles-car-4953304/) [Car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/car/) [Cars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cars/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Doing Automobiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-automobiles-4953305/) [Encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) [Evaluate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evaluate/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Navigate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/navigate/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social Worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-worlds-1596101/) [Symbols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symbols/) [Symbols Associations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symbols-associations-4953306/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [Whole life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-life/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [In a world lit by data, street corners are painted with contextual information, automobiles can navigate autonomously, thermostats respond to patterns of activity, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/in-a-world-lit-by-data-street-corners-are-painted-with-contextual/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [“If social worlds are truly complex, then we might need to recast our various attempts at understanding, predicting, and manipulating their behavior. In some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-miller/if-social-worlds-are-truly-complex-then-we-might-need-to-recast-our/) [John H. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-miller/) > [I think many of the companies that have tried to create social worlds have failed because they approached it strictly from an opportunistic perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-sherman/i-think-many-of-the-companies-that-have-tried-to-create-social-worlds/) [Craig Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-sherman/) > [“And the transformation in our social world, in terms of technology-based communication rather than face-to-face conversation, is huge. In texts, tweets, and e-mails we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-dekoven-fishbane/and-the-transformation-in-our-social-world-in-terms-of-technology/) [Mona Dekoven Fishbane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-dekoven-fishbane/) > [“Lured by smooth roads onto a new turnpike, he read with surprise the rules he was handed, don't stop, don't turn around, pay when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-woolf/lured-by-smooth-roads-onto-a-new-turnpike-he-read-with-surprise-the/) [Douglas Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-woolf/) > [The largest issue with search is that we learned about it when the web was young, when the universe was 'complete' - the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/the-largest-issue-with-search-is-that-we-learned-about-it-when-the/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [“I've driving a Lincoln since long before anybody paid me to drive one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/i-ve-driving-a-lincoln-since-long-before-anybody-paid-me-to-drive-one/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) > [As homeowners see the value of their homes decline, they become more likely to delay purchases of the big items - like automobiles, electronics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/as-homeowners-see-the-value-of-their-homes-decline-they-become-more/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“I met a girl named Shelby once or twice. For some reason, the image of a car sprung to mind. After some liquid courage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitry-dyatlov/i-met-a-girl-named-shelby-once-or-twice-for-some-reason-the-image-of/) [Dmitry Dyatlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitry-dyatlov/) > [People get really nuts around cars. They get angry at cars, they get angry at their car, they get angry at people driving in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-dillon/people-get-really-nuts-around-cars-they-get-angry-at-cars-they-get/) [Matt Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-dillon/) > [The fact is that automobiles no longer have a place in the big cities of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-delanoe/the-fact-is-that-automobiles-no-longer-have-a-place-in-the-big-cities/) [Bertrand Delanoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-delanoe/) > [Automobiles are often conveniently tagged as the villains responsible for the ills of cities and the disappointments and futilities of city planning. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/automobiles-are-often-conveniently-tagged-as-the-villains-responsible/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [I dont ride a bike to add days to my life,I ride a bike to add life to my days..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dont-ride-a-bike-to-add-days-to-my-life-i-ride-a-bike-to-add-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Automobiles and the automotive industry are increasingly driven by data and computing. The saying 'What's under the hood' will increasingly refer to computing, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-krzanich/automobiles-and-the-automotive-industry-are-increasingly-driven-by/) [Brian Krzanich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-krzanich/) > [“A car is one of the most interesting inventions, but driving is one of the most boring activities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-car-is-one-of-the-most-interesting-inventions-but-driving-is-one-of/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) ## More by Paul Solman > [Today, the U.S. fleet has shrunk to just four main carriers, which control 80 percent-plus of the U.S. market. No wonder passengers are at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/today-the-u-s-fleet-has-shrunk-to-just-four-main-carriers-which/) [Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) > [America isn't Wollman Rink, but I think almost everybody watching, and certainly the people who voted for him, have had frustrating experiences with bureaucrats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/america-isn-t-wollman-rink-but-i-think-almost-everybody-watching-and/) [Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) > [To make America great is about, hey, this country's in trouble. By doing things the old-fashioned way, I'm going to bring in people, deal-makers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/to-make-america-great-is-about-hey-this-country-s-in-trouble-by-doing/) [Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) > [I have heard that the most valuable thing in today's world, postindustrial world, is the human being's attention and how to get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/i-have-heard-that-the-most-valuable-thing-in-today-s-world/) [Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) > [One guy can't create a field, but you can get people thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/one-guy-can-t-create-a-field-but-you-can-get-people-thinking/) [Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) > [Maybe the discipline in North America is just consolidation, right? I mean, it may be that if there were more vigorous pursuit of antitrust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/maybe-the-discipline-in-north-america-is-just-consolidation-right-i/) [Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) > [A lot of people think, particularly the people who have benefited, that they're entitled to the fruits of their abilities, their labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/a-lot-of-people-think-particularly-the-people-who-have-benefited-that/) [Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) > [In the country, our best years economically were from the 1940s into the 1970s, when we had the best public works - we call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/in-the-country-our-best-years-economically-were-from-the-1940s-into/) [Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) > [I think that the sense of inefficacy and inevitability comes not from thinking the rich are going to have all the educational advantages. