--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The student of biology is often struck…" description: "\"The student of biology is often struck with the feeling that historians, when dealing with the rise and fall of nations, do not generally view the phen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/ronald-ross-34752_biology_the-student-of-biology-is-often-struck-w_158326.png" --- # The student of biology is often struck with the feeling… ![“The student of biology is often struck with the feeling that historians, when dealing with the rise and fall of nations, do not generally view the phenomena from a sufficiently high biological standpoint. To me, at least, they seem to attach too much importance to individual rulers and soldiers…” quote by Ronald Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/ronald-ross-34752_biology_the-student-of-biology-is-often-struck-w_158326.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/ronald-ross-34752_biology_the-student-of-biology-is-often-struck-w_158326.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/ronald-ross-34752_biology_the-student-of-biology-is-often-struck-w_158326.png) > “The student of biology is often struck with the feeling that historians, when dealing with the rise and fall of nations, do not generally view the phenomena from a sufficiently high biological standpoint. To me, at least, they seem to attach too much importance to individual rulers and soldiers, and to particular wars, policies, religions, and customs; while at the same time they make little attempt to extract the fundamental causes of national success or failure.” [Ronald Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-ross/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. History should be examined through biological lenses, focusing on collective traits over individual actors to uncover roots causes of national outcomes. **In simple terms:** Look at nations like organisms, not just leaders or events. Key Takeaway Study group dynamics for deeper insight. Themes history biology national development systems thinking Mood analytical inquisitive Type theoretical critical When to use this quote - policy analysis - educational curricula - strategic planning - international relations Key Concepts collective behavior evolutionary theory macro‑analysis Questions to Reflect On - How do biological factors interact with cultural narratives? - Can we quantify collective traits? A Different Perspective Biology alone cannot explain cultural nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Customs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customs/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Historians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historians/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Rise and fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rise-and-fall/) [Rulers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rulers/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Soldier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldier/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Success or failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-or-failure/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [From the biological standpoint, people deprived of the human moment in their day-to-day business dealings, actually in all domains of their lives, are losing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/from-the-biological-standpoint-people-deprived-of-the-human-moment-in/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [“The rise or fall, success or failure of your dreams is largely dependent on the association you build yourself around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/the-rise-or-fall-success-or-failure-of-your-dreams-is-largely/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [The success or failure of a life, as far as posterity goes, seems to lie in the more or less luck of seizing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-james/the-success-or-failure-of-a-life-as-far-as-posterity-goes-seems-to/) [Alice James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-james/) > [“Don't care about success or failure. 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It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Consider the core of the mind to be a wagon, with will-power to be carried about in it. 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Art the Integral Calculus; they may be beautiful when apart, but are greatest only when combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-ross/science-is-the-differential-calculus-of-the-mind-art-the-integral/) [Ronald Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-ross/) > [Lately, however, on abandoning the brindled and grey mosquitos and commencing similar work on a new, brown species, of which I have as yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-ross/lately-however-on-abandoning-the-brindled-and-grey-mosquitos-and/) [Ronald Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-ross/) > [Wall Street's favorite scam is pretending that luck is skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-ross/wall-street-s-favorite-scam-is-pretending-that-luck-is-skill/) [Ronald Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-ross/) > [The work ... was ... so blinding that I could scarcely see afterwards, and the difficulty was increased by the fact that my microscope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-ross/the-work-was-so-blinding-that-i-could-scarcely-see-afterwards-and-the/) [Ronald Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-ross/) [Explore all 14 Ronald Ross quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-ross/) ## More Biology quotes > [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/) > [“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/) > [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. 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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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [Natural history is not taught in seminary. 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