--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When most people had to hunt, a minor…" description: "\"“When most people had to hunt, a minor genetic variation in your ability to focus attention was hardly a problem, and may even have been an advantage [..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_when-most-people-had-to-hunt-a-minor-gen_2097356.png" --- # When most people had to hunt, a minor genetic variation in… ![“When most people had to hunt, a minor genetic variation in your ability to focus attention was hardly a problem, and may even have been an advantage [enabling a hunter to maintain his focus on multiple and simultaneous targets, for instance]. When most people have to make it through high school…” quote by Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_when-most-people-had-to-hunt-a-minor-gen_2097356.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_when-most-people-had-to-hunt-a-minor-gen_2097356.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_when-most-people-had-to-hunt-a-minor-gen_2097356.png) > ““When most people had to hunt, a minor genetic variation in your ability to focus attention was hardly a problem, and may even have been an advantage \[enabling a hunter to maintain his focus on multiple and simultaneous targets, for instance\]. When most people have to make it through high school, the same variation can become a life-altering disease.”” [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A genetic trait that once helped hunters focus on many targets now hampers modern students facing complex, prolonged tasks. **In simple terms:** Old advantage becomes modern disadvantage. Key Takeaway Adapt focus strategies to current demands. Themes evolution attention education mental health Mood reflective concerned Type analytical insightful When to use this quote - schoolwork - career training - multitasking - study habits Key Concepts neurodiversity cognitive load adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How can we redesign learning to suit diverse attentional profiles? - What supports help mitigate this mismatch? A Different Perspective Not all traits are universally beneficial; environment shapes impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) ## Related quotes > [When nobody read, dyslexia wasn't a problem. When most people had to hunt, a minor genetic variation in your ability to focus attention was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/when-nobody-read-dyslexia-wasn-t-a-problem-when-most-people-had-to/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Evolution by natural selection is not an idle hypothesis. The genetic variation on which selection acts is well understood in principle all the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/evolution-by-natural-selection-is-not-an-idle-hypothesis-the-genetic/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Virgo's biggest strength: Ability to focus their attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/virgo-s-biggest-strength-ability-to-focus-their-attention/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is the ability to focus our attention on self-motivating thoughts, rather than being mesmerised by negatives, which rests at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-baylis/it-is-the-ability-to-focus-our-attention-on-self-motivating-thoughts/) [Nick Baylis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-baylis/) > [The ability to focus attention on important things is a defining characteristic of intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/the-ability-to-focus-attention-on-important-things-is-a-defining/) [Robert J. Shiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-shiller/) > [“The mark of a person who is in control of consciousness is the ability to focus attention at will, to be oblivious to distractions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/the-mark-of-a-person-who-is-in-control-of-consciousness-is-the/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [I really do believe that the bottom line that creates transformation in the individual is the ability to focus your attention in an ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-bender-birch/i-really-do-believe-that-the-bottom-line-that-creates-transformation/) [Beryl Bender Birch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-bender-birch/) > [“this ability to focus one’s attention was fundamental.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/this-ability-to-focus-one-s-attention-was-fundamental/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [“By the end of this decade, permutations and combinations of genetic variants will be used to predict variations in human phenotype, illness, and destiny.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/by-the-end-of-this-decade-permutations-and-combinations-of-genetic/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“worms age, or even how birds learn songs—and you will end up, in fewer than six genetic steps, connecting with a proto-oncogene or tumor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/worms-age-or-even-how-birds-learn-songs-and-you-will-end-up-in-fewer/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [In the laboratory, we call this the six-degrees-of-separation-from-cancer rule: you can ask any biological question, no matter how seemingly distant-what makes the heart fail,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/in-the-laboratory-we-call-this-the-six-degrees-of-separation-from/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“The first result of this randomized trial was predictable from prior studies: in the control group, children with the short variant-i.e., the "high risk"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/the-first-result-of-this-randomized-trial-was-predictable-from-prior/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [All top salespeople have a highly evolved will all top leaders have a highly evolved will you see it's the will that gives us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/all-top-salespeople-have-a-highly-evolved-will-all-top-leaders-have-a/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“I’m not very good at multi-tasking. My therapist says I have an over-developed ability to focus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-easton/i-m-not-very-good-at-multi-tasking-my-therapist-says-i-have-an-over/) [Eli Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-easton/) > [“Jobs's intensity was also evident in his ability to focus. He would set priorities, aim his laser attention on them, and filter out distractions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/jobs-s-intensity-was-also-evident-in-his-ability-to-focus-he-would/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) ## More by Siddhartha Mukherjee > [Most days, I go home and I feel rejuvenated. I feel ebullient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/most-days-i-go-home-and-i-feel-rejuvenated-i-feel-ebullient/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“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/) > [When you immerse yourself in medicine you realise that hope is not absolute. It's not that simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/when-you-immerse-yourself-in-medicine-you-realise-that-hope-is-not/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“I had a novice's hunger for history, but also a novice's inability to envision it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/i-had-a-novice-s-hunger-for-history-but-also-a-novice-s-inability-to/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Any extrapolation of history into the future presupposes an environment of static discovery—an oxymoron.