For all the tribulations in our lives, for all the troubles that remain in the world, the decline of violence is an accomplishment that we can savor - and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible. Steven Pinker accomplishmentcherishcivilization share on social
I think a lot of moral debates are not over what is the basis of justice, but who gets a ticket to play in the game. Steven Pinker basisdebategame Change image and share on social
Human nature is complex. Even if we do have inclinations toward violence, we also have inclination to empathy, to cooperation, to self-control. Steven Pinker complexcontrolcooperation Change image and share on social
Racism, because it favors color over talent, is bad for business. Steven Pinker badbusinesscolor Change image and share on social
Personality and socialization aren't the same thing. Steven Pinker personalitysocializationthing Change image and share on social
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 atrocitycruelhomo Change image and share on social
Many artists and scholars have pointed out that ultimately art depends on human nature. Steven Pinker artartistdepend 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
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 you identify the learning mechanisms. And these have some genetic basis. Steven Pinker arguebasisgenetic share on social
Language pedants hew to an oral tradition of shibboleths that have no basis in logic or style, that have been defied by great writers for centuries, and that have been disavowed by every thoughtful usage manual. Steven Pinker basiscenturydefy share on social