--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I find a naturalistic understanding of…" description: "\"“I find a naturalistic understanding of human nature to be indispensable to leading a wise and mature life, and it is often exhilarating. Wisdom consis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1e/steven-pinker-526_death_i-find-a-naturalistic-understanding-of-h_339940.jpg" --- # I find a naturalistic understanding of human nature to be… ![“I find a naturalistic understanding of human nature to be indispensable to leading a wise and mature life, and it is often exhilarating. Wisdom consists in appreciating the preciousness and finiteness of our own existence, and therefore not squandering it; of being cognizant of what makes people…” quote by Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1e/steven-pinker-526_death_i-find-a-naturalistic-understanding-of-h_339940.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1e/steven-pinker-526_death_i-find-a-naturalistic-understanding-of-h_339940.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1e/steven-pinker-526_death_i-find-a-naturalistic-understanding-of-h_339940.jpg) > ““I find a naturalistic understanding of human nature to be indispensable to leading a wise and mature life, and it is often exhilarating. Wisdom consists in appreciating the preciousness and finiteness of our own existence, and therefore not squandering it; of being cognizant of what makes people everywhere tick, and therefore enhancing happiness and minimizing suffering; of being alert to limitations and flaws in our own judgments and decisions and passions, and thereby doing our best to circumvent them. The exhilaration comes from understanding that we are a part of natural world; that deep mysteries can be explained; and that the world -- including our own mental lives -- can be intelligible, rather than a source of superstition and ignorance. Yes, mortality sucks, but given that it exists, I'd rather know that than be kept in a childlike state of delusion.”” [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. Understanding human nature scientifically helps us live wisely, cherish life’s limits, reduce suffering, and avoid delusion, while embracing the wonder of a comprehensible universe. **In simple terms:** Science of human nature guides wise, meaningful living. Key Takeaway Seek knowledge, accept limits, act compassionately. Themes wisdom human nature science mortality meaning Mood thoughtful inspired reflective Type philosophical motivational educational When to use this quote - personal growth - policy making - education - mental health - environmental stewardship Key Concepts psychology philosophy ethics cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How does scientific insight change your daily choices? - What limits of knowledge still challenge you? A Different Perspective Science cannot answer every existential question; overreliance may ignore spiritual needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Exhilarating Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhilarating-wisdom-3162414/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Natural world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-world/) [Naturalistic Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naturalistic-understanding-3162413/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wisdom Consists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-consists-753437/) ## Related quotes > [“Cheesecake packs a sensual wallop unlike anything in the natural world because it is a brew of megadoses of agreeable stimuli which we 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evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/wisdom-consists-of-knowing-how-to-distinguish-the-nature-of-trouble/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [I believe that all wisdom consists in caring immensely for a few right things, and not caring a straw about the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buchan/i-believe-that-all-wisdom-consists-in-caring-immensely-for-a-few/) [John Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buchan/) > [“Trie and sound wisdom consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/trie-and-sound-wisdom-consists-of-two-parts-the-knowledge-of-god-and/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [True wisdom consists of tracing effects to their causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/true-wisdom-consists-of-tracing-effects-to-their-causes/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [“My wisdom consists in my having been many things and in many places in order to become one person—in order to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/my-wisdom-consists-in-my-having-been-many-things-and-in-many-places/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/wisdom-consists-in-being-able-to-distinguish-among-dangers-and-make-a/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“True and sound wisdom consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/true-and-sound-wisdom-consists-of-two-parts-the-knowledge-of-god-and/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/wisdom-consists-of-the-anticipation-of-consequences/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [True wisdom consists in two things: Knowledge of God and Knowledge of Self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/true-wisdom-consists-in-two-things-knowledge-of-god-and-knowledge-of/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as in knowing what to do next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-what-to-do-in-the-ultimate-as/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [“Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/nearly-all-the-wisdom-we-possess-that-is-to-say-true-and-sound-wisdom/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [“Wisdom consists in doing the next thing you have to do, doing it with your whole heart, and finding delight in doing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meister-eckhart/wisdom-consists-in-doing-the-next-thing-you-have-to-do-doing-it-with/) [Meister Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meister-eckhart/) ## 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 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What I was trying to point out was that you can't understand how we learn unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-ve-never-argued-that-humans-are-massively-hot-wired-what-i-was/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [As many political writers have pointed out, commitment to political equality is not an empirical claim that people are clones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/as-many-political-writers-have-pointed-out-commitment-to-political/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Since violence is largely a male pastime, cultures that empower women tend to move away from the glorification of violence and are less likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/since-violence-is-largely-a-male-pastime-cultures-that-empower-women/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Morality is not just any old topic in psychology but close to our conception of the meaning of life. 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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Reason-free zones, in which people can assert arbitrary beliefs safe from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/knowledge-is-a-continuous-fabric-in-which-ideas-are-connected-to/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) [Explore all 495 Steven Pinker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. 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Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) [J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. 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