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/any-extrapolation-of-history-into-the-future-presupposes-an/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Six decades and two years, no more than a passing glance of time, separate Mendel's initial experiments on peas and the court-mandated sterilization of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/six-decades-and-two-years-no-more-than-a-passing-glance-of-time/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“We now know that cells have ancient detectors that recognize viral genes and stamp them with chemical marks, like cancellation signs, to prevent their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/we-now-know-that-cells-have-ancient-detectors-that-recognize-viral/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Familial schizophrenia (like normal human features such as intelligence and temperament) is thus highly heritable but only moderately inheritable. In other words, genes-hereditary determinants-are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/familial-schizophrenia-like-normal-human-features-such-as/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“If you prefer an “academic life” as a retreat from reality, do not go into biology. This field is for a man or woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/if-you-prefer-an-academic-life-as-a-retreat-from-reality-do-not-go/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“But the pigs--seventy pounds of porcine weight that did not take kindly to weekly endoscopies--did not sprout any ulcers. And testing the theory on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/but-the-pigs-seventy-pounds-of-porcine-weight-that-did-not-take/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“One of the four genes used by Yamanaka to reverse cellular fate is called c-myc. Myc, the rejuvenating factor, is no ordinary gene: it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/one-of-the-four-genes-used-by-yamanaka-to-reverse-cellular-fate-is/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [A breast cancer might turn out to have a close resemblance to a gastric cancer. And this kind of reorganization of cancer in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-breast-cancer-might-turn-out-to-have-a-close-resemblance-to-a/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“But in 1960, oncology was not yet ready for this proposal. Not until several years later did it strike the board that had fired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/but-in-1960-oncology-was-not-yet-ready-for-this-proposal-not-until/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Mutants are necessary to maintain the essence of our selves. Our genomes has negotiated a fragile balance between counterpoised forces, pairing strand with opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/mutants-are-necessary-to-maintain-the-essence-of-our-selves-our/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Even an ancient monster needs a name. To name an illness is to describe a certain condition of suffering—a literary act before it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/even-an-ancient-monster-needs-a-name-to-name-an-illness-is-to/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) [Explore all 213 Siddhartha Mukherjee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) ## More Genetic quotes > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Although self-control is inheritable and does run in families and has a genetic component, it's more like height than anything else. Height is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrie-moffitt/although-self-control-is-inheritable-and-does-run-in-families-and-has/) Terrie Moffitt > [I was in Vietnam, and I was exposed to Agent Orange. And there's a high relationship between people that were exposed to Agent Orange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/i-was-in-vietnam-and-i-was-exposed-to-agent-orange-and-there-s-a-high/) [Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/) > [I've never argued that humans are massively hot-wired. What I was trying to point out was that you can't understand how we learn unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-ve-never-argued-that-humans-are-massively-hot-wired-what-i-was/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [An important finding is that by determining the genome sequences of an entire family, one can identify many DNA sequencing errors and thus greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/an-important-finding-is-that-by-determining-the-genome-sequences-of/) [Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/) > [You know, there's a tremendous amount of genetic propensity not necessarily for what TV shows you like but for literally how you view the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayim-bialik/you-know-there-s-a-tremendous-amount-of-genetic-propensity-not/) [Mayim Bialik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayim-bialik/) > [I never believed I'd have a six-pack, especially not at 35 years old. I always thought it was a genetic blessing. It's not. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sullivan-stapleton/i-never-believed-i-d-have-a-six-pack-especially-not-at-35-years-old-i/) [Sullivan Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sullivan-stapleton/) > [The position of Autism Speaks has been for quite awhile that we need to find out what's happening. We know there's a genetic component,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-emken/the-position-of-autism-speaks-has-been-for-quite-awhile-that-we-need/) [Elizabeth Emken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-emken/) > [Soon it will be a sin for parents to have a child that carries the heavy burden of genetic disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-edwards/soon-it-will-be-a-sin-for-parents-to-have-a-child-that-carries-the/) [Bob Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-edwards/) > [Genetic engineering is a result of science advancement, so I don't think that in itself is bad. If used wisely, genetics can be beneficial,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideo-kojima/genetic-engineering-is-a-result-of-science-advancement-so-i-don-t/) [Hideo Kojima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideo-kojima/) > [Is there something in my genetic makeup that makes me more at risk for heart disease? I believe there is. My father was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corbin-bernsen/is-there-something-in-my-genetic-makeup-that-makes-me-more-at-risk/) [Corbin Bernsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corbin-bernsen/) > [We are intelligent atoms. We are intelligent organic structures. We can change who we are. We can heal ourselves. With genetic engineering, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/we-are-intelligent-atoms-we-are-intelligent-organic-structures-we-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [According to leading researchers, however, only about 10 to 15 percent of cancers are genetic in origin; the rest are caused by a combination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharma-singh-khalsa/according-to-leading-researchers-however-only-about-10-to-15-percent/) Dharma Singh Khalsa > [If we didn't have genetic mutations, we wouldn't have us. You need error to open the door to the adjacent possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/if-we-didn-t-have-genetic-mutations-we-wouldn-t-have-us-you-need/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [I am an Ashkenazi Jew, and there are a whole host of genetic disorders that only Ashkenazi Jews have. I don't know if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-am-an-ashkenazi-jew-and-there-are-a-whole-host-of-genetic-disorders/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) Browse all 278 Genetic quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When most people had to hunt, a minor genetic variation in your ability to focus attention was hardly a problem, and may even have been an advantage [enabling a hunter to maintain his focus on multiple and simultaneous targets, for instance]. When most people have to make it through high school, the same variation can become a life-altering disease.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Siddhartha Mukherjee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/when-most-people-had-to-hunt-a-minor-genetic-variation-in-your/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Genetic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/when-most-people-had-to-hunt-a-minor-genetic-variation-in-your/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_when-most-people-had-to-hunt-a-minor-gen_2097356.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_when-most-people-had-to-hunt-a-minor-gen_2097356.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74d/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_when-most-people-had-to-hunt-a-minor-gen_2097356.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When most people had to hunt, a minor genetic variation in your ability to focus attention was hardly a…” — Siddhartha Mukherjee", "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": "Siddhartha Mukherjee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When most people had to hunt,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/when-most-people-had-to-hunt-a-minor-genetic-variation-in-your/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/when-most-people-had-to-hunt-a-minor-genetic-variation-in-your/#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 } } ] } ```