--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our time is so specialised that we have…" description: "\"Our time is so specialised that we have people who know more and more or less and less.\" — Alvar Aalto" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e65/alvar-aalto-20901_our-time_our-time-is-so-specialised-that-we-have_303111.png" --- # Our time is so specialised that we have people who know… ![“Our time is so specialised that we have people who know more and more or less and less.” quote by Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e65/alvar-aalto-20901_our-time_our-time-is-so-specialised-that-we-have_303111.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e65/alvar-aalto-20901_our-time_our-time-is-so-specialised-that-we-have_303111.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e65/alvar-aalto-20901_our-time_our-time-is-so-specialised-that-we-have_303111.png) > “Our time is so specialised that we have people who know more and more or less and less.” [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Specialization leads to deep expertise in narrow fields, reducing broad knowledge across many areas. **In simple terms:** People become experts in tiny slices of knowledge. Key Takeaway Balance depth with breadth. Themes specialization knowledge expertise Mood thoughtful concerned Type observational analytical When to use this quote - academic research - career planning - education curriculum - team projects - policy making Key Concepts division of labor cognitive limits interdisciplinarity Questions to Reflect On - How can we maintain broad perspective in a specialized world? - What structures support interdisciplinary collaboration? A Different Perspective Over‑specialization can hinder innovation and adaptability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [When I was growing up, hip-hop was still a pretty specialised thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle/when-i-was-growing-up-hip-hop-was-still-a-pretty-specialised-thing/) [Estelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle/) > [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [You're on Facebook, and you're supposed to know your sexual orientation at 13... Nobody really knows what's going on at that time, and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron-mitchell/you-re-on-facebook-and-you-re-supposed-to-know-your-sexual/) [John Cameron Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron-mitchell/) > [I've been around in public life for a long time. I think people know what I stand for. They know that I have strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-turnbull/i-ve-been-around-in-public-life-for-a-long-time-i-think-people-know/) [Malcolm Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-turnbull/) > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Philanthropy is one of the most hopeful characteristics of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-livermore/philanthropy-is-one-of-the-most-hopeful-characteristics-of-our-time/) Mary Livermore > [Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-likely-to-disappear-in-a/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [Our acts of kindness we reserve for our friends, our bounties for our dependants, our riches for our children and relations, our praises for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-massillon/our-acts-of-kindness-we-reserve-for-our-friends-our-bounties-for-our/) [Jean Baptiste Massillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-massillon/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Treason implies responsibility for something, control over something, influence upon something, knowledge of something. Treason in our time is a proof of genius. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/treason-implies-responsibility-for-something-control-over-something/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“We will all, at some point in our lives, fall. Every single one of us. We shouldn't spend our time trying to avoid falling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/we-will-all-at-some-point-in-our-lives-fall-every-single-one-of-us-we/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [Liberalism is the philosophy for our time, because it does not try to conserve every tradition of the past, because it does not apply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/liberalism-is-the-philosophy-for-our-time-because-it-does-not-try-to/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) ## More by Alvar Aalto > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [Once I tried to make a standardization of staircases. Probably that is one of the oldest of the standardizations. Of course, we design new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/once-i-tried-to-make-a-standardization-of-staircases-probably-that-is/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [Human life is a combination of tragedy and comedy. The shapes and designs that surround us are the music accompanying this tragedy and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/human-life-is-a-combination-of-tragedy-and-comedy-the-shapes-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [Nothing is as dangerous in architecture as dealing with separated problems. If we split life into separated problems we split the possibilities to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-is-as-dangerous-in-architecture-as-dealing-with-separated/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [The best standardisation committee in the world is nature herself, but in nature standardisation occurs mainly in connection with the smallest possible units: cells.