Interest Quote by Brian Eno
“With devices my technique is always to hide the handbook in the drawer until I've played with it for a while. The handbook always tells you what it does, and you can be quite sure that if it's a complex device it can do at least fifteen other things that weren't predicted in the handbook, or that they didn't consider desirable. It's normally those other things that interest me.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Music technology discussion, 1995
Exploring hidden functions of devices reveals unexpected creative possibilities.
In simple terms: Look beyond manuals for new uses.
Key Takeaway
Experiment with tech to discover novel features.
Themes
creativity
technology
exploration
Mood
inquisitive
playful
Type
artistic
technical
When to use this quote
- music production
- software development
- design thinking
Key Concepts
human‑computer interaction
innovation
Questions to Reflect On
- What risks arise from using undocumented functions?
- How can we balance curiosity with safety?
A Different Perspective
Unforeseen features may be unsafe or unreliable.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
