---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The incredible thing about the human mind…"
description: "\"The incredible thing about the human mind is that is didn't come with an instruction book.\" — Terry Riley"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/terry-riley-27340_book_the-incredible-thing-about-the-human-min_2058141.jpg"
---

#  The incredible thing about the human mind is that is…

![“The incredible thing about the human mind is that is didn't come with an instruction book.” quote by Terry Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/terry-riley-27340_book_the-incredible-thing-about-the-human-min_2058141.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/terry-riley-27340_book_the-incredible-thing-about-the-human-min_2058141.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/terry-riley-27340_book_the-incredible-thing-about-the-human-min_2058141.jpg)

> “The incredible thing about the human mind is that is didn't come with an instruction book.”

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

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The mind lacks a manual, so learning is experimental and self‑directed.

**In simple terms:** Our brains have no instruction book.

Key Takeaway

Explore and learn through trial.

Themes

learning creativity self‑direction

Mood

curious inquisitive

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- education
- innovation
- problem solving
- personal development

Key Concepts

cognitive science philosophy of mind

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you navigate without a guide?
- What strategies compensate for missing instructions?

A Different Perspective

Without guidance, errors are common.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Human mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-mind/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Incredible Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incredible-thing-796911/) [Incredibles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incredibles/) [Instruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instruction/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-didn-1173337/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Thing Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-human-502352/)

## Related quotes

> [It just makes so many other things insignificant. It is the most incredible thing that has happened to me, and I feel so lucky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-phillippe/it-just-makes-so-many-other-things-insignificant-it-is-the-most/)

[Ryan Phillippe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-phillippe/)

> [For me, I was in school and I pushed myself to be a good student, just because that's the type of person I was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/for-me-i-was-in-school-and-i-pushed-myself-to-be-a-good-student-just/)

[Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/)

> [I always spoke my mind. I didn't go with the flow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakota-meyer/i-always-spoke-my-mind-i-didn-t-go-with-the-flow/)

[Dakota Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dakota-meyer/)

> [“In truth, I wanted her to read my mind so I didn’t have to stoop to the womanly art of articulation. I was sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/in-truth-i-wanted-her-to-read-my-mind-so-i-didn-t-have-to-stoop-to-2/)

[Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/)

> [“So many answers flew through her mind that she didn't know which to pick, aside from the obvious truth that "my drug dealers enforcer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/so-many-answers-flew-through-her-mind-that-she-didn-t-know-which-to/)

[Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/)

> [“In truth, I wanted her to read my mind so I didn't have to stoop to the womanly art of articulation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/in-truth-i-wanted-her-to-read-my-mind-so-i-didn-t-have-to-stoop-to/)

[Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/)

> [It seems like many people think that if you drive yourself crazy, then you can write. I’m absolutely not interested in that. It made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-ryan/it-seems-like-many-people-think-that-if-you-drive-yourself-crazy-then/)

[Kay Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-ryan/)

> [I had a million questions to ask God: but when I met Him, they all fled my mind; and it didn't seem to matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-morley/i-had-a-million-questions-to-ask-god-but-when-i-met-him-they-all-fled/)

[Christopher Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-morley/)

> [“She had no mind, but I didn’t mind, because she had a body like an upside down question mark.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/she-had-no-mind-but-i-didn-t-mind-because-she-had-a-body-like-an/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“It was bad enough that he couldn't seem to get the image of her out of his mind, He didn't need to add et…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-snow/it-was-bad-enough-that-he-couldn-t-seem-to-get-the-image-of-her-out/)

[Tiffany Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-snow/)

> [Whenever I was asked what I wanted my first impulse was to answer "Nothing." The thought went through my mind that it didn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osamu-dazai/whenever-i-was-asked-what-i-wanted-my-first-impulse-was-to-answer/)

[Osamu Dazai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osamu-dazai/)

> [“My mind didn't clear. It had been clear before. Instead it muddled, suddenly ablaze with rioting factions of insecurities and dreams, a cacophonous battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/my-mind-didn-t-clear-it-had-been-clear-before-instead-it-muddled/)

[David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/)