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/the-best-standardisation-committee-in-the-world-is-nature-herself-but/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [We should concentrate our work not only to a separated housing problem but housing involved in our daily work and all the other functions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/we-should-concentrate-our-work-not-only-to-a-separated-housing/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [Objects are made to be completed by the human mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/objects-are-made-to-be-completed-by-the-human-mind/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [We should work for simple, good, undecorated things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/we-should-work-for-simple-good-undecorated-things/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [The most difficult problems are naturally not involved in the search for forms for contemporary life. It is a question of working our way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/the-most-difficult-problems-are-naturally-not-involved-in-the-search/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [It is the task of the architect to give life a gentler structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/it-is-the-task-of-the-architect-to-give-life-a-gentler-structure/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [We have almost a city has probably two or three hundred committees. Every committee is dealing with just one problem and has nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/we-have-almost-a-city-has-probably-two-or-three-hundred-committees/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [Every one of my buildings begins with an Italian journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/every-one-of-my-buildings-begins-with-an-italian-journey/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [Beauty is the harmony of purpose and form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/beauty-is-the-harmony-of-purpose-and-form/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [The very essence of architecture consists of a variety and development reminiscent of natural organic life. This is the only true style in architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/the-very-essence-of-architecture-consists-of-a-variety-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [The tubular steel chair is surely rational from technical and constructive points of view. It is light, suitable for mass production, and so on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/the-tubular-steel-chair-is-surely-rational-from-technical-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) [Explore all 30 Alvar Aalto quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) ## More Our time quotes > [“We will all, at some point in our lives, fall. Every single one of us. We shouldn't spend our time trying to avoid falling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/we-will-all-at-some-point-in-our-lives-fall-every-single-one-of-us-we/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [Liberalism is the philosophy for our time, because it does not try to conserve every tradition of the past, because it does not apply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/liberalism-is-the-philosophy-for-our-time-because-it-does-not-try-to/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [Treason implies responsibility for something, control over something, influence upon something, knowledge of something. Treason in our time is a proof of genius. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/treason-implies-responsibility-for-something-control-over-something/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [Our acts of kindness we reserve for our friends, our bounties for our dependants, our riches for our children and relations, our praises for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-massillon/our-acts-of-kindness-we-reserve-for-our-friends-our-bounties-for-our/) [Jean Baptiste Massillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-massillon/) > [Nearly all the writing of our time is likely to disappear in a hundred years. Certainly most readers - and nearly all critics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/nearly-all-the-writing-of-our-time-is-likely-to-disappear-in-a/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [Philanthropy is one of the most hopeful characteristics of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-livermore/philanthropy-is-one-of-the-most-hopeful-characteristics-of-our-time/) Mary Livermore > [In our time, we have sifted the sands of Mars, we have established a presence there, we have fulfilled a century of dreams!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-our-time-we-have-sifted-the-sands-of-mars-we-have-established-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [My beloved friend - one of the most unique and charming personalities of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/my-beloved-friend-one-of-the-most-unique-and-charming-personalities/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [Anarchism is a definite intellectual current in the life of our times, whose adherents advocate the abolition of economic monopolies and of all political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/anarchism-is-a-definite-intellectual-current-in-the-life-of-our-times/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [I have to declare in all candor that no one interested in being published in our time can afford to be so naive as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-curtis/i-have-to-declare-in-all-candor-that-no-one-interested-in-being/) [Richard Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-curtis/) Browse all 1,091 Our time quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our time is so specialised that we have people who know more and more or less and less.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alvar Aalto" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/our-time-is-so-specialised-that-we-have-people-who-know-more-and-more/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Our time" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/our-time-is-so-specialised-that-we-have-people-who-know-more-and-more/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e65/alvar-aalto-20901_our-time_our-time-is-so-specialised-that-we-have_303111.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e65/alvar-aalto-20901_our-time_our-time-is-so-specialised-that-we-have_303111.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e65/alvar-aalto-20901_our-time_our-time-is-so-specialised-that-we-have_303111.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our time is so specialised that we have people who know more and more or less and less.” — Alvar Aalto", "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": "Alvar Aalto", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our time is so specialised that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/our-time-is-so-specialised-that-we-have-people-who-know-more-and-more/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/our-time-is-so-specialised-that-we-have-people-who-know-more-and-more/#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 } } ] } ```