--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The increase of knowledge has forced the…" description: "\"“The increase of knowledge has forced the thinker to specialise, with the result that there is nobody capable to deal with civilisation as a whole. We ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/641/aleister-crowley-1100_chess_the-increase-of-knowledge-has-forced-the_1134433.png" --- # The increase of knowledge has forced the thinker to… ![“The increase of knowledge has forced the thinker to specialise, with the result that there is nobody capable to deal with civilisation as a whole. We are playing a game of chess in which nobody can see more than two or three squares at once, and so it has become impossible to form a coherent plan.” quote by Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/641/aleister-crowley-1100_chess_the-increase-of-knowledge-has-forced-the_1134433.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/641/aleister-crowley-1100_chess_the-increase-of-knowledge-has-forced-the_1134433.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/641/aleister-crowley-1100_chess_the-increase-of-knowledge-has-forced-the_1134433.png) > ““The increase of knowledge has forced the thinker to specialise, with the result that there is nobody capable to deal with civilisation as a whole. We are playing a game of chess in which nobody can see more than two or three squares at once, and so it has become impossible to form a coherent plan.”” [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Specialization limits holistic understanding, making coherent planning impossible. **In simple terms:** Narrow focus hinders big‑picture planning. Key Takeaway Seek interdisciplinary insight. Themes knowledge specialization planning Mood critical analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - policy making - education reform - strategic leadership Key Concepts systems thinking interdisciplinarity Questions to Reflect On - How can we integrate diverse expertise? - What structures support holistic thinking? A Different Perspective Specialists may lack depth in their niche. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Civilisation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilisation/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) ## Related quotes > [The path to knowledge is a forced one. In order to learn, we must be pushed. On the path of knowledge we are always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/the-path-to-knowledge-is-a-forced-one-in-order-to-learn-we-must-be/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [“Editing is the very edge of your knowledge forced to grow--a test you can't cheat on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/editing-is-the-very-edge-of-your-knowledge-forced-to-grow-a-test-you/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [We must have a university degree even if we never get a job in the area of knowledge we were forced to study.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-must-have-a-university-degree-even-if-we-never-get-a-job-in-the/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Chinese civilisation is so systematic that wild animals have been abolished on principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/chinese-civilisation-is-so-systematic-that-wild-animals-have-been/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [Civilisation is never so charming as when it is an island in the middle of simplicity, or of a civilisation of an alien kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurrell-mallock/civilisation-is-never-so-charming-as-when-it-is-an-island-in-the/) [William Hurrell Mallock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurrell-mallock/) > [I love fashion, beauty, glamour. It's the mark of civilisation,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lachapelle/i-love-fashion-beauty-glamour-it-s-the-mark-of-civilisation/) [David LaChapelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lachapelle/) > [But the ear, let us not forget, starts operating on the forty-fifth day of the pregnancy of a woman. Seven and a half months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/but-the-ear-let-us-not-forget-starts-operating-on-the-forty-fifth-day/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [“the march of civilisation has given the modern girl a vocabulary and an ability to use it which her grandmother never had”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/the-march-of-civilisation-has-given-the-modern-girl-a-vocabulary-and/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [It crosses my mind that our generation may leave problems that are simply too hard for human society in the generations that follow. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-garnaut/it-crosses-my-mind-that-our-generation-may-leave-problems-that-are/) [Ross Garnaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-garnaut/) > [The idea that war should be conducted within a moral framework may seem like a quaint medieval practice, but as speech separates humans from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-idea-that-war-should-be-conducted-within-a-moral-framework-may/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The slow rhythm of the body, the insistent rhythm of the wit, were they becoming irreconcilable in modern civilisation? The sedentary life, frustration and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-williamson/the-slow-rhythm-of-the-body-the-insistent-rhythm-of-the-wit-were-they/) [Henry Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-williamson/) > [“There is a great deal of ruin in a nation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/there-is-a-great-deal-of-ruin-in-a-nation/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [We are producing urban places which are disjointed and disconnected and not worthy of our civilisation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moshe-safdie/we-are-producing-urban-places-which-are-disjointed-and-disconnected/) [Moshe Safdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moshe-safdie/) > [In some ways, I lament the introduction of civilisation on such a huge scale, because it has given us a lot of room to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-harper/in-some-ways-i-lament-the-introduction-of-civilisation-on-such-a-huge/) [Roy Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-harper/) > [The European talks of progress because by the aid of a few scientific discoveries he has established a society which has mistaken comfort for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/the-european-talks-of-progress-because-by-the-aid-of-a-few-scientific/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) ## More by Aleister Crowley > [“Remember that which is written: "Moderate strength rings the bell: great strength returns the penny." It is always the little bit extra that brings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/remember-that-which-is-written-moderate-strength-rings-the-bell-great/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [Ordinary morality is only for ordinary people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/ordinary-morality-is-only-for-ordinary-people/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [This formula of Love is universal; all the laws of Nature are its servitors. Thus, gravitation, chemical affinity, electrical potential, and the rest -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/this-formula-of-love-is-universal-all-the-laws-of-nature-are-its/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [The Gods are but names for the forces of Nature themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/the-gods-are-but-names-for-the-forces-of-nature-themselves/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [Your kiss is bitter with cocaine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/your-kiss-is-bitter-with-cocaine/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [A single ego is an absurdly narrow vantage point from which to view the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/a-single-ego-is-an-absurdly-narrow-vantage-point-from-which-to-view/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [I must make MAGICK the essential factor in the life of ALL. In presenting this book to the world, I must then explain and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/i-must-make-magick-the-essential-factor-in-the-life-of-all-in/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [What is it in absinthe that makes it a separate cult? The effects of its abuse are totally distinct from those of other stimulants.