---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am, somehow, less interested in the…"
description: "\"I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/stephen-jay-gould-885_brain_i-am-somehow-less-interested-in-the-weig_2657678.jpg"
---

#  I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and…

![“I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.” quote by Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/stephen-jay-gould-885_brain_i-am-somehow-less-interested-in-the-weig_2657678.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/stephen-jay-gould-885_brain_i-am-somehow-less-interested-in-the-weig_2657678.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/stephen-jay-gould-885_brain_i-am-somehow-less-interested-in-the-weig_2657678.jpg)

> “I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.”

[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.

He emphasizes that brilliance appears across all social strata, not just elite circles.

**In simple terms:** Talent exists everywhere.

Key Takeaway

Recognize hidden brilliance.

Themes

equality talent history

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

analytical historical

When to use this quote

- education
- workplace
- policy
- media
- community

Key Concepts

sociology psychology history

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we uncover overlooked talent?
- What biases affect historical recognition?

A Different Perspective

Not all contributions are recorded equally.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sweatshops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweatshops/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/)

## Related quotes

> [Neuroscience is a baby science, a mere century old, and our scientific understanding of the brain is nowhere near where we'd like it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/neuroscience-is-a-baby-science-a-mere-century-old-and-our-scientific/)

[Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/)

> [“Einstein’s brain. Defying expectations that big thoughts required a big brain, Einstein’s brain actually weighed 10 percent less than the average brain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolph-e-tanzi/einstein-s-brain-defying-expectations-that-big-thoughts-required-a/)

[Rudolph E. Tanzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolph-e-tanzi/)

> [I have visited sweatshops, factories, and crowded slums. If I could not see it, I could smell it. The foundation of society is laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/i-have-visited-sweatshops-factories-and-crowded-slums-if-i-could-not/)

[Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/)

> [For every nineteenth-century middle-class family that protected its wife and child within the family circle, there was an Irish ora German girl scrubbing floors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-coontz/for-every-nineteenth-century-middle-class-family-that-protected-its/)

[Stephanie Coontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-coontz/)

> [“I am a citizen of this country,” I declare, “and Mr. Mayor, tonight I will be a citizen of this city when I put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/i-am-a-citizen-of-this-country-i-declare-and-mr-mayor-tonight-i-will/)

[Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/)

> [I'm politically on the left, no question about it. I oppose sweatshops, I oppose exploitation of labour in the third world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-finkelstein/i-m-politically-on-the-left-no-question-about-it-i-oppose-sweatshops/)

[Norman Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-finkelstein/)

> [“To the RKO motion picture camera at her 100th birthday party: “I pray for the day when working men and women are able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/to-the-rko-motion-picture-camera-at-her-100th-birthday-party-i-pray/)

[Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/)

> [“Well, honey, it’s capitalism that brings out the meanness and greed,” says I. “Our founding fathers did a decent job of framing our democracy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/well-honey-it-s-capitalism-that-brings-out-the-meanness-and-greed/)

[Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/)

> [“What the hell’s the matter with you men? Are you cowards as well as stupid? You boys make me sick. I’m done with you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/what-the-hell-s-the-matter-with-you-men-are-you-cowards-as-well-as/)

[Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/)

> [I have an idea for sweatshops: air conditioning! That's simple. 14 year old boys working twelve hour days? "Yeah, but they're comfortable!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-have-an-idea-for-sweatshops-air-conditioning-that-s-simple-14-year/)

[Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/)

> [GLHR... has used Greenpeace-style media antics to draw more public attention to the plight of sweatshop workers than the multimillion - dollar international trade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/glhr-has-used-greenpeace-style-media-antics-to-draw-more-public/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [“Go home now,” says I. “Keep away from the saloons. Save your money. You are going to need it.” “What are we going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/go-home-now-says-i-keep-away-from-the-saloons-save-your-money-you-are/)

[Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/)

> [“That’s got to stop,” says I. “The idea of any blood-thirsty pirate (Mexican President Diaz) sitting on a throne and reaching across the border…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/that-s-got-to-stop-says-i-the-idea-of-any-blood-thirsty-pirate/)

[Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/)

> [Our lack of community is intensely painful. A TV talk show is not community. A couple of hours in a church pew each Sabbath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/our-lack-of-community-is-intensely-painful-a-tv-talk-show-is-not/)

[David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/)

> [Adolescence was invented in the 19th century to enable middle-class families to keep their children out of sweatshops. But it has degenerated into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/adolescence-was-invented-in-the-19th-century-to-enable-middle-class/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

## 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 Brain quotes

> [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/)

[Vilayanur S. Ramachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/)

> [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/)

[Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [down with ought with because with every brain that thinks it thinks nor dares to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/down-with-ought-with-because-with-every-brain-that-thinks-it-thinks/)

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

> [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/)

[Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/)

> [I prefer the word 'musician.' I'm a musician and a composer. I have a problem with the word 'artist.' I don't know if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-prefer-the-word-musician-i-m-a-musician-and-a-composer-i-have-a/)

[Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/)

> [Thinking of sex provides enough mental stimulation to reduce risk of diseases that damage the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thinking-of-sex-provides-enough-mental-stimulation-to-reduce-risk-of/)

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

> [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/)

[Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/)

> [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/)

[Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/)

> [Without illusions. I love you because you are fallible and because your poor misguided testosterone-corrupted brain has you doing cartwheels trying not to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-gerard/without-illusions-i-love-you-because-you-are-fallible-and-because/)

[Cindy Gerard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-gerard/)

> [being asked to decide between your passion for work and your passion for children was like being asked by your doctor whether you preferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-bevington/being-asked-to-decide-between-your-passion-for-work-and-your-passion/)

[Helen Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-bevington/)

> [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/)

[Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/)

> [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/)

[Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/)

> [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/)

[Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/)

> [I am the way I am. If you like me because I'm glamorous, so be it. If you like me, because I speak well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-arora-khan/i-am-the-way-i-am-if-you-like-me-because-i-m-glamorous-so-be-it-if/)

[Malaika Arora Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-arora-khan/)

[Browse all 8,465 Brain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Stephen Jay Gould"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-am-somehow-less-interested-in-the-weight-and-convolutions-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Brain"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-am-somehow-less-interested-in-the-weight-and-convolutions-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/stephen-jay-gould-885_brain_i-am-somehow-less-interested-in-the-weig_2657678.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/stephen-jay-gould-885_brain_i-am-somehow-less-interested-in-the-weig_2657678.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/stephen-jay-gould-885_brain_i-am-somehow-less-interested-in-the-weig_2657678.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty…” — 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": "I am, somehow, less interested in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-am-somehow-less-interested-in-the-weight-and-convolutions-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-am-somehow-less-interested-in-the-weight-and-convolutions-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
