---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I suggested that a better understanding…"
description: "\"“I suggested that a better understanding of human nature in the light of modern science can point the way to an approach to politics that is more sophi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/steven-pinker-526_human-nature_i-suggested-that-a-better-understanding_2482956.jpg"
---

#  I suggested that a better understanding of human nature in…

![“I suggested that a better understanding of human nature in the light of modern science can point the way to an approach to politics that is more sophisticated.” quote by Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/steven-pinker-526_human-nature_i-suggested-that-a-better-understanding_2482956.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/steven-pinker-526_human-nature_i-suggested-that-a-better-understanding_2482956.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/steven-pinker-526_human-nature_i-suggested-that-a-better-understanding_2482956.jpg)

> ““I suggested that a better understanding of human nature in the light of modern science can point the way to an approach to politics that is more sophisticated.””

[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 through modern science can guide more nuanced political strategies.

**In simple terms:** Science informs better politics.

Key Takeaway

Apply scientific insights to political design.

Themes

politics science human nature policy reason

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- policy making
- public debate
- education reform
- media analysis

Key Concepts

rationalism behavioral science political theory

Questions to Reflect On

- How can scientific findings be responsibly integrated into policy?
- What limits exist in applying rational models to politics?

A Different Perspective

Science may oversimplify complex social dynamics.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Modern science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-science/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/)

## Related quotes

> [Religion and science, for example, are often though to be opponents, but as I have shown, the insights of ancient religions and of modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/religion-and-science-for-example-are-often-though-to-be-opponents-but/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [My approach to politics is very serious. It must be handled by great people with extraordinary skills and human qualities. I feel I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/balachandra-menon/my-approach-to-politics-is-very-serious-it-must-be-handled-by-great/)

[Balachandra Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/balachandra-menon/)

> [Liberalism is essentially the belief that there can be a reconciliation of all difficulties and differences, and since there can't, it is a misleading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-cowling/liberalism-is-essentially-the-belief-that-there-can-be-a/)

[Maurice Cowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-cowling/)

> [“set myself the task of starting with a blank sheet of paper and asking not what it means to be a “conservative” or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-friedman/set-myself-the-task-of-starting-with-a-blank-sheet-of-paper-and/)

[Thomas L. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-friedman/)

> [The idea of self-reliance is important to me, and that is echoed, in my way of thinking, by a conservative approach to politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-grammer/the-idea-of-self-reliance-is-important-to-me-and-that-is-echoed-in-my/)

[Kelsey Grammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-grammer/)

> [My approach to politics is that I'm not a Democrat or a Republican. I'm an American and I always support candidates I think are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/my-approach-to-politics-is-that-i-m-not-a-democrat-or-a-republican-i/)

[Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/)

> [It has always been a central plank of Donald Trump's approach to politics to make us doubt what the media tell us and, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-tarlov/it-has-always-been-a-central-plank-of-donald-trump-s-approach-to/)

[Jessica Tarlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-tarlov/)

> [The only way you approach politics and seek elective office is to move forward. For me to look back in anger or with any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/the-only-way-you-approach-politics-and-seek-elective-office-is-to/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [The starting point for the understanding of war is the understanding of human nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-lyman-atwood-marshall/the-starting-point-for-the-understanding-of-war-is-the-understanding/)

[Samuel Lyman Atwood Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-lyman-atwood-marshall/)

> [Power is the measure of the degree of control you have over circumstances in your life and the actions of the people around you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/power-is-the-measure-of-the-degree-of-control-you-have-over/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [“Writing is one method for revising a person’s outlook on life and observing the world and one’s place therein from an altered perspective. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/writing-is-one-method-for-revising-a-person-s-outlook-on-life-and/)

[Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/)

> [I think anything that increases your understanding of the human condition... I think age and life, if you're lucky, makes you think deeper, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-spall/i-think-anything-that-increases-your-understanding-of-the-human/)

[Timothy Spall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-spall/)

> [We are either going to dissolve as a human race or we are going to break through into a new understanding of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/we-are-either-going-to-dissolve-as-a-human-race-or-we-are-going-to/)

