--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To get the medium's magic to work for…" description: "\"To get the medium's magic to work for one's aims rather than against them is to attain literacy.\" — Alan Kay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/alan-kay-7358_aim_to-get-the-medium-s-magic-to-work-for-on_1169631.jpg" --- # To get the medium's magic to work for one's aims rather… ![“To get the medium's magic to work for one's aims rather than against them is to attain literacy.” quote by Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/alan-kay-7358_aim_to-get-the-medium-s-magic-to-work-for-on_1169631.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/alan-kay-7358_aim_to-get-the-medium-s-magic-to-work-for-on_1169631.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/alan-kay-7358_aim_to-get-the-medium-s-magic-to-work-for-on_1169631.jpg) > “To get the medium's magic to work for one's aims rather than against them is to attain literacy.” [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Literacy means mastering tools so they serve your goals, not hinder them **In simple terms:** Understanding tools lets you use them effectively Key Takeaway Learn to make technology work for you Themes education technology literacy empowerment Mood inspirational practical Type educational technological When to use this quote - Classroom teaching - software development - digital literacy training Key Concepts Tool mastery cognitive framing design thinking Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you literacy literacy in new technologies? - How does tool mastery affect creativity? A Different Perspective Technology can be misused if not properly understood ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Literacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literacy/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) ## Related quotes > [We all start in this medium because of the magic and the challenge is to keep it going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/we-all-start-in-this-medium-because-of-the-magic-and-the-challenge-is/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [What you try to become is a bringer of magic, for magic and the truth are closely allied and movies are sheer magic ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-huston/what-you-try-to-become-is-a-bringer-of-magic-for-magic-and-the-truth/) [John Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-huston/) > [When I finally got up to Industrial Light And Magic to work on the 'Star Wars' movies as a model-maker, it felt like dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/when-i-finally-got-up-to-industrial-light-and-magic-to-work-on-the/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [“Divinity is accident of nature, magic is the work of an art.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/divinity-is-accident-of-nature-magic-is-the-work-of-an-art/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Computer literacy is a contact with the activity of computing deep enough to make the computational equivalent of reading and writing fluent and enjoyable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/computer-literacy-is-a-contact-with-the-activity-of-computing-deep/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Television should be the last mass communication medium to be naively designed and put into the world without a surgeon-general's warning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/television-should-be-the-last-mass-communication-medium-to-be-naively/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Emotional Literacy means being able to recognise what you are feeling, so that it doesn't interfere with thinking. It becomes another dimension to draw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-orbach/emotional-literacy-means-being-able-to-recognise-what-you-are-feeling/) [Susie Orbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-orbach/) > [Children learn more from what you are than what you teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/children-learn-more-from-what-you-are-than-what-you-teach/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/reading-a-book-is-like-re-writing-it-for-yourself/) [Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/) > [Wherever there is a jackboot stomping on a human face there will be a well-heeled Western liberal to explain that the face does, after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-derbyshire/wherever-there-is-a-jackboot-stomping-on-a-human-face-there-will-be-a/) [John Derbyshire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-derbyshire/) > [To succeed, you will soon learn, as I did, the importance of a solid foundation in the basics of education - literacy, both verbal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/to-succeed-you-will-soon-learn-as-i-did-the-importance-of-a-solid/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [A children's author on a soapbox is not a pleasant sight but I have become drawn into issues, slightly unwillingly, relating to young people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/a-children-s-author-on-a-soapbox-is-not-a-pleasant-sight-but-i-have/) [Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/) > [In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends, but they are imprisoned by an enchanter in these paper and leathern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-a-library-we-are-surrounded-by-many-hundreds-of-dear-friends-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Back at home they drew the curtains and read, with disapproval, with relish, with avidity and glee - even the ones who'd never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/back-at-home-they-drew-the-curtains-and-read-with-disapproval-with/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Love of books is the best of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-kennedy/love-of-books-is-the-best-of-all/) [Jackie Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-kennedy/) ## More by Alan Kay > [In our society we have hard nerds and soft nerds. The hard nerds are the ones who used to have the slide rules at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/in-our-society-we-have-hard-nerds-and-soft-nerds-the-hard-nerds-are/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [As far as Apple goes, it was a different company every few years from the time I joined in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/as-far-as-apple-goes-it-was-a-different-company-every-few-years-from/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [When I first prepared this particular talk... I realized that my usual approach is usually critical. That is, a lot of the things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/when-i-first-prepared-this-particular-talk-i-realized-that-my-usual/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Quite