--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The task of evolutionary psychology is…" description: "\"The task of evolutionary psychology is not to weigh in on human nature, a task better left to others. It is to add the satisfying kind of insight that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbd/steven-pinker-526_add_the-task-of-evolutionary-psychology-is-n_2678667.jpg" --- # The task of evolutionary psychology is not to weigh in on… ![“The task of evolutionary psychology is not to weigh in on human nature, a task better left to others. It is to add the satisfying kind of insight that only science can provide: to connect what we know about human nature with the rest of our knowledge of how the world works, and to explain the…” quote by Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbd/steven-pinker-526_add_the-task-of-evolutionary-psychology-is-n_2678667.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbd/steven-pinker-526_add_the-task-of-evolutionary-psychology-is-n_2678667.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbd/steven-pinker-526_add_the-task-of-evolutionary-psychology-is-n_2678667.jpg) > “The task of evolutionary psychology is not to weigh in on human nature, a task better left to others. It is to add the satisfying kind of insight that only science can provide: to connect what we know about human nature with the rest of our knowledge of how the world works, and to explain the largest number of facts with the smallest number of assumptions.” [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 should link known human traits to broader scientific knowledge, explaining many facts with few assumptions. **In simple terms:** Connect human nature to science. Key Takeaway Seek parsimonious explanations. Themes science human nature explanation Mood analytical educational Type inquisitive objective When to use this quote - education - policy making - public discourse Key Concepts evolution interdisciplinary research Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions can be reduced? - How does this view shape moral judgments? A Different Perspective Risk of oversimplifying complex behaviors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Add](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/add/) [Assumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumption/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Evolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolutionary/) [Evolutionary psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolutionary-psychology/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Insight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insight/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Nature Task](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-task-2562951/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Smallest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smallest/) [Task Evolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/task-evolutionary-2562950/) [Tasks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tasks/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Evolutionary psychology is one of four sciences that are bringing human nature back into the picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/evolutionary-psychology-is-one-of-four-sciences-that-are-bringing/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“We must not wait for favours from Nature; our task is to wrest them from her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-michurin/we-must-not-wait-for-favours-from-nature-our-task-is-to-wrest-them/) [Ivan Michurin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-michurin/) > [Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha have written the essential corrective to the evolutionary psychology literature...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanton-peele/christopher-ryan-and-cacilda-jetha-have-written-the-essential/) [Stanton Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanton-peele/) > [“This is the basic lesson of evolutionary psychology: a need shaped in the wild continues to be felt subjectively even if it is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/this-is-the-basic-lesson-of-evolutionary-psychology-a-need-shaped-in/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [People are always invoking evolutionary psychology for everything. 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