Though as a psychologist I like to think that nothing human is foreign to me, I admit to having been repeatedly flabbergasted by the insouciance, and sometimes relish, with which our ancestors carried out and witnessed unspeakable cruelties. Steven Pinker admitancestorcarry share on social
Most intellectuals today have a phobia of any explanation of the mind that invokes genetics. Steven Pinker explanationgeneticintellectual Change image and share on social
I learned to focus my energy on high-quality, long-term projects rather than lower-quality projects with quicker payoffs. Steven Pinker energyfocushigh Change image and share on social
Whenever you speak to someone, you are presuming the two of you have a certain degree of familiarity - which your words might alter. So every sentence has to do two things at once: convey a message and continue to negotiate that relationship. Steven Pinker altercontinueconvey share on social
I teach classes 28 weeks of the year, but the rest of the time I do research and write books. While I'm writing a book, which I probably do two out of every three years, it's like having a second job. I squeeze in the hours when I can. Steven Pinker bookclasshour share on social
The connections I draw between human nature and political systems in my new book, for example, were prefigured in the debates during the Enlightenment and during the framing of the American Constitution. Steven Pinker americanbookconnection share on social
The brain is not a bag of traits. It's startlingly complex. There are few or no single genes with a consistent effect on the mind. Steven Pinker bagbraincomplex Change image and share on social
Like the early days of the Internet, the dawn of personal genomics promises benefits and pitfalls that no one can foresee. Steven Pinker benefitdawnday Change image and share on social
I don't think there was a thunderclap or a divine spark that suddenly made one species smart. You can see, in our ancestors, there was a gradual expansion of the brain; there was an expansion of the complexity of tools. Steven Pinker ancestorbraincomplexity share on social
The more you think about and interact with other people, the more you realize that it is untenable to privilege your interests over theirs. Steven Pinker interactinterestpeople Change image and share on social