a few people have to believe something is normal before it becomes normal - a sort of 'voting' situation. But once the threshold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/quite-a-few-people-have-to-believe-something-is-normal-before-it/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Every technology really needs to be shipped with a special manual - not how to use it but why, when and for what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/every-technology-really-needs-to-be-shipped-with-a-special-manual-not/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Java and C++ make you think that the new ideas are like the old ones. Java is the most distressing thing to hit computing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/java-and-c-make-you-think-that-the-new-ideas-are-like-the-old-ones/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [It's hard to change information in books, but if we have everything online, then a somewhat untrustworthy group of people controlling the thing -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/it-s-hard-to-change-information-in-books-but-if-we-have-everything/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Computer programmers do it byte by byte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/computer-programmers-do-it-byte-by-byte/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Lisp isn't a language, it's a building material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/lisp-isn-t-a-language-it-s-a-building-material/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [The tree of research must be fed from time to time with the blood of bean-counters, for it is its natural manure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/the-tree-of-research-must-be-fed-from-time-to-time-with-the-blood-of/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/people-who-are-really-serious-about-software-should-make-their-own/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [I think the trick with knowledge is to “acquire it, and forget all except the perfume” - because it is noisy and sometimes drowns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/i-think-the-trick-with-knowledge-is-to-acquire-it-and-forget-all/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Possibly the only real object-oriented system in working order. (About Internet)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/possibly-the-only-real-object-oriented-system-in-working-order-about/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [“A change in perspective is worth 80 IQ points.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/a-change-in-perspective-is-worth-80-iq-points/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Humans are communications junkies. We just can't get enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/humans-are-communications-junkies-we-just-can-t-get-enough/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) [Explore all 91 Alan Kay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) ## More Aim quotes > [If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/if-you-aim-at-nothing-you-will-hit-it-every-time/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The Christian man must aim at that complete obedience to God in which life finds its highest happiness, its greatest good, its perfect consummation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-christian-man-must-aim-at-that-complete-obedience-to-god-in-which/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [In Bosnia, little children shot in the head by a guy who thinks it's okay to aim his gun at a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-bosnia-little-children-shot-in-the-head-by-a-guy-who-thinks-it-s/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [My main aim has always been to do good quality films with roles that have some substance. With Power and Beauty there were loads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-henstridge/my-main-aim-has-always-been-to-do-good-quality-films-with-roles-that/) [Natasha Henstridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-henstridge/) > [ I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback \[in "The Invisible Woman"\]. Ralph \[Fiennes\] was very open to my input,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-watching-rushes-and-playback-in/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [My aim is to be counted among the top players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babar-azam/my-aim-is-to-be-counted-among-the-top-players/) [Babar Azam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babar-azam/) > [The single aim of my life is that every child is: free to be a child, free to grow and develop, free to eat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-satyarthi/the-single-aim-of-my-life-is-that-every-child-is-free-to-be-a-child/) [Kailash Satyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-satyarthi/) > [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. What is always needed in any aim is right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/prescribing-hard-work-for-the-soft-or-easy-work-for-the-hardy-is/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [To be normal is the ultimate aim of the unsuccessful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/to-be-normal-is-the-ultimate-aim-of-the-unsuccessful/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) Browse all 3,047 Aim quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To get the medium's magic to work for one's aims rather than against them is to attain literacy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Kay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/to-get-the-medium-s-magic-to-work-for-one-s-aims-rather-than-against/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aim" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/to-get-the-medium-s-magic-to-work-for-one-s-aims-rather-than-against/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/alan-kay-7358_aim_to-get-the-medium-s-magic-to-work-for-on_1169631.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/alan-kay-7358_aim_to-get-the-medium-s-magic-to-work-for-on_1169631.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/alan-kay-7358_aim_to-get-the-medium-s-magic-to-work-for-on_1169631.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To get the medium's magic to work for one's aims rather than against them is to attain literacy.” — Alan Kay", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Kay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To get the medium's magic to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/to-get-the-medium-s-magic-to-work-for-one-s-aims-rather-than-against/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/to-get-the-medium-s-magic-to-work-for-one-s-aims-rather-than-against/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```