--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Look in the mirror, and don't be tempted…" description: "\"Look in the mirror, and don't be tempted to equate transient domination with either intrinsic superiority or prospects for extended survival.\" — Stephe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/stephen-jay-gould-885_domination_look-in-the-mirror-and-don-t-be-tempted_2157991.png" --- # Look in the mirror, and don't be tempted to equate… ![“Look in the mirror, and don't be tempted to equate transient domination with either intrinsic superiority or prospects for extended survival.” quote by Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/stephen-jay-gould-885_domination_look-in-the-mirror-and-don-t-be-tempted_2157991.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/stephen-jay-gould-885_domination_look-in-the-mirror-and-don-t-be-tempted_2157991.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/stephen-jay-gould-885_domination_look-in-the-mirror-and-don-t-be-tempted_2157991.png) > “Look in the mirror, and don't be tempted to equate transient domination with either intrinsic superiority or prospects for extended survival.” [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. Do not mistake temporary dominance for lasting superiority or survival advantage. **In simple terms:** Transient power isn’t lasting superiority. Key Takeaway Focus on lasting value over fleeting power. Themes power transience survival humility Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - business leadership - political campaigns - personal ambition Key Concepts ephemeral dominance intrinsic worth evolutionary perspective Questions to Reflect On - What truly defines lasting success? - How can you assess intrinsic worth beyond dominance? A Different Perspective Equating short-term success with long-term merit can mislead decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Domination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domination/) [Domination Intrinsic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domination-intrinsic-4566337/) [Intrinsic Superiority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intrinsic-superiority-4566334/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Prospects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prospects/) [Superiority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superiority/) [Superiority Prospects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superiority-prospects-4566336/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Tempted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tempted/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Transient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transient/) [Transient Domination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transient-domination-4566335/) ## Related quotes > [True majorities, in a TV-dominated and anti-intellectual age, may need sound bites and flashing lights and I am not against supplying such lures if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/true-majorities-in-a-tv-dominated-and-anti-intellectual-age-may-need/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Speciation does not necessarily promote evolutionary change; rather, speciation 'gathers in' and guards evolutionary change by locking and stabilization for sufficient geological time within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/speciation-does-not-necessarily-promote-evolutionary-change-rather/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [You are mistaken, my friend, if you think that a man who is worth anything ought to spend his time weighing up the prospects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/you-are-mistaken-my-friend-if-you-think-that-a-man-who-is-worth/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Ahead now, I think you'll see the big nations shrink back into their own corners of the world. 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Take pride in that, stop hawking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murray/you-help-people-you-are-an-expert-in-your-field-who-genuinely-helps/) [Chris Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murray/) > [“Love your enemies, they are prospects.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/love-your-enemies-they-are-prospects/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Survival prospects are poor for an animal that is not suspicious of novelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/survival-prospects-are-poor-for-an-animal-that-is-not-suspicious-of/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [I've always been hopeful about Scotland's prospects. And I now believe more than ever that Scotland is within touching distance of achieving independence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-connery/i-ve-always-been-hopeful-about-scotland-s-prospects-and-i-now-believe/) [Sean Connery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-connery/) > [One argument goes that recessions are good for female artists because when money flies out the window, women are allowed in the house. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/one-argument-goes-that-recessions-are-good-for-female-artists-because/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) ## 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. 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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 Domination quotes > [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. This Dark Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-dark-ages-still-reign-over-all-humanity-and-the-depth-and/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [Whoever says State necessarily says domination, and, consequently, slavery; a State without slavery, open or concealed, is inconceivable: that is why we are enemies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/whoever-says-state-necessarily-says-domination-and-consequently/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [“World domination is just my side gig.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanjlisa-marie/world-domination-is-just-my-side-gig/) [Tanjlisa Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanjlisa-marie/) > [Suppose Vietnam could separate itself from the American dominated global system and carry out a successful social and economic development. Then that is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/suppose-vietnam-could-separate-itself-from-the-american-dominated/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/southerners-whose-ancestors-a-hundred-years-ago-knew-the-horrors-of-a/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [I refer to the misunderstanding of Soviet Russia as an aggressive power, militaristically and ideologically bent upon world domination 'seeing', to quote a recent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch-powell/i-refer-to-the-misunderstanding-of-soviet-russia-as-an-aggressive/) [Enoch Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-powell/) > [“As she observed, “the first essential step on the road to total domination is to kill the juridical person in man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/as-she-observed-the-first-essential-step-on-the-road-to-total/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [The day came. The wrath descended. Sin, guilt, and retribution? The manic psychoses of those entities we referred to as states, institutions, systems -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-day-came-the-wrath-descended-sin-guilt-and-retribution-the-manic/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“…the excitement of doing something for the first time had passed. I laid there in the back seat looking at the moon. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hinton/the-excitement-of-doing-something-for-the-first-time-had-passed-i/) [Karen Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hinton/) > [“People are always busy in trying to manipulate and dominate others!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-aziz/people-are-always-busy-in-trying-to-manipulate-and-dominate-others/) [Salman Aziz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-aziz/) > [“World domination by 2020!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-garcia/world-domination-by-2020/) [S.A. Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-a-garcia/) > [The New World Order is a more palatable name for the Anglo American world empire. It's the planetary domination of London, New York, Washington…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-jones/the-new-world-order-is-a-more-palatable-name-for-the-anglo-american/) [Alex Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-jones/) > [“Manipulation. Domination. Control. These are the three watchwords of violent serial offenders.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/manipulation-domination-control-these-are-the-three-watchwords-of/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [The 1898 annexation of the Hawaiian Islands merely formally recognized what had long been American domination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-macmillan/the-1898-annexation-of-the-hawaiian-islands-merely-formally/) [Margaret MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-macmillan/) > [Each time we arrive at a new level in extricating ourselves from economic, social, spiritual domination, we have a moment when we dance in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-belafonte/each-time-we-arrive-at-a-new-level-in-extricating-ourselves-from/) [Harry Belafonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-belafonte/) [Browse all 506 Domination quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domination/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Look in the mirror, and don't be tempted to equate transient domination with either intrinsic superiority or prospects for extended survival.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Jay Gould" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/look-in-the-mirror-and-don-t-be-tempted-to-equate-transient/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Domination" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/look-in-the-mirror-and-don-t-be-tempted-to-equate-transient/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/stephen-jay-gould-885_domination_look-in-the-mirror-and-don-t-be-tempted_2157991.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/stephen-jay-gould-885_domination_look-in-the-mirror-and-don-t-be-tempted_2157991.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/stephen-jay-gould-885_domination_look-in-the-mirror-and-don-t-be-tempted_2157991.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Look in the mirror, and don't be tempted to equate transient domination with either intrinsic superiority or…” — 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": "Look in the mirror, and don't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/look-in-the-mirror-and-don-t-be-tempted-to-equate-transient/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/look-in-the-mirror-and-don-t-be-tempted-to-equate-transient/#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 } } ] } ```