# We are built as gene machines and cultured as meme machines by Richard Dawkins > "We are built as gene machines and cultured as meme machines." > **— Richard Dawkins**, *The Selfish Gene (1976), attribution clue* Verification Status: Unverified — exact wording/source has not yet been independently confirmed against a primary source; source clue: The Selfish Gene (1976), attribution clue.