--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From spending my decades thinking about…" description: "\"From spending my decades thinking about behavior and the biological influences on it, I'm convinced by now free will is what we call the biology that h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/robert-sapolsky-5012_behavior_from-spending-my-decades-thinking-about_1317224.jpg" --- # From spending my decades thinking about behavior and the… ![“From spending my decades thinking about behavior and the biological influences on it, I'm convinced by now free will is what we call the biology that hasn't been discovered yet. It's just another way of stating that we're biological organisms determined by the physical laws of the universe.” quote by Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/robert-sapolsky-5012_behavior_from-spending-my-decades-thinking-about_1317224.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/robert-sapolsky-5012_behavior_from-spending-my-decades-thinking-about_1317224.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/robert-sapolsky-5012_behavior_from-spending-my-decades-thinking-about_1317224.jpg) > “From spending my decades thinking about behavior and the biological influences on it, I'm convinced by now free will is what we call the biology that hasn't been discovered yet. It's just another way of stating that we're biological organisms determined by the physical laws of the universe.” [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Free will may be an undiscovered biological process, reflecting deterministic physical laws. **In simple terms:** Free will is likely a hidden biological mechanism. Key Takeaway Explore the biology behind decision making. Themes neuroscience determinism philosophy Mood thoughtful analytical Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - Psychology research - ethical debates - personal decision making Key Concepts Neural pathways genetics consciousness Questions to Reflect On - What biological factors could underlie perceived free will? - Can determinism coexist with moral responsibility? A Different Perspective Complexity of brain processes may resist simple explanations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Behavior Biological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior-biological-4377435/) [Biological Influences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biological-influences-1123740/) [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Biology Hasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology-hasn-4377437/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Free Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-biology-4377439/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Stating Biological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stating-biological-4377441/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [“The traditional hospital practice of excluding parents ignored the importance of attachment relationships as regulators of the child’s emotions, behaviour and physiology. The child’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/the-traditional-hospital-practice-of-excluding-parents-ignored-the/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [Evolution... is the most powerful and the most comprehensive idea that has ever arisen on Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/evolution-is-the-most-powerful-and-the-most-comprehensive-idea-that/) [Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/) > [I've always been interested in medicine and was pleased when my brother became a doctor. But after thinking seriously about that field, I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-medicine-and-was-pleased-when-my/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [We are coming to a place where the road ends. From here on out, we will be making the road as we walk it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-atlee/we-are-coming-to-a-place-where-the-road-ends-from-here-on-out-we-will/) [Tom Atlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-atlee/) > [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/) [Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/) > [“A note of caution: epigenetics is also on the verge of transforming into a dangerous idea. Epigenetic modifications of genes can potentially superpose historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-note-of-caution-epigenetics-is-also-on-the-verge-of-transforming/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [Biochemists and biologists who adhere blindly to the Darwinism theory search for results that will be in agreement with their theories and consequently orient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-paul-grasse/biochemists-and-biologists-who-adhere-blindly-to-the-darwinism-theory/) [Pierre-Paul Grasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-paul-grasse/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I'm all about evolution. I'm the first person to judge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/i-m-all-about-evolution-i-m-the-first-person-to-judge-myself/) [The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/) > [“Toshiaki learned that all living organisms were governed by their DNA. He was impressed by perfection of this system.Why did existence have the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideaki-sena/toshiaki-learned-that-all-living-organisms-were-governed-by-their-dna/) [Hideaki Sena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideaki-sena/) > [Evolution happens in jumps, very rapidly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/evolution-happens-in-jumps-very-rapidly/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/) [Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/) > [“Genetics is a science full of gods, Mr. Sanchez.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-luiselli/genetics-is-a-science-full-of-gods-mr-sanchez/) [Valeria Luiselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-luiselli/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) ## More by Robert Sapolsky > [I was not especially a writer back in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-was-not-especially-a-writer-back-in-college/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [You don't want to end up telling somebody who's homeless or a refugee that stress is all perceptual, because it sure isn't in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/you-don-t-want-to-end-up-telling-somebody-who-s-homeless-or-a-refugee/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [I think the relationship between social-dominance orientation in people and the extent to which they're made uncomfortable by ambiguity and novelty is really important.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-think-the-relationship-between-social-dominance-orientation-in/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Depression is like the worst disease you can get. It's devastating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/depression-is-like-the-worst-disease-you-can-get-it-s-devastating/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Juvenile justice is probably the area that's most ripe for reform, in the nice liberal sense of the word, simply because there's no getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/juvenile-justice-is-probably-the-area-that-s-most-ripe-for-reform-in/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [When it comes to how neuroscience could help the wider public, the worst thing is when we make advances in, say, mindfulness, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/when-it-comes-to-how-neuroscience-could-help-the-wider-public-the/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [To do good science, you've got to work really, really hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/to-do-good-science-you-ve-got-to-work-really-really-hard/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Literal cleanliness and orderliness can release us from abstract cognitive and affective distress - just consider how, during moments where life seems to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/literal-cleanliness-and-orderliness-can-release-us-from-abstract/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [“Words unconsciously shift thoughts and feelings. One person's 'terrorist' is another's 'freedom fighter'; politicians jockey to commandeer 'family values,' and somehow you can't favor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/words-unconsciously-shift-thoughts-and-feelings-one-person-s/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [I think you get to a time in life where by definition stuff's turning to quicksand and wherever you can get some solid footing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-think-you-get-to-a-time-in-life-where-by-definition-stuff-s-turning/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Being president does seem a lot more stressful than being vice president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/being-president-does-seem-a-lot-more-stressful-than-being-vice/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [If a male primate is mean to a female primate, her whole family will come after him. We don't have that sort of accountability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/if-a-male-primate-is-mean-to-a-female-primate-her-whole-family-will/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [When humans invented material inequality, they came up with a way of subjugating the low-ranking like nothing ever seen before in the primate world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/when-humans-invented-material-inequality-they-came-up-with-a-way-of/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Authoritarians have always been here. But the features of a given moment make that way of thinking more or less appealing. Germany in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/authoritarians-have-always-been-here-but-the-features-of-a-given/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [The key thing about us is that we all belong to multiple tribes. Even if we are predisposed into dividing the world into 'us'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/the-key-thing-about-us-is-that-we-all-belong-to-multiple-tribes-even/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) [Explore all 104 Robert Sapolsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) ## More Behavior quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/) [Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/) > [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) [Burne Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burne-hogarth/) > [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/) [Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) [J. Willard Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-gibbs/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Browse all 4,218 Behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "From spending my decades thinking about behavior and the biological influences on it, I'm convinced by now free will is what we call the biology that hasn't been discovered yet. It's just another way of stating that we're biological organisms determined by the physical laws of the universe.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Sapolsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/from-spending-my-decades-thinking-about-behavior-and-the-biological/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behavior" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/from-spending-my-decades-thinking-about-behavior-and-the-biological/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/robert-sapolsky-5012_behavior_from-spending-my-decades-thinking-about_1317224.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/robert-sapolsky-5012_behavior_from-spending-my-decades-thinking-about_1317224.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/robert-sapolsky-5012_behavior_from-spending-my-decades-thinking-about_1317224.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“From spending my decades thinking about behavior and the biological influences on it, I'm convinced by now…” — Robert 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 Sapolsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "From spending my decades thinking about...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/from-spending-my-decades-thinking-about-behavior-and-the-biological/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/from-spending-my-decades-thinking-about-behavior-and-the-biological/#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 } } ] } ```