---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some forms of motor neuron disease are…"
description: "\"Some forms of motor neuron disease are genetically linked, but I have no indication that my kind is. No other member of my family has had it. But I wou..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/stephen-hawking-389_abortion_some-forms-of-motor-neuron-disease-are-g_3023474.jpg"
---

#  Some forms of motor neuron disease are genetically linked…

![“Some forms of motor neuron disease are genetically linked, but I have no indication that my kind is. No other member of my family has had it. But I would be in favour of abortion if there was a high risk.” quote by Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/stephen-hawking-389_abortion_some-forms-of-motor-neuron-disease-are-g_3023474.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/stephen-hawking-389_abortion_some-forms-of-motor-neuron-disease-are-g_3023474.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/stephen-hawking-389_abortion_some-forms-of-motor-neuron-disease-are-g_3023474.jpg)

> “Some forms of motor neuron disease are genetically linked, but I have no indication that my kind is. No other member of my family has had it. But I would be in favour of abortion if there was a high risk.”

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He considers abortion if a disease has high genetic risk, despite no family history.

**In simple terms:** Weigh personal risk when deciding on abortion.

Key Takeaway

Consider genetic risk in reproductive choices.

Themes

ethics genetics abortion

Mood

ethical contemplative

Type

philosophical advice

When to use this quote

- family planning
- medical decision making

Key Concepts

bioethics genetic counseling

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance personal values with medical risk?
- What role should genetics play in abortion decisions?

A Different Perspective

Lack of data makes risk assessment uncertain.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Abortion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abortion/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Disease Genetically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease-genetically-4905331/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Favour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favour/) [Forms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forms/) [Genetically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetically/) [Genetically Linked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetically-linked-4905330/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high/) [High risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-risk/) [Indication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indication/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Linked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linked/) [Member](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/member/) [Motor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motor/) [Motor Neuron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motor-neuron-464432/) [Neuron Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neuron-disease-266217/) [Other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/)

## Related quotes

> [Maybe I don't have the most common kind of motor neuron disease, which usually kills in two or three years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/maybe-i-don-t-have-the-most-common-kind-of-motor-neuron-disease-which/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [I don't have much positive to say about motor neuron disease, but it taught me not to pity myself because others were worse off,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-don-t-have-much-positive-to-say-about-motor-neuron-disease-but-it/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [The doctor who diagnosed me with ALS, or motor neuron disease, told me that it would kill me in two or three years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-doctor-who-diagnosed-me-with-als-or-motor-neuron-disease-told-me/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global nuclear war, a genetically engineered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/life-on-earth-is-at-the-ever-increasing-risk-of-being-wiped-out-by-a-2/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [High risk is high adrenaline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-statham/high-risk-is-high-adrenaline/)

[Jason Statham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-statham/)

> [I have been in relatively high-risk businesses all of my adult life. Few of the others, however, had the possibility of direct gains in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-armstrong/i-have-been-in-relatively-high-risk-businesses-all-of-my-adult-life/)

[Neil Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-armstrong/)

> [Studies of immigration show that this resistance to heart disease is not just something in African or Chinese genes. When people move from low-risk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-greger/studies-of-immigration-show-that-this-resistance-to-heart-disease-is/)

[Michael Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-greger/)

> [People who reach certain levels of frailty, more important than getting their mammogram, more important than getting their blood pressure tweaked, they're at high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/people-who-reach-certain-levels-of-frailty-more-important-than/)

[Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/)

> [“Many of the high-return projects are high risk, which is why I suggest you forget the idea of looking at risk at all. Manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-of-the-high-return-projects-are-high-risk-which-is-why-i-suggest/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I have always wondered why more women did not look into owning their own funds. Granted, it is a high stress, high risk business,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-finerman/i-have-always-wondered-why-more-women-did-not-look-into-owning-their/)

[Karen Finerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-finerman/)

> [I think people overestimate the risk of high-risk projects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyan-slat/i-think-people-overestimate-the-risk-of-high-risk-projects/)

[Boyan Slat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyan-slat/)

> [When you take high risks, the rewards are higher. So sometimes I'll gamble just to see what happens. If it doesn't work, I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-braxton/when-you-take-high-risks-the-rewards-are-higher-so-sometimes-i-ll/)

[Toni Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-braxton/)

> [The entrances I make now, when we kick in the door of a high-risk warrant, eighty percent of the homes we're kicking into, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-seagal/the-entrances-i-make-now-when-we-kick-in-the-door-of-a-high-risk/)

[Steven Seagal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-seagal/)

> [Twins are a high-risk pregnancy, by definition. The quieter I am, the longer I can keep them growing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/twins-are-a-high-risk-pregnancy-by-definition-the-quieter-i-am-the/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [“The backcountry signs say stuff like BEYOND THIS POINT IS A HIGH RISK AREA, WHICH HAS MANY HAZARDS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, AVALANCHES,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-hand/the-backcountry-signs-say-stuff-like-beyond-this-point-is-a-high-risk/)

[Cynthia Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-hand/)

