Quotations
Voices on technology and the good life
Quotations from around the world and across eras
“Science discerns the laws of nature. Industry applies them to the needs of man.”
Industrial age20th c.
“We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.”
Media theory20th c.
“Technology is the campfire around which we tell our stories.”
Art and technologycontemporary
“The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.”
Skinner wryly points out that the pressing question is not the potential intelligence of computers, but the wisdom and critical thinking of people.
AI and mind20th c.
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
Clarke's famous Third Law celebrates the awe of innovation. It implicitly suggests that we approach our powers with the same reverence and ethical caution we would have for magic.
Sci-fi insight20th c.
“The more you know, the less you need.”
This proverb suggests that true wisdom reduces dependence on material technology, emphasizing simplicity and self-sufficiency.
Indigenoustimeless
“If your only tool is a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail.”
This folk wisdom warns against technological tunnel vision: relying on one tool skews our perspective, so we must diversify our skills and approaches.
African proverbunknown age
“A bad workman blames his tools.”
This saying reminds us that ethical responsibility lies with the user, not the technology. Tools are only as good as the craftsperson; one must take ownership of outcomes rather than fault the instrument.
African proverbtimeless
“The axe forgets; the tree remembers.”
This metaphor of an axe and a tree conveys the lasting impact of harmful technology or actions. The one who wields the tool may soon forget the damage done, but those (or the environment) who suffer will remember. It's a call for compassion and memory in how we use tools.
African (Shona) proverbancestral wisdom
“I do not know how to keep the white man's time… in the wisdom of the Acoli time is not stupidly split up into seconds and minutes.”
In this poem, a traditional woman laments her husband's adoption of Western clock technology. She contrasts industrial timekeeping with natural rhythms, implying that technocratic schedules can conflict with human well-being and cultural wisdom.
African literature20th c. Uganda
“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”
Tutu articulates the Ubuntu concept that community and interdependence are central to a good life. Any technology should thus serve collective humanity, reinforcing bonds rather than isolating individuals.
African ethics20th c.
“The white man knows how to make everything, but he does not know how to distribute it.”
Critiquing the inequities of Western industrial society, this quote highlights that technological production without justice creates imbalance. It urges that human welfare, not just invention, must be a measure of progress.
Indigenous (Lakota)19th c.
“Technological advances haven't increased our quality of life; they have just increased the quantity of things we can accumulate.”
This modern Mayan teaching argues that piling up material goods via technology doesn't equal true well-being. It reflects an indigenous perspective that harmony and balance matter more than mere accumulation.
Indigenous Maya21st c.
“Ka mua, ka muri – I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past.”
In this whakataukī, the Maori counsel learning from the past as we move into the future. It implies that any innovation or tool should be guided by ancestral lessons and respect for history to ensure a flourishing future.
Indigenous Māoriancestral wisdom
“Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors.”
Although Salk was a scientist, this ideal reflects an indigenous-like long-term view. It reminds us that the true measure of our technology and progress is its impact on future generations. Every innovation should be evaluated by whether it leaves a better world for those who come after us.
Modern humanitarian ethic20th c.
“The more sharp weapons the people possess, the more chaotic the state becomes. The more clever skills and techniques people have, the more strange objects arise.”
This verse warns that an excess of weapons and technical cunning can disturb social harmony. Daoist wisdom holds that simplicity and contentment, rather than an arms race of tools, lead to a more natural and peaceful life.
DaoismClassical Chinese
“Yes, and from it they shall learn many arts.”
In this play, the titan Prometheus recounts giving fire to humanity: a metaphor for all technology. Fire enabled humans to develop arts and sciences. This ancient story highlights both the gift and the potential peril—Prometheus is punished by the gods—implying that technological power must be handled with reverence and care.
Greek mythologyWestern classical
“If a craftsman wants to do good work, he must first sharpen his tools.”
This teaching uses the metaphor of sharpening tools to illustrate preparation and self-improvement. It suggests that human virtues and skills (the 'tools' of life) must be honed to achieve any good work. In context of technology, it reminds us that the ethical character of the user is as important as the tool itself in promoting human flourishing.
ConfucianismAncient Chinese
“I have always devoted myself to the Way, which is higher than mere skill… Perception and understanding have come to a stop and spirit moves where it wants… From the words of this cook I have learned how to care for life.”
In this parable, a cook explains how he carves an ox with effortless skill by attuning to the Dao (the natural way) rather than force. His blade never dulls after 19 years. The story suggests that technology should flow with nature and serve life, not dominate it. It's an early statement that true mastery of technique is spiritual and life-affirming, not merely mechanical.
DaoismAncient Chinese
“I will teach you the Dhamma compared to a raft… for the purpose of crossing over, not for the purpose of holding onto… Understanding this, you should let go even of Dhammas, to say nothing of non-Dhammas.”
The Buddha compares his teachings (and by extension any tool or technique) to a raft used to cross a river. Once you reach the far shore (enlightenment or a goal of well-being), you should set the raft aside instead of carrying it on your back. The lesson: technologies and methods are means to an end, not ends in themselves.
BuddhismClassical South Asian
“Tie your camel first, and then put your trust in Allah.”
In an oft-quoted hadith, the Prophet responds to a man who asked if he should just trust God or also secure his camel. This succinct advice captures the balance between using practical means (technology, effort) and maintaining spiritual faith.
