--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Evolutionary psychologists seem to want…" description: "\"Evolutionary psychologists seem to want to unmask our noblest motives as ultimately self-interested - to show that our love for children, compassion fo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/steven-pinker-526_children_evolutionary-psychologists-seem-to-want_1645878.jpg" --- # Evolutionary psychologists seem to want to unmask our… ![“Evolutionary psychologists seem to want to unmask our noblest motives as ultimately self-interested - to show that our love for children, compassion for the unfortunate and sense of justice are just tactics in a Darwinian struggle to perpetuate our genes.” quote by Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/steven-pinker-526_children_evolutionary-psychologists-seem-to-want_1645878.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/steven-pinker-526_children_evolutionary-psychologists-seem-to-want_1645878.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/steven-pinker-526_children_evolutionary-psychologists-seem-to-want_1645878.jpg) > “Evolutionary psychologists seem to want to unmask our noblest motives as ultimately self-interested - to show that our love for children, compassion for the unfortunate and sense of justice are just tactics in a Darwinian struggle to perpetuate our genes.” [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evolutionary psychology argues that seemingly altruistic motives may ultimately serve gene propagation. **In simple terms:** Altruism may be selfish at root. Key Takeaway Question motives behind kindness. Themes evolution psychology human nature self-interest morality Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - policy making - family parenting - social activism - legal judgments Key Concepts gene-centered theory adaptive behavior Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel your compassion is truly selfless? - How does this view affect moral responsibility? A Different Perspective Altruistic actions can also be genuine, not merely strategic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-love/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Darwinian Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darwinian-struggle-607962/) [Evolutionary Psychologists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolutionary-psychologists-607960/) [Genes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Motive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motive/) [Motives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motives/) [Noblest Motives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noblest-motives-607961/) [Our love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-love/) [Psychologist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychologist/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics/) [Tactics Darwinian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics-darwinian-607963/) [Unfortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfortunate/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/whenever-a-man-does-a-thoroughly-stupid-thing-it-is-always-from-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Evolutionary psychologists suggest that humans experienced evolutionary benefits from brain developments that included aversion to loss and risk and from instincts for cooperation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/evolutionary-psychologists-suggest-that-humans-experienced/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [Beautiful people are always with us, as evolutionary psychologists and a trip to the news-stand confirm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-jencks/beautiful-people-are-always-with-us-as-evolutionary-psychologists-and/) [Charles Jencks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-jencks/) > [“Natural selection creates systems, like the brain, that are biased to minimize the costlier error. 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Paxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-o-paxton/) > [Every major religion today is a winner in the Darwinian struggle waged among cultures, and none ever flourished by tolerating its rivals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/every-major-religion-today-is-a-winner-in-the-darwinian-struggle/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [ “\[E\]very major religion today is a winner in the Darwinian struggle waged among cultures, and none ever flourished by tolerating its rivals.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-o-wilson/e-very-major-religion-today-is-a-winner-in-the-darwinian-struggle/) [Edward O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-o-wilson/) > [“There is no reciprocity. Men love women. Women love children. Children love hamsters. Hamsters don't love anyone; it is quite hopeless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-thomas-ellis/there-is-no-reciprocity-men-love-women-women-love-children-children/) [Alice Thomas Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-thomas-ellis/) > [The greatest gift a person can give their children is love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-bassam/the-greatest-gift-a-person-can-give-their-children-is-love/) [Ali Bassam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-bassam/) > [At the end of my life, I want to say that I made the world a better place because I raised good children, loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/at-the-end-of-my-life-i-want-to-say-that-i-made-the-world-a-better/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [My children love everything that sparkles. My boys just go with everything and make it their own, but my daughter is a little upset…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-klum/my-children-love-everything-that-sparkles-my-boys-just-go-with/) [Heidi Klum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-klum/) > [You have to love your country like an adult loves somebody, not like a child loves its mommy. And right-wing Republicans tend to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/you-have-to-love-your-country-like-an-adult-loves-somebody-not-like-a/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [You know how some people seem to think that their love for classical music makes them spiritual or at least something quite special? And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-stout/you-know-how-some-people-seem-to-think-that-their-love-for-classical/) [Ruth Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-stout/) > [I think all children love to dress up and play make believe. It's just that I never stopped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bonnar/i-think-all-children-love-to-dress-up-and-play-make-believe-it-s-just/) [Mark Bonnar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bonnar/) ## More by Steven Pinker > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Consistent style prevents presentation from getting in the way of content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/consistent-style-prevents-presentation-from-getting-in-the-way-of/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [The supposedly immaterial soul, we now know, can be bisected with a knife, altered by chemicals, started or stopped by electricity, and extinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-supposedly-immaterial-soul-we-now-know-can-be-bisected-with-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I've never argued that humans are massively hot-wired. 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Moral goodness is what gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/morality-is-not-just-any-old-topic-in-psychology-but-close-to-our/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“The biblical story of the binding of Isaac shows that human sacrifice was far from unthinkable in the 1st millennium BCE. The Israelites boasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-biblical-story-of-the-binding-of-isaac-shows-that-human-sacrifice/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Part of the bargain of being alive is that one takes a chance at dying a premature or painful death, be it from violence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/part-of-the-bargain-of-being-alive-is-that-one-takes-a-chance-at/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [In fact, without a specification of a creature's goals, the very idea of intelligence is meaningless. 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