--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Amazingly, prison sentences for murderers…" description: "\"“Amazingly, prison sentences for murderers have now been lessened in at least two cases because it was argued that the criminal, having the “warrior ge..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_crime_amazingly-prison-sentences-for-murderers_523113.png" --- # Amazingly, prison sentences for murderers have now been… ![“Amazingly, prison sentences for murderers have now been lessened in at least two cases because it was argued that the criminal, having the “warrior gene” variant of MAO-A, was inevitably fated to be uncontrollably violent. OMG.” quote by Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_crime_amazingly-prison-sentences-for-murderers_523113.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_crime_amazingly-prison-sentences-for-murderers_523113.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_crime_amazingly-prison-sentences-for-murderers_523113.png) > ““Amazingly, prison sentences for murderers have now been lessened in at least two cases because it was argued that the criminal, having the “warrior gene” variant of MAO-A, was inevitably fated to be uncontrollably violent. OMG.”” [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) ## 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 critiques using genetic determinism to justify lighter sentences, warning that attributing violence to a single gene oversimplifies complex behavior and risks unfair legal outcomes. **In simple terms:** Genetics alone shouldn’t excuse violent crimes. Key Takeaway Consider full context before blaming genes. Themes ethics law genetics justice responsibility Mood critical concerned Type analytical cautionary When to use this quote - court sentencing - policy drafting - public health messaging - education on genetics Key Concepts determinism biological reductionism legal policy Questions to Reflect On - How should courts balance biological factors with personal accountability? - What safeguards prevent misuse of genetic claims? A Different Perspective Genetic explanations are incomplete and can be misused in law. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) ## Related quotes > [“Having the low-activity version of MAO-A tripled the likelihood … but only in people with a history of severe childhood abuse. And if there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/having-the-low-activity-version-of-mao-a-tripled-the-likelihood-but/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“The candidate gene approaches show that the effect of a single gene on a behavior is typically tiny. In other words, having the “warrior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/the-candidate-gene-approaches-show-that-the-effect-of-a-single-gene/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Crime writers, I've noticed, can be jumpy. They live in a world where there are murderers on the loose and they haven't been caught…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/crime-writers-i-ve-noticed-can-be-jumpy-they-live-in-a-world-where/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [I committed the first crime by creating men as mortals. After that, what more could you do, you the murderers? Come on; they already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-committed-the-first-crime-by-creating-men-as-mortals-after-that/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [If you're part of a crew, nobody ever tells you that they're going to kill you, doesn't happen that way. There weren't any arguments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hill/if-you-re-part-of-a-crew-nobody-ever-tells-you-that-they-re-going-to/) [Henry Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hill/) > [“Children. Pay close attention to them. They grow up to be adults. The really heinous people we see on the news? The serial killers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-hildreth/children-pay-close-attention-to-them-they-grow-up-to-be-adults-the/) [Scott Hildreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-hildreth/) > [Since 1966, hundreds of books have been published that follow murderers along their paths of destruction. Every serial killer, it seems, now has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schlosser/since-1966-hundreds-of-books-have-been-published-that-follow/) [Eric Schlosser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schlosser/) > [“And then there was punishment. Hundreds of machines were being used not just by police forces and homicide detectives for investigative purposes but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-j-holliday/and-then-there-was-punishment-hundreds-of-machines-were-being-used/) Scott J. Holliday > [“The world outside B&G is a blue haze; refrigerator cold, filled with rapists and murderers and lightly sprinkling rain. A sheet of newspaper blows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-thorne/the-world-outside-b-g-is-a-blue-haze-refrigerator-cold-filled-with/) [Sally Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-thorne/) > [“I could hear them yell and laugh each time and there was nothing I could do about it…. I saw them do it, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/i-could-hear-them-yell-and-laugh-each-time-and-there-was-nothing-i/) [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) > [God remains dead. And we have killed him. Yet his shadow still looms. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/god-remains-dead-and-we-have-killed-him-yet-his-shadow-still-looms/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“If sensing so badly of yourself you also sense a need to knock the sense out of me to sense that, then I sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-spellman/if-sensing-so-badly-of-yourself-you-also-sense-a-need-to-knock-the/) [Brian Spellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-spellman/) > [“The murderers are loose! They search the world All through the night, oh God, all through the night! To find the fire kindled in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrud-kolmar/the-murderers-are-loose-they-search-the-world-all-through-the-night/) [Gertrud Kolmar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrud-kolmar/) > [“The experience he'd gained during his years in the police force had given him this unambiguous answer: there are no murderers. Only ordinary people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/the-experience-he-d-gained-during-his-years-in-the-police-force-had/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“Julian guessed even murderers needed regular mattresses and didn’t actually sleep on platforms made of skulls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/julian-guessed-even-murderers-needed-regular-mattresses-and-didn-t/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## More by Robert M. Sapolsky > [“Secure-attachment 7Rs show more generosity than average. Thus 7R has something to do with generosity—but its effect is entirely context dependent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/secure-attachment-7rs-show-more-generosity-than-average-thus-7r-has/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [But if you get chronically, psychosocially stressed, you're going to compromise your health. So, essentially, we've evolved to be smart enough to make ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/but-if-you-get-chronically-psychosocially-stressed-you-re-going-to/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Finally, for the same criminal conviction, the more stereotypically Af-rican a black individual’s facial features, the