--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Contrary to current cynicism about past…" description: "\"Contrary to current cynicism about past golden ages, the abstraction known as 'the intelligent layperson' does exist - in the form of millions of folks..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/107/stephen-jay-gould-885_abstraction_contrary-to-current-cynicism-about-past_967472.png" --- # Contrary to current cynicism about past golden ages, the… ![“Contrary to current cynicism about past golden ages, the abstraction known as 'the intelligent layperson' does exist - in the form of millions of folks with a passionate commitment to continuous learning.” quote by Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/107/stephen-jay-gould-885_abstraction_contrary-to-current-cynicism-about-past_967472.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/107/stephen-jay-gould-885_abstraction_contrary-to-current-cynicism-about-past_967472.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/107/stephen-jay-gould-885_abstraction_contrary-to-current-cynicism-about-past_967472.png) > “Contrary to current cynicism about past golden ages, the abstraction known as 'the intelligent layperson' does exist - in the form of millions of folks with a passionate commitment to continuous learning.” [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The so‑called “intelligent layperson” exists, driven by curiosity and lifelong learning. **In simple terms:** Many non‑experts are eager learners. Key Takeaway Support and value public curiosity. Themes education curiosity democracy Mood optimistic inspirational Type educational motivational When to use this quote - classroom teaching - online courses - community workshops Key Concepts science communication public engagement Questions to Reflect On - How can we broaden access to learning? - What role does curiosity play in society? A Different Perspective Not all laypeople have access to resources or time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstraction/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Commitment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/) [Continuous learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continuous-learning/) [Contrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrary/) [Currents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/currents/) [Cynicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folks/) [Folks Passionate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folks-passionate-1834164/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golden/) [Golden age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golden-age/) [Intelligent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligent/) [Intelligent Layperson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligent-layperson-1834161/) [Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known/) [Known Intelligent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known-intelligent-1834163/) [Layperson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/layperson-1168502/) [Layperson Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/layperson-does-1834162/) [Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millions/) [Passionate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passionate/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a layperson. I barely got out of high school. I have no business telling people what to do or my big philosophy on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/i-m-a-layperson-i-barely-got-out-of-high-school-i-have-no-business/) [Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/) > [“Teaching the layperson (divulgare) is not distorting (tergiversare) the subject, but educating the public; and it is our duty as scientists to educate without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-alba-juez/teaching-the-layperson-divulgare-is-not-distorting-tergiversare-the/) [Felix Alba-Juez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-alba-juez/) > [I am not a doctor or a scientist, but merely a passionate layperson, a filter, a messenger. I spoke with so many patients who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-somers/i-am-not-a-doctor-or-a-scientist-but-merely-a-passionate-layperson-a/) [Suzanne Somers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-somers/) > [Laypeople are a kind of nuclear energy in the Church on a spiritual level. A layperson caught up with the gospel and living next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raniero-cantalamessa/laypeople-are-a-kind-of-nuclear-energy-in-the-church-on-a-spiritual/) [Raniero Cantalamessa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raniero-cantalamessa/) > [Admission of ignorance is often the first step in our education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/admission-of-ignorance-is-often-the-first-step-in-our-education/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The new normal is continuous learning, and we look for people who demonstrate lots of different interests and really demonstrate curiosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-sweet/the-new-normal-is-continuous-learning-and-we-look-for-people-who/) [Julie Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-sweet/) > [“Leadership needs continuous learning from experience. Every time you learn something new, you re-wire your brain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-ray/leadership-needs-continuous-learning-from-experience-every-time-you/) [Amit Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-ray/) > [Innovation accelerates and compounds. Each point in front of you is bigger than anything that ever happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andreessen/innovation-accelerates-and-compounds-each-point-in-front-of-you-is/) [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) > [“The “artificial gap” between business and IT can be bridged via effective leadership, profound understanding, continuous learning, and improvement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/the-artificial-gap-between-business-and-it-can-be-bridged-via/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [It