Norbert Wiener
Norbert Wiener (1894–1964) was an American mathematician and philosopher at MIT who founded cybernetics, the study of communication and control in machines and living things. His books include Cybernetics (1948) and The Human Use of Human Beings (1950).
5 quotes in this collection. Read them below, share your favourites, or follow the related links to explore similar voices.
All quotes by Norbert Wiener
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“Like the Red Queen, we cannot stay where we are without running as fast as we can.”
Meaning: Wiener borrowed Lewis Carroll's Red Queen to describe how fighting disorder takes constant effort. Skills, systems and relationships decay if left alone. Schedule a short regular slot, like twenty minutes weekly, to maintain one skill or tool you depend on. -
“machines can and do transcend some of the limitations of their designers”
Meaning: In a 1960 Time article, Wiener warned that machines can behave in ways their makers did not foresee, so human oversight matters. When you use automated tools, check their outputs on something you know well before trusting them on something you do not. -
“Progress imposes not only new possibilities for the future but new restrictions.”
Meaning: Wiener cautioned that every technological advance narrows some options even as it opens others. Think of how a smartphone adds convenience yet demands attention. Before adopting a new tool, ask what it will require of you, not just what it promises. -
“To live effectively is to live with adequate information.”
Meaning: Wiener wrote this in The Human Use of Human Beings, tying good living to access to accurate messages. In an age of overload, the point is quality over quantity. Choose two reliable sources for a decision you face this week, rather than scrolling endlessly. -
“Information is information, not matter or energy. No materialism which does not admit this can survive at the present day.”
Meaning: In Cybernetics, Wiener argued that information is a basic ingredient of the world, separate from physical stuff. It helps explain why data, software and ideas have value. In everyday terms, treat what you know and how you share it as an asset worth organising.