# The Rule of Law Can Change Emotional Reactions by Steven Pinker > “If you live in a society where there is a rule of law for long enough, it changes your emotions. You become less likely to react with rage if someone gives you the finger or calls you a nasty name. You don’t challenge them to a knife fight; you walk away.” > **— Steven Pinker**, *Steven Pinker on Violence, full Skeptical Inquirer interview, 2013* ## Sources and Context - **Original publication:** [Steven Pinker on Violence](https://skepticalinquirer.org/2013/07/steven-pinker-on-violence/) — full Skeptical Inquirer interview, 2013; Pinker offers this as one proposed mechanism for reduced violence. - **Exact original wording:** “If you live in a society where there is a rule of law for long enough, it changes your emotions. You become less likely to react with rage if someone gives you the finger or calls you a nasty name. You don’t challenge them to a knife fight; you walk away.” ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley|The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Greatest Transformation in Human History|The Greatest Transformation in Human History]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Human Animality|Human Animality]] - [[wiki/Institutional Evolution|Institutional Evolution]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “If you live in a society where there is a rule of law for long enough, it changes your emotions. You become less likely to react with rage if someone gives you the finger or calls you a nasty name. You don’t challenge them to a knife fight; you walk away.” — Steven Pinker, Steven Pinker on Violence https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-steven-pinker-rule-law-change-emotional-reactions ```