## More by Stephen Hawking

> [The doctor who diagnosed me with ALS, or motor neuron disease, told me that it would kill me in two or three years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-doctor-who-diagnosed-me-with-als-or-motor-neuron-disease-told-me/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [We are the product of quantum fluctuations in the very early universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-are-the-product-of-quantum-fluctuations-in-the-very-early-universe/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [The human race does not have a very good record of intelligent behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-does-not-have-a-very-good-record-of-intelligent/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [“We have finally found something that doesn’t have a cause, because there was no time for a cause to exist in. For me this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/we-have-finally-found-something-that-doesn-t-have-a-cause-because/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [ \[On President Bush's plan to get to Mars in 10 years\] Stupid. Robots would do a better job and be much cheaper because you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/on-president-bush-s-plan-to-get-to-mars-in-10-years-stupid-robots/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [I believe the simplest explanation is, there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. This leads me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-believe-the-simplest-explanation-is-there-is-no-god-no-one-created/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [The Paralympic Games is about transforming our perception of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-paralympic-games-is-about-transforming-our-perception-of-the-world/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [The increase of disorder or entropy is what distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-increase-of-disorder-or-entropy-is-what-distinguishes-the-past/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [Most sets of values would give rise to universes that, although they might be very beautiful, would contain no one able to wonder at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/most-sets-of-values-would-give-rise-to-universes-that-although-they/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, and science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/there-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-religion-which-is-based-on/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [“In the eighteenth century, philosophers considered the whole of human knowledge, including science, to be their field and discussed questions such as: Did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/in-the-eighteenth-century-philosophers-considered-the-whole-of-human/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [A model is a good model if first it interprets a wide range of observations in terms of a simple and elegant model, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/a-model-is-a-good-model-if-first-it-interprets-a-wide-range-of/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [“Empedocles noticed that if you cover the neck before you immerse it, a clepsydra does not fill. He reasoned that something invisible must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/empedocles-noticed-that-if-you-cover-the-neck-before-you-immerse-it-a/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [The human race shouldn't have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet. Let's hope we can avoid dropping the basket until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-human-race-shouldn-t-have-all-its-eggs-in-one-basket-or-on-one/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [I hope I have helped to raise the profile of science and to show that physics is not a mystery but can be understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-hope-i-have-helped-to-raise-the-profile-of-science-and-to-show-that/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

[Explore all 601 Stephen Hawking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

## More Abortion quotes

> [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/)

[Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/)

> [Hey everyone, in case y'all didn't hear, I'm pregnat, and after discussing it w/ my family, I've decided to get an abortion, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-badesheim/hey-everyone-in-case-y-all-didn-t-hear-i-m-pregnat-and-after/)

[Madison Badesheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-badesheim/)

> [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/)

[Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/)

> [My favorite Founding Fathers, Christians like John Adams, were absolutely appalled by slavery, and did not own slaves. I think we're going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/my-favorite-founding-fathers-christians-like-john-adams-were/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [“David Bereit, Founder of Forty Days for Life, points out that any abortion clinic in America should have a sign in its window that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-price/david-bereit-founder-of-forty-days-for-life-points-out-that-any/)

[John Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-price/)

> [The Chinese describe themselves as political refugees. Many base that claim on China's strict population laws, which allow them to have only one child.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-chinese-describe-themselves-as-political-refugees-many-base-that/)

[Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/)

> [I'm a pro-life candidate because I believe that science is proving us right every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/i-m-a-pro-life-candidate-because-i-believe-that-science-is-proving-us/)

[Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/)

> [I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion…has been born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-noticed-that-everyone-who-is-for-abortion-has-been-born/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [We talk a lot about how abortion is a medical procedure, but actually if you look at what the other side is doing, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-northup/we-talk-a-lot-about-how-abortion-is-a-medical-procedure-but-actually/)

[Nancy Northup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-northup/)

> [“The Vatican won't prosecute pedophile priests but I decide I'm not ready for motherhood and it's condemnation for me? These are the same people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-renee-taylor/the-vatican-won-t-prosecute-pedophile-priests-but-i-decide-i-m-not/)

[Sonya Renee Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-renee-taylor/)

> [Pro-lifers have long been castigated for bringing private values into the public square. But actually it is the pro-abortion position that is based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/pro-lifers-have-long-been-castigated-for-bringing-private-values-into/)

[Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/)

> [I am 100 percent pro-life and have been my whole life. That means I am opposed to abortion at any stage of pregnancy, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hawley/i-am-100-percent-pro-life-and-have-been-my-whole-life-that-means-i-am/)

[Josh Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hawley/)

> [Any woman should have the right to a safe and legal abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-ford/any-woman-should-have-the-right-to-a-safe-and-legal-abortion/)

[Betty Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-ford/)

> [“For Republicans, life begins at conception but ends at birth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-adam-snyder/for-republicans-life-begins-at-conception-but-ends-at-birth/)

[J.Adam Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-adam-snyder/)

> [I think fundamentally, the real power behind the anti-choice movement in regard to abortion and the opposition to the rights of LGBT Americans is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-w-lynn/i-think-fundamentally-the-real-power-behind-the-anti-choice-movement/)

[Barry W. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-w-lynn/)

[Browse all 1,629 Abortion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abortion/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Some forms of motor neuron disease are genetically linked, but I have no indication that my kind is. No other member of my family has had it. But I would be in favour of abortion if there was a high risk.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Stephen Hawking"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/some-forms-of-motor-neuron-disease-are-genetically-linked-but-i-have/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Abortion"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/some-forms-of-motor-neuron-disease-are-genetically-linked-but-i-have/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/stephen-hawking-389_abortion_some-forms-of-motor-neuron-disease-are-g_3023474.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/stephen-hawking-389_abortion_some-forms-of-motor-neuron-disease-are-g_3023474.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97f/stephen-hawking-389_abortion_some-forms-of-motor-neuron-disease-are-g_3023474.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Some forms of motor neuron disease are genetically linked, but I have no indication that my kind is. No…” — Stephen Hawking",
                "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": "Stephen Hawking",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Some forms of motor neuron disease...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/some-forms-of-motor-neuron-disease-are-genetically-linked-but-i-have/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/some-forms-of-motor-neuron-disease-are-genetically-linked-but-i-have/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
