--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are even a number of present-day…" description: "\"“There are even a number of present-day human cultures in which collective fatherhood is practised, as for example among the Barí Indians. According to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cf/yuval-noah-harari-100_fatherhood_there-are-even-a-number-of-present-day-h_1342095.jpg" --- # There are even a number of present-day human cultures in… ![“There are even a number of present-day human cultures in which collective fatherhood is practised, as for example among the Barí Indians. According to the beliefs of such societies, a child is not born from the sperm of a single man, but from the accumulation of sperm in a woman’s womb. A good…” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cf/yuval-noah-harari-100_fatherhood_there-are-even-a-number-of-present-day-h_1342095.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cf/yuval-noah-harari-100_fatherhood_there-are-even-a-number-of-present-day-h_1342095.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cf/yuval-noah-harari-100_fatherhood_there-are-even-a-number-of-present-day-h_1342095.jpg) > ““There are even a number of present-day human cultures in which collective fatherhood is practised, as for example among the Barí Indians. According to the beliefs of such societies, a child is not born from the sperm of a single man, but from the accumulation of sperm in a woman’s womb. A good mother will make a point of having sex with several different men, especially when she is pregnant, so that her child will enjoy the qualities (and paternal care) not merely of the best hunter, but also of the best storyteller, the strongest warrior and the most considerate lover.”” [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage describes societies where women have multiple partners to combine diverse paternal traits for offspring. **In simple terms:** Women may have many fathers for their children. Key Takeaway Embrace diverse contributions for richer outcomes. Themes family culture gender reproduction diversity Mood thoughtful analytical Type anthropological educational When to use this quote - anthropological research - cross‑cultural studies - discussion on modern family models Key Concepts anthropology social structure genetic diversity Questions to Reflect On - How does partner diversity affect child development? - What are the ethical implications of such practices? A Different Perspective Modern monogamy may limit genetic and cultural variety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Born Sperm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born-sperm-4536991/) [Collective Fatherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collective-fatherhood-4536989/) [Fatherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fatherhood/) [Fatherhood Practised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fatherhood-practised-4536990/) [Good mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-mother/) [Having sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-sex/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Paternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paternal/) [Single man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-man/) ## Related quotes > [I have a very strong paternal streak. I'm a born father...I get such enjoyment out of being with children. Now they are enjoyable little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-have-a-very-strong-paternal-streak-i-m-a-born-father-i-get-such/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I'm not saying I'm a family guy, but maybe that's what people see in me: some kind of paternal quality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-edgerton/i-m-not-saying-i-m-a-family-guy-but-maybe-that-s-what-people-see-in/) [Joel Edgerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-edgerton/) > [“I am of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise, Regardless of others, ever regardful of others, Maternal as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/i-am-of-old-and-young-of-the-foolish-as-much-as-the-wise-regardless-2/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Shahid is a paternal figure to me. He's almost like a teacher. All my life, I've learned so much by watching him. I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishaan-khatter/shahid-is-a-paternal-figure-to-me-he-s-almost-like-a-teacher-all-my/) [Ishaan Khatter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishaan-khatter/) > [All innocent mechanisms are muddied up with experience. Children become less and less translucent. Layers of guile and suspicion grow. It's the law of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hall/all-innocent-mechanisms-are-muddied-up-with-experience-children/) [Sarah Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hall/) > [Anyone who's ever had the misfortune of seeing me interact with house pets knows I have a wickedly strong paternal instinct bordering on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goad/anyone-who-s-ever-had-the-misfortune-of-seeing-me-interact-with-house/) [Jim Goad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goad/) > [“It is too late for me to feel paternal now. Whatever inside me that might once have been capable of nurturing my child had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-bowden/it-is-too-late-for-me-to-feel-paternal-now-whatever-inside-me-that/) [Oliver Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-bowden/) > [I am very strongly paternal. My paternal instincts need to be acted upon. My love needs a release. I love everyone. I don't express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-johar/i-am-very-strongly-paternal-my-paternal-instincts-need-to-be-acted/) [Karan Johar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-johar/) > [“Coert raised a brow. “Threatening criminal charges against asshole animal abusers is being paternal?” “Taking care of your baby, no matter what form she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/coert-raised-a-brow-threatening-criminal-charges-against-asshole/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [I'm pretty paternal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rabbitt/i-m-pretty-paternal/) [Eddie Rabbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rabbitt/) > [The paternal hearth, the rallying-place of the affections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/the-paternal-hearth-the-rallying-place-of-the-affections/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [My paternal poppa, Alec, was a taxi driver and swimming coach. He taught all his grandchildren how to swim and loved all kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellyse-perry/my-paternal-poppa-alec-was-a-taxi-driver-and-swimming-coach-he-taught/) [Ellyse Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellyse-perry/) > [Baseball always gets credit for the foundational part of masculinity - the father thing. The eternal game of backyard catch, 'Field of