Artillery Quote by Anonymous
““As a matter of fact,” says a commandant, “anybody — or, rather, everybody did. The general idea is after such-and-such system, the patent of which had expired, and we improved it; the breech action, with slight modification, is somebody else’s; the sighting is perhaps a little special; and so is the traversing, but, at bottom, it is only an assembly of variations and arrangements.” That, of course, is all that Shakespeare ever got out of the alphabet. The French Artillery make their own guns as he made his plays.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Unknown military lecture, early 20th century
Describes how a weapon system is merely a collection of minor tweaks, likening it to Shakespeare’s limited use of language.
In simple terms: Weapons are built from small variations, not breakthroughs.
Key Takeaway
Recognize incremental innovation.
Themes
innovation
technology
history
language
military
creativity
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
explanatory
reflective
When to use this quote
- weapon development
- patent expiration
- creative processes
Key Concepts
incremental design
intellectual property
artistic analogy
Questions to Reflect On
- What value lies in small improvements?
- How does analogy shape our view of technology?
A Different Perspective
Oversimplifies complex engineering achievements.