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/what-is-it-in-absinthe-that-makes-it-a-separate-cult-the-effects-of/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [“Indubitably, Magick is one of the subtlest and most difficult of the sciences and arts. There is more opportunity for errors of comprehension, judgement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/indubitably-magick-is-one-of-the-subtlest-and-most-difficult-of-the/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [Every one interprets everything in terms of his own experience. If you say anything which does not touch a precisely similar spot in another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/every-one-interprets-everything-in-terms-of-his-own-experience-if-you/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [I am inclined to agree with the Head Master of Eton that pæderastic passions among schoolboys 'do no harm'; further, I think them the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/i-am-inclined-to-agree-with-the-head-master-of-eton-that-p-derastic/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [The joy of life consists in the exercise of one's energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience. To stop means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/the-joy-of-life-consists-in-the-exercise-of-one-s-energies-continual/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [Every intentional act is a magical act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/every-intentional-act-is-a-magical-act/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [“Sex is, directly or indirectly, the most powerful weapon in the armoury of the Magician; and precisely because there is no moral guide, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/sex-is-directly-or-indirectly-the-most-powerful-weapon-in-the-armoury/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [The old spelling MAGICK has been adopted throughout in order to distinguish the Science of the Magi from all its counterfeits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/the-old-spelling-magick-has-been-adopted-throughout-in-order-to/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) [Explore all 291 Aleister Crowley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) ## More Chess quotes > [I have known many chess players, but among them there has been only one genius - Capablanca!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/i-have-known-many-chess-players-but-among-them-there-has-been-only/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [Real chessplayers think about chess more or less 24 hours a day. It is a passion and a fate that one has to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simen-agdestein/real-chessplayers-think-about-chess-more-or-less-24-hours-a-day-it-is/) Simen Agdestein > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [“Relationships are chess for women," he said. "They can see the whole board, plan way ahead. They're the queens, after all. We're the kings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/relationships-are-chess-for-women-he-said-they-can-see-the-whole/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) > [The election of Trump threw the chess board up. The pieces are all over the place. That's upsetting to a lot of people, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-rubin/the-election-of-trump-threw-the-chess-board-up-the-pieces-are-all/) [Dave Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-rubin/) > [Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/playing-for-complications-is-an-extreme-measure-that-a-player-should/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [“the shadows. “Why do you think they invented chess?” “He’s got you there,” said the captain, following Fletcher. Jake jogged slightly to catch up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-blake/the-shadows-why-do-you-think-they-invented-chess-he-s-got-you-there/) [Russell Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-blake/) > [ \[Photographer Julian Wasser\] had this great idea that I should play chess naked with Marcel Duchamp and it seem to be such a great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-babitz/photographer-julian-wasser-had-this-great-idea-that-i-should-play/) [Eve Babitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-babitz/) > [Chess is a good mistress but a bad master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-abrahams/chess-is-a-good-mistress-but-a-bad-master/) [Gerald Abrahams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-abrahams/) > [I am not some sort of freak. I might be very good at chess but I'm just a normal person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-carlsen/i-am-not-some-sort-of-freak-i-might-be-very-good-at-chess-but-i-m/) [Magnus Carlsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus-carlsen/) > [Some sacrifices are sound; the rest are mine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tal/some-sacrifices-are-sound-the-rest-are-mine/) [Mikhail Tal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-tal/) > [My parents were very supportive of my chess. When I got home after a game of chess, having missed school or something, they always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viswanathan-anand/my-parents-were-very-supportive-of-my-chess-when-i-got-home-after-a/) [Viswanathan Anand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viswanathan-anand/) > [Amberley excelled at chess - a mark, Watson, of a scheming mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/amberley-excelled-at-chess-a-mark-watson-of-a-scheming-mind/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [In high school, my sister went out with the captain of the chess team. My parents loved him... They figured that any guy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kiley/in-high-school-my-sister-went-out-with-the-captain-of-the-chess-team/) [Brian Kiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kiley/) > [The King is a fighting piece. Use it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-steinitz/the-king-is-a-fighting-piece-use-it/) [Wilhelm Steinitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-steinitz/) [Browse all 2,003 Chess quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The increase of knowledge has forced the thinker to specialise, with the result that there is nobody capable to deal with civilisation as a whole. 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