--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the industrial revolution happened…" description: "\"When the industrial revolution happened there was the Luddistic movement, and there was a fear that machinery would replace all the labor. Whenever we ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/branko-milanovic-34886_backwards_when-the-industrial-revolution-happened_2021487.jpg" --- # When the industrial revolution happened there was the… ![“When the industrial revolution happened there was the Luddistic movement, and there was a fear that machinery would replace all the labor. Whenever we had a technological revolution we had this fear. So if you look backwards, these fears were not justified, and I think they were driven by our very…” quote by Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/branko-milanovic-34886_backwards_when-the-industrial-revolution-happened_2021487.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/branko-milanovic-34886_backwards_when-the-industrial-revolution-happened_2021487.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/branko-milanovic-34886_backwards_when-the-industrial-revolution-happened_2021487.jpg) > “When the industrial revolution happened there was the Luddistic movement, and there was a fear that machinery would replace all the labor. Whenever we had a technological revolution we had this fear. So if you look backwards, these fears were not justified, and I think they were driven by our very human inability to visualize what new jobs will be created by this new technology.” [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Technological change often sparks fear of job loss, but history shows new jobs emerge that we cannot foresee. **In simple terms:** People fear machines will take jobs, yet new work appears. Key Takeaway Embrace change, focus on future opportunities. Themes technology economics labor fear innovation Mood cautious optimistic Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - policy making - career planning - education reform - entrepreneurship Key Concepts creative destruction future of work skill adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How can societies better anticipate emerging job sectors? - What policies can ease transition for displaced workers? A Different Perspective Fear can overlook short‑term disruption and inequality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Backwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backwards/) [Driven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driven/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Industrial revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industrial-revolution/) [Justified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justified/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Labor Technological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor-technological-3663802/) [Luddistic Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luddistic-movement-3663804/) [New job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-job/) [New technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-technology/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Revolution Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution-fear-3663803/) [Technological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technological/) [Technological Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technological-revolution-555631/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“I'll tell you a secret about fear: it's an absolutist. With fear, it's all or nothing. Either, like any bullying tyrant, it rules your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-ll-tell-you-a-secret-about-fear-it-s-an-absolutist-with-fear-it-s/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“that the power of technology will keep increasing, while the price for this power will keep decreasing. With Moore’s Law proving to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-isaacman/that-the-power-of-technology-will-keep-increasing-while-the-price-for/) [Max Isaacman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-isaacman/) > [I don't. We've had three technological revolutions that have changed the course of human history, all driven by physics. In the first, the industrial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/i-don-t-we-ve-had-three-technological-revolutions-that-have-changed/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [The industrial revolution in the new century is, in essence, a scientific and technological revolution, and breaking through the cutting edge is a shortcut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-jong-un/the-industrial-revolution-in-the-new-century-is-in-essence-a/) [Kim Jong-un](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-jong-un/) > [We need to develop the new green industrial revolution that develops the new technologies that can confront and overcome the challenge of climate change;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/we-need-to-develop-the-new-green-industrial-revolution-that-develops/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [We humans have always been resilient. With each industrial revolution, we have adapted, creating new jobs with new technologies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hari-sreenivasan/we-humans-have-always-been-resilient-with-each-industrial-revolution/) [Hari Sreenivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hari-sreenivasan/) > [Because I had visited Silicon Valley, I recognized the microprocessor was going to lead the second industrial revolution. We Chinese could not miss that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-shih/because-i-had-visited-silicon-valley-i-recognized-the-microprocessor/) [Stan Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-shih/) > [When you brought the Industrial Revolution in, all of a sudden India and China went from being the dominant global powers to being powers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/when-you-brought-the-industrial-revolution-in-all-of-a-sudden-india/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [The technological revolution at home makes it much easier for computers to do our work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/the-technological-revolution-at-home-makes-it-much-easier-for/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [The technological revolution is itself a direct descendant of the Ancient Greeks' historia, and the web is populated by young people who want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bettany-hughes/the-technological-revolution-is-itself-a-direct-descendant-of-the/) [Bettany Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bettany-hughes/) > [“Today’s equivalent is probably ‘get an engineering degree’, but it will not necessarily be as lucrative. A third of Americans who graduated in STEM…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/today-s-equivalent-is-probably-get-an-engineering-degree-but-it-will/) [Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/) > [“Liberal and conservative revolutions are dead. The ancient and spiritual endures. A technological revolution? Only if one is incapable of seeing the beauty in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/liberal-and-conservative-revolutions-are-dead-the-ancient-and/) [VD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vd/) > [When you think of technological revolution, you probably think of geeks in cool coastal spaces like the Google campus, or perhaps of math wizards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrystia-freeland/when-you-think-of-technological-revolution-you-probably-think-of/) [Chrystia Freeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrystia-freeland/) > [Britain is the ideas factory of the world and has huge potential to benefit from the next technological revolution. Our future lies in being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-truss/britain-is-the-ideas-factory-of-the-world-and-has-huge-potential-to/) [Liz Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-truss/) > [What we can say with confidence is that the technological revolution is worsening inequality, due mostly to mechanisms that limit free markets. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-standing/what-we-can-say-with-confidence-is-that-the-technological-revolution/) [Guy Standing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-standing/) ## More by Branko Milanovic > [The middle class in the rich countries is where the political game is being played. They are voting in elections in the U.S., U.K.