Google Quote by Ali Smith
““Google, his mother says. The new new found land. Not so long ago it was only the mentally deranged, the unworldly pedants, the imperialists and the naivest of schoolchildren who believed that encyclopaediae gave you any equivalence for the actual world, or any real understanding of it. And door-to-door salesmen sold them, and they were never to be trusted. And even the authorized encyclopaediae, even them we never mistook for or accepted as any real knowledge of the world. But now the world trusts search engines without a thought. The canniest door-to-door salesmen ever invented. Never mind foot in the door. Already right at the heart of the house.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public reading, 2022
The quote critiques society’s blind trust in search engines, likening them to modern door‑to‑door salesmen that promise knowledge but may lack depth.
In simple terms: People trust search engines without questioning their reliability.
Key Takeaway
Question the authority of online information sources.
Themes
technology
trust
knowledge
media
skepticism
Mood
cautious
reflective
skeptical
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- research
- education
- journalism
- personal decision‑making
- media consumption
Key Concepts
information overload
digital literacy
authority
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you verify the information you find online?
- What role should critical thinking play in everyday searches?
A Different Perspective
Search engines can still provide valuable information when used critically.