Islamic teachingMiddle East
“Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment. Cleverness is mere opinion. Bewilderment brings intuitive knowledge.”
Rumi's verse encourages surrendering the ego's "clever" calculations in favor of spiritual wonder. In terms of technology, it suggests that an overly analytical or prideful intellect can impede true wisdom. A sense of awe and humility connects us to intuition and the divine.
SufismMedieval Persian
“Man is distinguished from other living beings by certain qualities… namely: the sciences and crafts which result from the ability to think, which exalts him as a thinking being over all creatures.”
The great sociologist Ibn Khaldun noted that humanity's unique gift is the capacity for thought leading to science (knowledge) and crafts (technology). The quote underscores an early understanding that techne (craft/tech) is part of our human essence, but also carries a responsibility to use this gift wisely in organizing society.
Islamic scholarship14th c.
“Suppose that every tool we had could perform its task of its own accord… then the craftsmen would have no need of assistants, nor masters need slaves.”
Aristotle muses that if tools became automated (as in the legends of self-moving statues and carts) then human servants or slaves would be unnecessary. Remarkably, this is a 2,300-year-old anticipation of automation. Implied is a hopeful vision that advancing technology could liberate people from drudgery, provided society adapts morally.
Ancient Greek philosophy
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
This rhetorical question from the Gospel of Mark highlights the ultimate trade-off between material gain and spiritual well-being. Applied to technology, it's a stark warning: even if we achieve global dominion through science and conquest, it is a hollow victory if it destroys our moral core.
Biblical wisdomreligious ethics
“Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge – and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world.”
In Shelley's novel, the scientist Victor Frankenstein utters this regret after unleashing a creation he cannot control. He warns that pursuing knowledge and technical power without wisdom can lead to ruin. This early science-fiction insight captures the ambivalence about scientific hubris.
Romantic literatureearly industrial age
“Things are in the saddle and ride mankind.”
In this poetic line, Emerson personifies "Things" (material possessions and tools) as cowboys breaking in humans like horses. It's a vivid critique during the Industrial Revolution: instead of humans mastering technology, our invented "things" threaten to master us.
American Transcendentalism19th c.
“Men have become the tools of their tools.”
Thoreau's Walden laments how quickly human beings invert the proper order of things. We designed tools to serve us, yet through obsession and overreliance we end up serving them. It's a call to simplify life and ensure technology remains a servant to human purpose.
Transcendentalist philosophy19th c.
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.”
Schumacher, critiquing the mantra of "bigger = better," argues that true innovation lies in appropriate scale and simplicity. At the height of industrial growth, he championed technologies and economic systems that are human-scaled and sustainable.
Schumacher's Small is Beautiful20th c.
“Concern for man and his fate must always form the chief interest of all technical endeavors. Never forget this in the midst of your diagrams and equations.”
In a message to young scientists, Einstein insisted that human welfare and moral concern must remain at the center of scientific and technological work. No matter how advanced our equations or engineering become, he cautions, we must not lose sight of human values.
Scientific ethos20th c.
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
Dr. King, observing the Cold War era, noted the dangerous gap between our technical prowess and our moral development. This pithy contrast warns that without spiritual and ethical progress, technological advancement can lead us astray.
Social ethics20th c.
“Modern technology has become a total phenomenon for civilization, the defining force of a new social order in which efficiency is no longer an option but a necessity imposed on all human activity.”
Ellul observed that technique (la technique) had grown into an all-pervasive system. In his view, society increasingly organizes itself around technical efficiency, often at the expense of tradition, spontaneity, or justice.
Technology critique20th c.
“We become what we behold. We shape our tools and then our tools shape us.”
McLuhan, famous for "the medium is the message," succinctly captures the two-way relationship between humanity and its technology. Our inventions reflect our desires and choices, but once in use, they in turn reshape how we think, behave, and even what we value.
Media theory20th c.
“Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately, it might also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks.”
Hawking, reflecting on artificial intelligence, acknowledged its vast promise and peril. A super-intelligent AI could solve problems or, unchecked, pose existential threats. His warning underscores a theme in modern tech discourse: our innovative capacity must be matched by caution, foresight, and governance.
AI ethics21st c.
“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
Oppenheimer, lead scientist of the Manhattan Project, invoked this line from Hindu scripture as he witnessed the terrible fireball of the Trinity test. It conveyed his recognition that modern science had assumed a godlike, destructive power. The quote stands as a sober emblem of how technical "progress" can force humanity to confront profound moral and existential questions.
Nuclear agemid-20th c.
“We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
This aphorism juxtaposes the precision of modern weapons with the moral confusion of those who wield them. King's play on words urges a reevaluation of our priorities – to guide people with the same care and precision with which we guide our missiles.
Social commentary20th c.
“Machinery has its place; it has come to stay. But it must not be allowed to displace necessary human labor… The supreme consideration is man. The machine should not be allowed to make atrophied the limbs of man.”
Gandhi, though recognizing the value of tools, was deeply wary of large-scale industrial machinery. In this statement, he asserts that technology must serve human dignity. His vision of "appropriate technology" favored small, empowering tools over giant systems that could strip people of livelihood and self-reliance.
Appropriate technology20th c.
“Technology... is a useful servant but a dangerous master.”
This classic quote concisely captures a core principle: when technology serves our humane goals, it is invaluable; when it rules us or our society, it can be perilous. The task is to remain masters of our tools, not slaves.
Cautionary maxim20th c.