--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No matter how inured you get to…" description: "\"No matter how inured you get to atrocities, you're still always stunned and shocked by how cruel and wasteful Homo sapiens can be.\" — Steven Pinker" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/steven-pinker-526_always_no-matter-how-inured-you-get-to-atrociti_567320.jpg" --- # No matter how inured you get to atrocities, you're still… ![“No matter how inured you get to atrocities, you're still always stunned and shocked by how cruel and wasteful Homo sapiens can be.” quote by Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/steven-pinker-526_always_no-matter-how-inured-you-get-to-atrociti_567320.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/steven-pinker-526_always_no-matter-how-inured-you-get-to-atrociti_567320.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/steven-pinker-526_always_no-matter-how-inured-you-get-to-atrociti_567320.jpg) > “No matter how inured you get to atrocities, you're still always stunned and shocked by how cruel and wasteful Homo sapiens can be.” [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. Even in a world of repeated cruelty, humans remain shocked by the scale of wasteful violence. **In simple terms:** People are continually horrified by human cruelty. Key Takeaway Recognize and reduce systemic waste. Themes human nature violence morality psychology Mood concerned hopeful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - policy making - education reform - media reporting Key Concepts cognitive bias ethical responsibility social progress Questions to Reflect On - What drives persistent shock despite exposure? - How can societies convert shock into constructive change? A Different Perspective Desensitization can dull shock, limiting action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Atrocities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atrocities/) [Atrocities Stunned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atrocities-stunned-4691136/) [Cruel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruel/) [Cruel Wasteful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruel-wasteful-4691138/) [Inured Atrocities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inured-atrocities-4691139/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Shocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shocked/) [Shocked Cruel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shocked-cruel-4691137/) [Still](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/still/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Stunned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stunned/) ## Related quotes > [“The Bible depicts a world that, seen through modern eyes, is staggering in its savagery. People enslave, rape, and murder members of their immediate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-bible-depicts-a-world-that-seen-through-modern-eyes-is-staggering/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [The human moral sense can excuse any atrocity in the minds of those who commit it, and it furnishes them with motives for acts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-human-moral-sense-can-excuse-any-atrocity-in-the-minds-of-those/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [The foundation of individual rights is the assumption that people have wants and needs and are authorities on what those wants and needs are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-foundation-of-individual-rights-is-the-assumption-that-people/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“The dog next-door had settled down, and the neighbourhood seemed stunned by this event occurring in our backyard. It was like it could sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/the-dog-next-door-had-settled-down-and-the-neighbourhood-seemed/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“Kendra felt stunned. She had been cuddling and flirting with the son of the Fairy Queen?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mull/kendra-felt-stunned-she-had-been-cuddling-and-flirting-with-the-son/) [Brandon Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mull/) > [There have been some terrible winters in Chicago, where it feels like I'm literally being punched in the face, and everyone walks around looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-strong/there-have-been-some-terrible-winters-in-chicago-where-it-feels-like/) [Cecily Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-strong/) > [One time I completely thought I'd turned into a werewolf and was sure I could see hairs sprouting from my face. At those times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-orton/one-time-i-completely-thought-i-d-turned-into-a-werewolf-and-was-sure/) [Beth Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-orton/) > [I can tell you, Obamacare, I have been stunned by the pratfalls associated with its implementation. I simply can't understand how a president that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-can-tell-you-obamacare-i-have-been-stunned-by-the-pratfalls/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Health experts working on a union backed screening program to detect bladder cancer in a Georgia chemical plant were stunned when the local (ACS)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-anderson/health-experts-working-on-a-union-backed-screening-program-to-detect/) [Jack Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-anderson/) > [“I look up momentarily stunned, then angry. What the Hell is that dirtbag doing here?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-brewer/i-look-up-momentarily-stunned-then-angry-what-the-hell-is-that/) [Annie Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-brewer/) > [I had a gig in Sweden. There were thousands of people there, and when I launched into 'I'm Yours,' they were all singing along.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/i-had-a-gig-in-sweden-there-were-thousands-of-people-there-and-when-i/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [We're stunned by the diversity of rocks. This stuff looks like it was put into a blender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-squyres/we-re-stunned-by-the-diversity-of-rocks-this-stuff-looks-like-it-was/) [Steven Squyres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-squyres/) > [Dejardins was so stunned, he momentarily forgot how to speak English. "Ce n'est pas possible. On ne pourrait pas-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/dejardins-was-so-stunned-he-momentarily-forgot-how-to-speak-english/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I've been playing videogames since before my career in this business, but what happened is several videogame companies were recruiting students back then and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-shimomura/i-ve-been-playing-videogames-since-before-my-career-in-this-business/) [Yoko Shimomura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-shimomura/) > [“Even as I learned to name the plants -- dogwood, five-fingered fern, mugwort -- I was stunned by the failure of language to reflect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-haake/even-as-i-learned-to-name-the-plants-dogwood-five-fingered-fern/) [Katharine Haake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-haake/) ## 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 Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No matter how inured you get to atrocities, you're still always stunned and shocked by how cruel and wasteful Homo sapiens can be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Pinker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/no-matter-how-inured-you-get-to-atrocities-you-re-still-always/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/no-matter-how-inured-you-get-to-atrocities-you-re-still-always/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/steven-pinker-526_always_no-matter-how-inured-you-get-to-atrociti_567320.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/steven-pinker-526_always_no-matter-how-inured-you-get-to-atrociti_567320.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/steven-pinker-526_always_no-matter-how-inured-you-get-to-atrociti_567320.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No matter how inured you get to atrocities, you're still always stunned and shocked by how cruel and…” — 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": "No matter how inured you get...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/no-matter-how-inured-you-get-to-atrocities-you-re-still-always/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/no-matter-how-inured-you-get-to-atrocities-you-re-still-always/#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 } } ] } ```