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/the-middle-class-in-the-rich-countries-is-where-the-political-game-is/) [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) > [If we knew what type of jobs would exist in 20 years, we would be quite rich. But we just cannot visualize it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/if-we-knew-what-type-of-jobs-would-exist-in-20-years-we-would-be/) [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) > [Global inequality is such an abstract concept, simply because there is no global government. Telling people in rich countries who have had no increase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/global-inequality-is-such-an-abstract-concept-simply-because-there-is/) [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) > [In the U.S. when people like me started writing things about inequality, the economic journals had no classification for inequality. I couldn't find where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/in-the-u-s-when-people-like-me-started-writing-things-about/) [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) > [While you can say that the problem of the middle class in the rich countries is too much globalization, the problem of the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/while-you-can-say-that-the-problem-of-the-middle-class-in-the-rich/) [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) > [What is different between national inequality and global inequality is you have another element there that is sometimes forgotten: what matters for global inequality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/what-is-different-between-national-inequality-and-global-inequality/) [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) > [“What determines inequality among individuals within a single nation? Are there certain regularities that make inequality behave in a particular way as societies develop?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/what-determines-inequality-among-individuals-within-a-single-nation/) [Branko Milanović](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) > [Most people believe that inequality is rising - and indeed it has been rising for a while in a number of rich countries. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/most-people-believe-that-inequality-is-rising-and-indeed-it-has-been/) [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) > [People in the rich countries who have done very well, who are at the top of the income pyramid, try to steamroll over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/people-in-the-rich-countries-who-have-done-very-well-who-are-at-the/) [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) > [If, for example, each of us had the same share of capital in the national total capital, then if the share of capital goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/if-for-example-each-of-us-had-the-same-share-of-capital-in-the/) [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) > [Even if parties associated with right wing populism don't win, they push other parties, the centrist parties, towards their position. So they do have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/even-if-parties-associated-with-right-wing-populism-don-t-win-they/) [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) > [Well, you can do whatever you want, but just don’t call it inequality. Put the word poverty there. Because we have many rich people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/well-you-can-do-whatever-you-want-but-just-don-t-call-it-inequality/) [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) > [I was at the World Bank and a commission reviewed our work on inequality for the U.S. Congress or somebody, and the head of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/i-was-at-the-world-bank-and-a-commission-reviewed-our-work-on/) [Branko Milanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) [Explore all 14 Branko Milanovic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/) ## More Backwards quotes > [I'm just always looking forwards. I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [I wear T-shirts and backwards hats and buy my shoes at Payless!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-bristowe/i-wear-t-shirts-and-backwards-hats-and-buy-my-shoes-at-payless/) [Kaitlyn Bristowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlyn-bristowe/) > [A historian is not always a prophet facing backwards, but a journalist is always someone who afterwards knew everything beforehand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/a-historian-is-not-always-a-prophet-facing-backwards-but-a-journalist/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Why don't you just imagine it never happened..??](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/effy-stonem/why-don-t-you-just-imagine-it-never-happened/) [Effy Stonem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/effy-stonem/) > [“It would seem no matter how progressive we get there are always those few who are backwards in their ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/it-would-seem-no-matter-how-progressive-we-get-there-are-always-those/) [Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/) > [In the spiritual life, he who does not advance goes backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/in-the-spiritual-life-he-who-does-not-advance-goes-backwards/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [Now, success is not the result of making money; making money is the result of success - and success is in direct proportion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/now-success-is-not-the-result-of-making-money-making-money-is-the/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Can anyone be so foolish as to believe that there are men whose feet are higher than their heads, or places where things may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lactantius/can-anyone-be-so-foolish-as-to-believe-that-there-are-men-whose-feet/) [Lactantius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lactantius/) > [I took a little break - I was coming back to work and the last thing I was going to do was take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-took-a-little-break-i-was-coming-back-to-work-and-the-last-thing-i/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [Only a fool walks into the future backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/only-a-fool-walks-into-the-future-backwards/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [We have different expectations for different groups of people. We tend to modulate the degree with which we're forgiving or punitive depending on how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/we-have-different-expectations-for-different-groups-of-people-we-tend/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) > [You know what, if you play 'She Looks So Perfect' backwards... you just listen to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-hemmings/you-know-what-if-you-play-she-looks-so-perfect-backwards-you-just/) [Luke Hemmings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-hemmings/) > [Nursing is a progressive art such that to stand still is to go backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-nightingale/nursing-is-a-progressive-art-such-that-to-stand-still-is-to-go/) [Florence Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-nightingale/) > [“Just like backing out of the driveway… If the driveway was ten miles long, full of rocks and pits, with lethal radiation hovering above,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-thorman/just-like-backing-out-of-the-driveway-if-the-driveway-was-ten-miles/) [Daniel Thorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-thorman/) > [We're not competitor obsessed, we're customer obsessed. We start with the customer and we work backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-re-not-competitor-obsessed-we-re-customer-obsessed-we-start-with/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) [Browse all 837 Backwards quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backwards/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When the industrial revolution happened there was the Luddistic movement, and there was a fear that machinery would replace all the labor. Whenever we had a technological revolution we had this fear. So if you look backwards, these fears were not justified, and I think they were driven by our very human inability to visualize what new jobs will be created by this new technology.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Branko Milanovic" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/when-the-industrial-revolution-happened-there-was-the-luddistic/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Backwards" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/when-the-industrial-revolution-happened-there-was-the-luddistic/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/branko-milanovic-34886_backwards_when-the-industrial-revolution-happened_2021487.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/branko-milanovic-34886_backwards_when-the-industrial-revolution-happened_2021487.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/branko-milanovic-34886_backwards_when-the-industrial-revolution-happened_2021487.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When the industrial revolution happened there was the Luddistic movement, and there was a fear that…” — Branko Milanovic", "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": "Branko Milanovic", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branko-milanovic/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When the industrial revolution happened there...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/when-the-industrial-revolution-happened-there-was-the-luddistic/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branko-milanovic/when-the-industrial-revolution-happened-there-was-the-luddistic/#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 } } ] } ```