Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983) was an American architect, systems theorist and inventor. He is known for the geodesic dome and for his writings on design science and humanity's future.
5 quotes in this collection. Read them below, share your favourites, or follow the related links to explore similar voices.
All quotes by Buckminster Fuller
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“To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
Meaning: Fuller argued that fighting a flawed system head-on rarely works; better to create something so useful that the old approach fades on its own. When a process at work frustrates you, prototype a better version and let people try it instead of debating the old one. -
“Thinking is a momentary dismissal of irrelevancies.”
Meaning: In his book on humanity's prospects, Fuller described thinking as the act of setting aside what does not matter so the relevant pattern appears. When a decision feels overwhelming, list every factor, then cross out all but the two or three that truly drive the outcome. -
“A problem adequately stated is a problem solved theoretically and immediately”
Meaning: From Fuller's document on his World Design Science Decade, this line says clarity about the problem is half of the solution. Before brainstorming fixes, write your problem in one precise sentence, including who is affected and what success looks like. -
“Dare to be naïve.”
Meaning: Fuller offered this as advice in his late book on geometry and thinking: asking basic questions, free of assumed limits, can reveal what experts overlook. Next time you meet a puzzling problem, ask the simplest question aloud, such as why it has to work this way. -
“Study your mistakes; admit them, study them, and be terribly excited about them too.”
Meaning: Fuller said this in an interview, treating errors as the raw material of discovery rather than something to hide. After your next failed attempt, spend ten minutes writing what it taught you, and share it with your team as a finding, not a confession.