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Robert M. Sapolsky

Robert M. Sapolsky Quotes

Neuroendocrinologist

Robert M. Sapolsky is a renowned neuroendocrinologist known for his research on stress, neurobiology, and evolutionary psychology. His work has revealed how stress affects the brain and body, and how these effects relate to human behavior and health.

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Famous Robert M. Sapolsky Quotes

“When humans invented socioeconomic status, they invented a way to subordinate like nothing hierarchical primates had ever seen before.”

Class Economy Psychology Evolution Behavior Genes Evolutionary Psychology Status

Book:Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

Source: Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

“Our worst behaviors, ones we condemn and punish, are the products of our biology. But don’t forget that the same applies to our best behaviors.”

Psychology Evolution Behavior Genes Evolutionary Psychology

Book:Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

Source: Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

“Be dubious about someone who suggests that other types of people are like little crawly, infectious things.”

Psychology Evolution Behavior Genes Evolutionary Psychology Tiranny

Book:Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

Source: Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

“Many of our best moments of morality and compassion have roots far deeper and older than being mere products of human civilization.”

Psychology Evolution Morality Behavior Genes Evolutionary Psychology

Book:Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

Source: Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

“The fascinating thing about our best and worst behaviors isn't the behavior itself - the brain tells the muscles to do something or other - big deal. It's the meaning of the behavior.”

Bigs Deals Brain Worst Behavior Muscles Fascinating Big Deal

Author:Robert M. Sapolsky

“Pulling a gun's trigger can be an appalling act. But if it is suicidal drawing fire to save someone, it has an utterly different meaning. Placing your hand on someone's arm can be an act of deep compassion or the first step of betrayal. The punch line? It's all about context, and the biology of context is vastly more complicated than the biology of the behavior itself.”

Ifs Firsts Different Hands Lines Compassion Steps Fire Arms Behavior Gun Complicated Betrayal Drawing Biology First Steps Pulling Suicidal Triggers Of Context Different Meanings

Author:Robert M. Sapolsky

“What happened in the milliseconds before a behavior to cause it? That's in the neurobiological realm.”

Causes Happened Behavior Realms

Author:Robert M. Sapolsky

“Only humans invent moralizing gods who monitor our behavior.”

Humans Behavior Moralizing

Author:Robert M. Sapolsky

“Genes are important for understanding our behavior. Incredibly important - after all, they code for every protein pertinent to brain function, endocrinology, etc.”

Important Understanding Brain Behavior Function Code Etc Genes Protein Pertinent Brain Function

Author:Robert M. Sapolsky

“Perhaps most excitingly, we are uncovering the brain basis of our behaviors - normal, abnormal and in-between. We are mapping a neurobiology of what makes us us.”

Brain Behavior Normal Bases Abnormal Neurobiology Mapping Uncovering

Author:Robert M. Sapolsky

“Genes are rarely about inevitability, especially when it comes to humans, the brain, or behavior. They're about vulnerability, propensities, tendencies.”

Humans Brain Behavior Tendencies Vulnerability Genes Inevitability Propensity

Book:Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping - Now Revised and Updated

Source: Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping - Now Revised and Updated