is one thing to make a mistake, and quite another thing not to admit it. People will forgive mistakes, because mistakes are usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/it-is-one-thing-to-make-a-mistake-and-quite-another-thing-not-to/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [No one who is commitment to continuous learning is ever a victim of change but a beneficiary of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ore-abayomi/no-one-who-is-commitment-to-continuous-learning-is-ever-a-victim-of/) [Ore Abayomi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ore-abayomi/) > [Anyone who stops learning is old — whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/anyone-who-stops-learning-is-old-whether-this-happens-at-twenty-or-at/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [“More important than the actual improvements that individuals contribute, the true value of continuous improvement is in creating an atmosphere of continuous learning and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-k-liker/more-important-than-the-actual-improvements-that-individuals/) [Jeffrey K. Liker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-k-liker/) > [We've reached the end of incrementalism. Only those companies that are capable of creating industry revolutions will prosper in the new economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/we-ve-reached-the-end-of-incrementalism-only-those-companies-that-are/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [Life is a continuous learning process where mistakes are the terror teathers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-a-continuous-learning-process-where-mistakes-are-the-terror/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Stephen Jay Gould > [I strongly reject any conceptual scheme that places our options on a line, and holds that the only alternative to a pair of extreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-strongly-reject-any-conceptual-scheme-that-places-our-options-on-a/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [History employs evolution to structure biological events in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/history-employs-evolution-to-structure-biological-events-in-time/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [In his anti-Darwinian book... (and eponymously named The Neck of the Giraffe ), Francis Hitching tells the story... "The need to survive by reaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/in-his-anti-darwinian-book-and-eponymously-named-the-neck-of-the/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [... many folks take them seriously because they just 'know' that evolution can never be seen in the immediate here and now. In fact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/many-folks-take-them-seriously-because-they-just-know-that-evolution/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Charles Darwin viewed the fossil record more as an embarrassment than as an aid to his theory ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/charles-darwin-viewed-the-fossil-record-more-as-an-embarrassment-than/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Zoocentrism is the primary fallacy of human sociobiology, for this view of human behavior rests on the argument that if the actions of "lower"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/zoocentrism-is-the-primary-fallacy-of-human-sociobiology-for-this/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The world, unfortunately, rarely matches our hopes and consistently refuses to behave in a reasonable manner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-world-unfortunately-rarely-matches-our-hopes-and-consistently/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The true beauty of nature is her amplitude; she exists neither for nor because of us, and possesses a staying power that all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-true-beauty-of-nature-is-her-amplitude-she-exists-neither-for-nor/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [With copious evidence ranging from Plato's haughtiness to Beethoven's tirades, we may conclude that the most brilliant people of history tend to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/with-copious-evidence-ranging-from-plato-s-haughtiness-to-beethoven-s/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [When scientists need to explain difficult points of theory, illustration by hypothetical example - rather than by total abstraction - works well (perhaps indispensably)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/when-scientists-need-to-explain-difficult-points-of-theory/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The truly awesome intellectuals in our history have not merely made discoveries; they have woven variegated, but firm, tapestries of comprehensive coverage. The tapestries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-truly-awesome-intellectuals-in-our-history-have-not-merely-made/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I believe that we can still have a genre of scientific books suitable for and accessible alike to professionals and interested laypeople. The concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-believe-that-we-can-still-have-a-genre-of-scientific-books-suitable/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Science simply cannot adjudicate the issue of God's possible superintendence of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/science-simply-cannot-adjudicate-the-issue-of-god-s-possible/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [But if we laugh with derision, we will never understand. Human intellectual capacity has not altered for thousands of years so far as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/but-if-we-laugh-with-derision-we-will-never-understand-human/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [We debase the richness of both nature and our own minds if we view the great pageant of our intellectual history as a compendium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/we-debase-the-richness-of-both-nature-and-our-own-minds-if-we-view/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) [Explore