From Inside Out / From Inside to Out

Question

Hello.The brain has evolved from the inside out. This sentence is correct and natural I guess. Would it still be correct and natural if I said it this way? The brain has evolved from the inside to out. Would to change the meaning?

Rover_KE · Accepted Answer

'The brain has evolved from the inside out' is grammatically correct, though I've no idea if it's physiologically true.

'...from the inside to out' is incorrect.

GPY · Answer

"from the inside out" is natural English, but "from the inside to out" does not seem right.

Nugso · Answer

Hi Rover_KE and GPY. Well, I guess it's physiologically true also as the quote belongs to Carl Sagan. Anyway, why would from the the inside to out be incorrect?

We normally say I'll go from A to B. Isn't it like brain evolving from its 'inside' to 'out'? Why am I mistaken?

GPY · Answer

"from the inside to out" is making "out" the target of the preposition "to", but only a noun can go in that place (except for special idiomatic patterns). You could say "from the inside to the outside".

Nugso · Answer

Oh I see now, thanks! Do both mean the same thing?

GPY · Answer

You mean "from the inside out" and "from the inside to the outside"? In this context it is hard to identify any specific difference in meaning, but the former seems neater.

Nugso · Answer

Yes, those sentences. Well,

. Around 0.13, he says from the inside out. Would it still have been more clear had he said from the inside to the outside? Or would it have sounded a bit weird?

CalifJim · Answer

NugsoThe brain has evolved from the inside out.

Here 'out' means 'outward', i.e., 'in an outward direction'. You can even say it like this:

The brain has evolved outward from the inside. ~ The brain has evolved in an outward direction from the inside.

If you consider the meaning, the addition of "to" adds nothing. In fact, it confuses things, because "to" indicates a destination, not a direction.

The brain has evolved to in an outward direction from the inside. "to in" doesn't work in English grammar. That's why you can't say "to out" or "to outward". In this context "out" and "outward" imply "in a certain direction".
_____________

outward ~ toward the outside (Not to the outside)

toward tells us the direction; to tells us the destination.

On an evening of your choice you might fire a bullet so that it goes toward the moon, but you can't fire a bullet to the moon. It will never arrive there. Therefore, from the inside out(ward) and from the inside to the outside have different meanings.

CJ

GPY · Answer

NugsoYes, those sentences. Well, [video] . Around 0.13, he says from the inside out. Would it still have been more clear had he said from the inside to the outside? Or would it have sounded a bit weird?

No, no clearer, and, as I say, not as neat. Not weird though.

Nugso · Answer

Oh, I get it now. Thanks CalifJim and GPY. Thanks to your example, I now see why I was mistaken! It's kind of like the difference between within and in I guess(though not that related). Say, it's 1 p.m and I tell my friend I'll be there in 2 hours mean I'll be there at 3 p.m. However if I say I'll be there within 2 hours, it doesn't necessarily mean I'll be there at 3 p.m but sometime between 1 p.m and 3 p.m, right? Hope I'm not being off-topic. I'm merely wondering if toward/to and within/in are related to each other to some extent.

From Inside Out / From Inside to Out

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