--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have the strong suspicion that when the…" description: "\"I have the strong suspicion that when the brain's greed system is in operation, those parts of the brain that regulate ethical conduct are de-activated..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/872/semir-zeki-25396_amount_i-have-the-strong-suspicion-that-when-th_1384783.jpg" --- # I have the strong suspicion that when the brain's greed… ![“I have the strong suspicion that when the brain's greed system is in operation, those parts of the brain that regulate ethical conduct are de-activated. Perhaps the greater the amount of money to be made, the greater the deactivation of the system that regulates ethical behaviour.” quote by Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/872/semir-zeki-25396_amount_i-have-the-strong-suspicion-that-when-th_1384783.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/872/semir-zeki-25396_amount_i-have-the-strong-suspicion-that-when-th_1384783.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/872/semir-zeki-25396_amount_i-have-the-strong-suspicion-that-when-th_1384783.jpg) > “I have the strong suspicion that when the brain's greed system is in operation, those parts of the brain that regulate ethical conduct are de-activated. Perhaps the greater the amount of money to be made, the greater the deactivation of the system that regulates ethical behaviour.” [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) ## 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 suggests that when the brain's reward circuitry dominates, it suppresses the regions governing moral behavior, implying that higher financial incentives can diminish ethical regulation. **In simple terms:** Greed can mute moral brain areas. Key Takeaway Recognize and mitigate reward‑driven ethical lapses. Themes ethics neuroscience greed morality reward system Mood concerned analytical thoughtful Type scientific practical inspirational When to use this quote - financial decision‑making - corporate governance - personal spending - policy design Key Concepts cognitive control dopamine pathways moral psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can we design incentives that preserve ethics? - What safeguards counteract greed‑induced moral suppression? A Different Perspective Ethical behavior also depends on cultural and institutional factors beyond brain chemistry. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amount/) [Behaviour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behaviour/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Brain Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain-greed-4808472/) [Brain Regulate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain-regulate-4808474/) [Ethical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethical/) [Ethical Behaviour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethical-behaviour-543978/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed/) [Greed Operation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed-operation-4808473/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Operations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/operations/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Suspicion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suspicion/) ## Related quotes > [I think that ethical behaviour is another feature of the kind of inner discipline that leads to a happier existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/i-think-that-ethical-behaviour-is-another-feature-of-the-kind-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [A man's ethical behaviour should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. 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The truth is...only you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/do-you-keep-pace-with-those-around-you-or-do-you-decide-yourself-just/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More by Semir Zeki > [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/) > [Artists erase reality to a greater or lesser extent, and substitute their own reality - created by their brains, instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/artists-erase-reality-to-a-greater-or-lesser-extent-and-substitute/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Any artistic achievement that is tailored to conform to social demands rather than to the real, uninhibited, feelings of its creator, is destined not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/any-artistic-achievement-that-is-tailored-to-conform-to-social/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [The Japanese, if I understand them, are masters of the unsaid and the unstated, of subtlety and ambiguity, all of which constitute powerful stimulants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/the-japanese-if-i-understand-them-are-masters-of-the-unsaid-and-the/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [The reaction was immediate. 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