all 341 Stephen Jay Gould quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) ## More Abstraction quotes > [Everything in dancing is style, allusion, the essence of many thoughts and feelings. The abstraction of many moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/everything-in-dancing-is-style-allusion-the-essence-of-many-thoughts/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [The premises from which we begin are not arbitrary ones, not dogmas, but real premises from which abstraction can only be made in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-premises-from-which-we-begin-are-not-arbitrary-ones-not-dogmas/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Two elements are needed to form a truth - a fact and an abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/remy-de-gourmont/two-elements-are-needed-to-form-a-truth-a-fact-and-an-abstraction/) [Remy de Gourmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/remy-de-gourmont/) > [But we must not underestimate the potency of the mathematical process of abstraction. A surprising variety of things happen to have both magnitude and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banesh-hoffmann/but-we-must-not-underestimate-the-potency-of-the-mathematical-process/) [Banesh Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banesh-hoffmann/) > [Sometimes I start in a very realistic fashion, and as I go on from one painting to another of the same kind, it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/sometimes-i-start-in-a-very-realistic-fashion-and-as-i-go-on-from-one/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [I like residing in abstraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-like-residing-in-abstraction/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Cancer begins and ends with people. In the midst of scientific abstraction, it is sometimes possible to forget this one basic fact. Doctors treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-goodfield/cancer-begins-and-ends-with-people-in-the-midst-of-scientific/) [June Goodfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-goodfield/) > [Yes, there was an element of abstraction and unreality in misfortune. But when an abstraction starts to kill you, you have to get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/yes-there-was-an-element-of-abstraction-and-unreality-in-misfortune/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Computer Science is a science of abstraction -creating the right model for a problem and devising the appropriate mechanizable techniques to solve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-aho/computer-science-is-a-science-of-abstraction-creating-the-right-model/) [Alfred Aho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-aho/) > [In 'Self Comes to Mind' I pay a lot of attention to simple creatures without brains or minds, because those 'cartooned abstractions of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-damasio/in-self-comes-to-mind-i-pay-a-lot-of-attention-to-simple-creatures/) [Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-damasio/) > [Don't get stuck on the level of words. A word is no more than a means to an end. 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People look to escape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/holidays-are-in-no-sense-an-alternative-to-the-congestion-and-bustle/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [The pragmatist turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal solutions, from bad a priori reasons, from fixed principles, closed systems, and pretended absolutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-pragmatist-turns-away-from-abstraction-and-insufficiency-from/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [ I'd say that \[Louis\] Brandeis practiced a kind of a "living originalism," to use the title of Jack Balkin's great book. He said you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-rosen/i-d-say-that-louis-brandeis-practiced-a-kind-of-a-living-originalism/) [Jeffrey Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-rosen/) > [When novels deal in abstractions, they generally go off the rails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/when-novels-deal-in-abstractions-they-generally-go-off-the-rails/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) [Browse all 562 Abstraction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstraction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Contrary to current cynicism about past golden ages, the abstraction known as 'the intelligent layperson' does exist - in the form of millions of folks with a passionate commitment to continuous learning.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Jay Gould" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/contrary-to-current-cynicism-about-past-golden-ages-the-abstraction/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abstraction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/contrary-to-current-cynicism-about-past-golden-ages-the-abstraction/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/107/stephen-jay-gould-885_abstraction_contrary-to-current-cynicism-about-past_967472.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/107/stephen-jay-gould-885_abstraction_contrary-to-current-cynicism-about-past_967472.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/107/stephen-jay-gould-885_abstraction_contrary-to-current-cynicism-about-past_967472.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Contrary to current cynicism about past golden ages, the abstraction known as 'the intelligent layperson'…” — Stephen Jay Gould", "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 Jay Gould", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Contrary to current cynicism about past...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/contrary-to-current-cynicism-about-past-golden-ages-the-abstraction/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/contrary-to-current-cynicism-about-past-golden-ages-the-abstraction/#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 } } ] } ```