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/i-think-that-the-sense-of-inefficacy-and-inevitability-comes-not-from/) [Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) > [Donald Trump says he'll cut taxes and that will make the more productive members of our society more productive still and that he'd create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/donald-trump-says-he-ll-cut-taxes-and-that-will-make-the-more/) [Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) > [Having gone through the civil rights struggle, having gone through the anti-Vietnam War struggle, by the time I was in my 20s, I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/having-gone-through-the-civil-rights-struggle-having-gone-through-the/) [Paul Solman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) [Explore all 12 Paul Solman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/) ## More Ancestor quotes > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [Food binds us to our roots as strongly as any song or poem. Many of us have learned more about our ancestors in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-thomas/food-binds-us-to-our-roots-as-strongly-as-any-song-or-poem-many-of-us/) [Anna Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-thomas/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [Going where no man has gone before is more difficult than it sounds. Our cousins and ancestors were no less curious than we are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/going-where-no-man-has-gone-before-is-more-difficult-than-it-sounds/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [I use the phrase 'sibling society' to suggest a culture fundamentally without fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, or ancestors. The thinking is horizontal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bly/i-use-the-phrase-sibling-society-to-suggest-a-culture-fundamentally/) [Robert Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bly/) > [“A very long time ago, some 2.5 million years B.C., the mother of human species as we know it, our ultimate ancestor, appeared in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-f-cantor/a-very-long-time-ago-some-2-5-million-years-b-c-the-mother-of-human/) [Norman F. Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-f-cantor/) > [High birth is an accident, not a virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-metastasio/high-birth-is-an-accident-not-a-virtue/) [Pietro Metastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-metastasio/) > [Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/southerners-whose-ancestors-a-hundred-years-ago-knew-the-horrors-of-a/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [And I saw for the first time how, despite the isolation of our own lives, we are always connected to our ancestors; our bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/and-i-saw-for-the-first-time-how-despite-the-isolation-of-our-own/) [Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/) > [There is an ancient Indian saying: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." If we use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [It is how it has always been. We will accept the legacy of our ancestors,' Asha says, smiling, and in her smile I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/it-is-how-it-has-always-been-we-will-accept-the-legacy-of-our/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [My ancestors came over from Germany about the time of the Civil War and one of them lost a leg and went back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-came-over-from-germany-about-the-time-of-the-civil-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ Now they \[the Powers\] have started the aggression, and the extinction of our nation is imminent. If we just fold our arms and yield… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/empress-dowager-cixi/now-they-the-powers-have-started-the-aggression-and-the-extinction-of/) [Empress Dowager Cixi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/empress-dowager-cixi/) > [A solitary American monk named Thomas Berry writes that in our relationship to nature, we have been autistic for centuries. Wrapped tightly in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/a-solitary-american-monk-named-thomas-berry-writes-that-in-our/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) [Browse all 767 Ancestor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One of our needs in a very complex society, where we encounter more people every day than probably our ancestors encountered over their whole lifetime, is our need to very rapidly evaluate other people. And one of the most potent ways of doing that is through our automobiles. So, a car isn't just a thing. It's a set of symbols and associations that we have to figure out in order to understand how we navigate our social worlds with that car.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Solman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/one-of-our-needs-in-a-very-complex-society-where-we-encounter-more/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ancestor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/one-of-our-needs-in-a-very-complex-society-where-we-encounter-more/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/paul-solman-37861_ancestor_one-of-our-needs-in-a-very-complex-socie_2220418.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/paul-solman-37861_ancestor_one-of-our-needs-in-a-very-complex-socie_2220418.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/paul-solman-37861_ancestor_one-of-our-needs-in-a-very-complex-socie_2220418.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One of our needs in a very complex society, where we encounter more people every day than probably our…” — Paul Solman", "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": "Paul Solman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-solman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One of our needs in a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/one-of-our-needs-in-a-very-complex-society-where-we-encounter-more/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-solman/one-of-our-needs-in-a-very-complex-society-where-we-encounter-more/#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 } } ] } ```