[Terry Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-riley/)

> [Chimpanzees have given me so much. The long hours spent with them in the forest have enriched my life beyond measure. What I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/chimpanzees-have-given-me-so-much-the-long-hours-spent-with-them-in/)

[Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/)

> [I have been dealing with those types of complicated things and my scholastic background, so I think that helps me - my nutrition and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-algieri/i-have-been-dealing-with-those-types-of-complicated-things-and-my/)

[Chris Algieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-algieri/)

## 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. 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. A toadstool could be given a genius award…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-fact-without-a-specification-of-a-creature-s-goals-the-very-idea/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [“The obvious cure for the tragic shortcomings of human intuition in a high-tech world is education. And this offers priorities for educational policy: to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-obvious-cure-for-the-tragic-shortcomings-of-human-intuition-in-a/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [If you look in general at people who live in anarchy, they have quite high rates of death from either homicide or warfare or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/if-you-look-in-general-at-people-who-live-in-anarchy-they-have-quite/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [“In some eras, self-control defines the paragon of a decent person: a grown-up, a person of dignity, a lady or a gentleman, a mensch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-some-eras-self-control-defines-the-paragon-of-a-decent-person-a/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [Knowledge is a continuous fabric, in which ideas are connected to other ideas. 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 Human nature quotes

> [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/)

[Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/)

> [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/)

[William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/)

> [A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period - When March is scarcely here A Color stands abroad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/a-light-exists-in-spring-not-present-on-the-year-at-any-other-period/)

[Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/)

> [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/)

[John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/)

> [“The aristocratic interiority is centered on the higher mind, the mens, the ajna chakra, the seat of intellect and intuition that commands the lower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-evola/the-aristocratic-interiority-is-centered-on-the-higher-mind-the-mens/)

[Julius Evola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-evola/)

> [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/)

[David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/)

> [Nothing brings out the lower traits of human nature like office-seeking. Men of good character and impulses are betrayed by it into all sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/nothing-brings-out-the-lower-traits-of-human-nature-like-office/)

[Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/)

> [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/)

[William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/)

> [Though there may be people in your life that support you and encourage you we have to realize that people are only human, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/though-there-may-be-people-in-your-life-that-support-you-and/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

> [“I wasn't sure which I appreciated less—the insincere concern or the genuine indifference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-graham/i-wasn-t-sure-which-i-appreciated-less-the-insincere-concern-or-the/)

Arthur Graham

> [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/)

[Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/)

> [“As if we didn't have enough weapons already. But that's human nature, we've always got to go one better, to increase the terror another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-f-hamilton/as-if-we-didn-t-have-enough-weapons-already-but-that-s-human-nature/)

[Peter F. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-f-hamilton/)

> [ \[Putin\] is a bully. And bullies only understand when we punch them in the nose, but we need to do that economically. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/putin-is-a-bully-and-bullies-only-understand-when-we-punch-them-in/)

[Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/)

> [“The mass of men have been forced to be gay about the little things, but sad about the big ones. Nevertheless (I offer my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-mass-of-men-have-been-forced-to-be-gay-about-the-little-things/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

[Browse all 3,743 Human nature quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I suggested that a better understanding of human nature in the light of modern science can point the way to an approach to politics that is more sophisticated.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Steven Pinker"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-suggested-that-a-better-understanding-of-human-nature-in-the-light/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Human nature"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-suggested-that-a-better-understanding-of-human-nature-in-the-light/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/steven-pinker-526_human-nature_i-suggested-that-a-better-understanding_2482956.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/steven-pinker-526_human-nature_i-suggested-that-a-better-understanding_2482956.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/steven-pinker-526_human-nature_i-suggested-that-a-better-understanding_2482956.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I suggested that a better understanding of human nature in the light of modern science can point the way to…” — Steven Pinker",
                "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": "Steven Pinker",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I suggested that a better understanding...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-suggested-that-a-better-understanding-of-human-nature-in-the-light/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-suggested-that-a-better-understanding-of-human-nature-in-the-light/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