longer the sentence.15 In contrast, juries view black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/finally-for-the-same-criminal-conviction-the-more-stereotypically-af/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“So testosterone does subtle things to behavior. Nonetheless, this doesn’t tell us much because everything can be interpreted every which way. Testosterone increases anxiety—you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/so-testosterone-does-subtle-things-to-behavior-nonetheless-this-doesn/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“pain makes aggressive people more aggressive, while doing the opposite to unaggressive individuals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/pain-makes-aggressive-people-more-aggressive-while-doing-the-opposite/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Thus, for our purposes, genes aren’t about inevitability. Instead they’re about context-dependent tendencies, propensities, potentials, and vulnerabilities. All embedded in the fabric of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/thus-for-our-purposes-genes-aren-t-about-inevitability-instead-they/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“If we accept that there will always be sides, it’s a nontrivial to-do list item to always be on the side of angels. Distrust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/if-we-accept-that-there-will-always-be-sides-it-s-a-nontrivial-to-do/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“In other words, the more genomically complex the organism, the larger the percentage of the genome devoted to gene regulation by the environment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/in-other-words-the-more-genomically-complex-the-organism-the-larger/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“The subject of one experiment is a rat that receives mild electric shocks (roughly equivalent to the static shock you might get from scuffing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/the-subject-of-one-experiment-is-a-rat-that-receives-mild-electric/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“No brain region is an island, and the formation of circuits connecting far-flung brain regions is crucial—how else can the frontal cortex use its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/no-brain-region-is-an-island-and-the-formation-of-circuits-connecting/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“We process emotionally salient information more rapidly and automatically, but with less accuracy. Frontal function—working memory, impulse control, executive decision making, risk assessment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/we-process-emotionally-salient-information-more-rapidly-and/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Most broadly, the PFC chooses between conflicting options—Coke or Pepsi; blurting out what you really think or restraining yourself; pulling the trigger or not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/most-broadly-the-pfc-chooses-between-conflicting-options-coke-or/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“One stretch of the gene is repeated a variable number of times, and the version with seven repeats (the “7R” form) produces a receptor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/one-stretch-of-the-gene-is-repeated-a-variable-number-of-times-and/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“some people always get more than their share of equality than others”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/some-people-always-get-more-than-their-share-of-equality-than-others/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [It's probably even the case that if you stoked up some Buddhist monks with tons of testosterone, they'd become wildly competitive as to who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/it-s-probably-even-the-case-that-if-you-stoked-up-some-buddhist-monks/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) [Explore all 280 Robert M. Sapolsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) ## More Crime quotes > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/) [Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/) > [Taking notes while watching Forensic Files and Snapped. I don't want to make the same mistakes the criminals do! ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/taking-notes-while-watching-forensic-files-and-snapped-i-don-t-want/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. Only when the original invasion, occupation, extermination or usurpation has been safely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/nations-sometimes-flourish-by-denying-the-crimes-that-brought-them/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [“a crime to fell a tree and light it on fire, where coals of hardened shit warmed and stunk up homes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/a-crime-to-fell-a-tree-and-light-it-on-fire-where-coals-of-hardened/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) > [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Too much virtue can be criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-racine/too-much-virtue-can-be-criminal/) [Jean Racine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-racine/) > [The federal prison population increased by almost 800 percent between 1980 and 2013, often at a far faster rate than the Bureau of Prisons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-yates/the-federal-prison-population-increased-by-almost-800-percent-between/) [Sally Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-yates/) > [ \[P\]rogress, however, has not sufficiently infiltrated the Interior Ministry, affording protection to those who participated in the Bytyqi murders and other egregious Milosevic-era crimes. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avis-bohlen/p-rogress-however-has-not-sufficiently-infiltrated-the-interior/) Avis Bohlen [Browse all 8,359 Crime quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Amazingly, prison sentences for murderers have now been lessened in at least two cases because it was argued that the criminal, having the “warrior gene” variant of MAO-A, was inevitably fated to be uncontrollably violent. OMG.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert M. Sapolsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/amazingly-prison-sentences-for-murderers-have-now-been-lessened-in-at/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Crime" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/amazingly-prison-sentences-for-murderers-have-now-been-lessened-in-at/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_crime_amazingly-prison-sentences-for-murderers_523113.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_crime_amazingly-prison-sentences-for-murderers_523113.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5af/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_crime_amazingly-prison-sentences-for-murderers_523113.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Amazingly, prison sentences for murderers have now been lessened in at least two cases because it was argued…” — Robert M. Sapolsky", "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": "Robert M. Sapolsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Amazingly, prison sentences for murderers have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/amazingly-prison-sentences-for-murderers-have-now-been-lessened-in-at/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/amazingly-prison-sentences-for-murderers-have-now-been-lessened-in-at/#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 } } ] } ```