> [Thoughts would go in and out of my mind, but I didn't want to believe that he could have done it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kato-kaelin/thoughts-would-go-in-and-out-of-my-mind-but-i-didn-t-want-to-believe/)

[Kato Kaelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kato-kaelin/)

> [An Active mind didn't need distraction in its physical environment. It needed a collection of outstanding books and a good lamp. Maybe some cheese…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/an-active-mind-didn-t-need-distraction-in-its-physical-environment-it/)

[J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/)

> [I was going to be the next big voice-over thing, of course, in my mind. I didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-moy/i-was-going-to-be-the-next-big-voice-over-thing-of-course-in-my-mind/)

[Matthew Moy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-moy/)

## More by Terry Riley

> [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/)

> [The great thing about string quartets is the players are kind of like family. They work really well as a unit, so you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/the-great-thing-about-string-quartets-is-the-players-are-kind-of-like/)

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

> [Out of doing all that experimentation with sound I decided I wanted to do it with live musicians. To take repetition, take music fragments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/out-of-doing-all-that-experimentation-with-sound-i-decided-i-wanted/)

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

> [Essentially my contribution was to introduce repetition into Western music as the main ingredient without any melody over it, without anything just repeated patterns,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/essentially-my-contribution-was-to-introduce-repetition-into-western/)

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

> [I was using tape loops for dancers and dance production. I had very funky primitive equipment, in fact technology wasn't very good no matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/i-was-using-tape-loops-for-dancers-and-dance-production-i-had-very/)

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

> [I had been interested in Indian music and I actually started studying Tableaus before I met him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/i-had-been-interested-in-indian-music-and-i-actually-started-studying/)

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

> [It's not what happens to you in life that matters; what matters is how you deal with it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/it-s-not-what-happens-to-you-in-life-that-matters-what-matters-is-how/)

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

> [I really didn't have a plan, I just went in and started playing. one of my specialties was to be able to play for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/i-really-didn-t-have-a-plan-i-just-went-in-and-started-playing-one-of/)

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

> [It is important that we are coming up on the millennium because what I am experiencing, just being one person out of billions, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/it-is-important-that-we-are-coming-up-on-the-millennium-because-what/)

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

> [Acceleration is finite, I think, according to some laws of physics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/acceleration-is-finite-i-think-according-to-some-laws-of-physics/)

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

> [Throughout the evening I would be recording these long saxophone delays and about four hours into the concert, if I wanted to take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/throughout-the-evening-i-would-be-recording-these-long-saxophone/)

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

> [I had already done Rainbow in Curved Air and had a big record on CBS. I was launched to have a long career and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/i-had-already-done-rainbow-in-curved-air-and-had-a-big-record-on-cbs/)

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

> [I had always been more interested in playing and improvising than sitting down at a desk and writing out a piece. I'd always found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/i-had-always-been-more-interested-in-playing-and-improvising-than/)

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

> [Music can also be a sensual pleasure, like eating food or sex. But its highest vibration for me is that point of taking us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/music-can-also-be-a-sensual-pleasure-like-eating-food-or-sex-but-its/)

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

> [The highest point of music for me is to become in a place where there is no desire, no craving, wanting to do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/the-highest-point-of-music-for-me-is-to-become-in-a-place-where-there/)

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

[Explore all 20 Terry Riley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-riley/)

## More Book quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/)

[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The incredible thing about the human mind is that is didn't come with an instruction book.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Terry Riley"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/the-incredible-thing-about-the-human-mind-is-that-is-didn-t-come-with/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/the-incredible-thing-about-the-human-mind-is-that-is-didn-t-come-with/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/terry-riley-27340_book_the-incredible-thing-about-the-human-min_2058141.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/terry-riley-27340_book_the-incredible-thing-about-the-human-min_2058141.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efc/terry-riley-27340_book_the-incredible-thing-about-the-human-min_2058141.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The incredible thing about the human mind is that is didn't come with an instruction book.” — Terry Riley",
                "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": "Terry Riley",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-riley/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The incredible thing about the human...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/the-incredible-thing-about-the-human-mind-is-that-is-didn-t-come-with/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/the-incredible-thing-about-the-human-mind-is-that-is-didn-t-come-with/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