Dreams', the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-moehringer/baseball-always-gets-credit-for-the-foundational-part-of-masculinity/) [J. R. Moehringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-moehringer/) > [I'm working at trying to be a Christian, and that's serious business. It's like trying to be a good Jew, a good Muslim, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-working-at-trying-to-be-a-christian-and-that-s-serious-business/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [My mam worked for 41 years. She was a single working mother. I think I always had that mentality of you can do everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitmore/my-mam-worked-for-41-years-she-was-a-single-working-mother-i-think-i/) [Laura Whitmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitmore/) ## More by Yuval Noah Harari > [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. As far as we can tell, changes in social patterns, the invention of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/for-similar-reasons-archaic-humans-did-not-initiate-any-revolutions/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Today the main source of wealth is knowledge. And whereas you can conquer oil fields through war, you cannot acquire knowledge that way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/today-the-main-source-of-wealth-is-knowledge-and-whereas-you-can/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“How do you cause people to believe in an imagined order such as Christianity, democracy or capitalism? First, you never admit that the order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/how-do-you-cause-people-to-believe-in-an-imagined-order-such-as/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [I think the basic thing that happened is we have lost our story. 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We invented them to serve us; why do we find ourselves sacrificing our lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/corporations-money-and-nations-exist-only-in-our-imagination-we/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Small children in affluent societies often dislike showering, and it takes them years of education and parental discipline to adopt this supposedly attractive custom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/small-children-in-affluent-societies-often-dislike-showering-and-it/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Ever more scholars see cultures as a kind of mental infection or parasite, with humans as its unwitting host. Organic parasites, such as viruses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/ever-more-scholars-see-cultures-as-a-kind-of-mental-infection-or/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Soviet Communism was a fanatical and missionary religion. A devout Communist could not be a Christian or a Buddhist, and was expected to spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/soviet-communism-was-a-fanatical-and-missionary-religion-a-devout/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Whereas religion asks us to believe in something, money asks us to believe that other people believe in something”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-religion-asks-us-to-believe-in-something-money-asks-us-to/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Terrorists are like a fly that tries to destroy a china shop. The fly is so weak that it cannot budge even a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/terrorists-are-like-a-fly-that-tries-to-destroy-a-china-shop-the-fly/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Yet what happens if the greedy shoemaker increases his profits by paying employees less and increasing their work hours? The standard answer is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/yet-what-happens-if-the-greedy-shoemaker-increases-his-profits-by/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“A natural order is a stable order. There is no chance that gravity will cease to function tomorrow, even if people stop believing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/a-natural-order-is-a-stable-order-there-is-no-chance-that-gravity/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) [Explore all 1,200 Yuval Noah Harari quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## More Fatherhood quotes > [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“A ‘good’ father will tenderly cultivate his children. But a ‘good’ father who is also a ‘brave’ father will let the children without cultivate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/a-good-father-will-tenderly-cultivate-his-children-but-a-good-father/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [This is my most important role. If I fail at this, I fail at everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/this-is-my-most-important-role-if-i-fail-at-this-i-fail-at-everything/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Maintaining marriage seems to be tougher than fatherhood: apparently its the most difficult thing in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-slater/maintaining-marriage-seems-to-be-tougher-than-fatherhood-apparently/) [Kelly Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-slater/) > [“Sure, and fatherhood is super important too. I'm not trying to make this a women-only club by any means. Just that even men rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufi-thorpe/sure-and-fatherhood-is-super-important-too-i-m-not-trying-to-make/) [Rufi Thorpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufi-thorpe/) > [Nobody ever says, 'Hey daddy, thanks for knockin' out this rent.' 'Hey daddy, I sure love this hot water.' 'Hey daddy, it's easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/nobody-ever-says-hey-daddy-thanks-for-knockin-out-this-rent-hey-daddy/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [When a man does not live with his children and does not get along with the mother of his children, his fatherhood becomes essentially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blankenhorn/when-a-man-does-not-live-with-his-children-and-does-not-get-along/) [David Blankenhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blankenhorn/) > [To recover the fatherhood idea, we must fashion a new cultural story of fatherhood. The moral of today's story is that fatherhoodis superfluous. 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You guys rock the dad game like pros. Whether you're fixing stuff with duct tape,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/life-is-positive/happy-father-s-day-to-the-coolest-dads-out-there-you-guys-rock-the/) [Life is Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/life-is-positive/) [Browse all 508 Fatherhood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fatherhood/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are even a number of present-day human cultures in which collective fatherhood is practised, as for example among the Barí Indians. According to the beliefs of such societies, a child is not born from the sperm of a single man, but from the accumulation of sperm in a woman’s womb. 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