--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It used to be that, when something…" description: "\"It used to be that, when something strange happened, we'd hear on the news \"Police believe this is the act of an isolated nut.\" On the internet there a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/649/bruce-perens-44492_believe_it-used-to-be-that-when-something-strang_2478313.jpg" --- # It used to be that, when something strange happened, we'd… ![“It used to be that, when something strange happened, we'd hear on the news "Police believe this is the act of an isolated nut." On the internet there are no isolated nuts; whatever kind of nut you are, you can find fifty nuts in the world exactly like you.” quote by Bruce Perens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/649/bruce-perens-44492_believe_it-used-to-be-that-when-something-strang_2478313.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/649/bruce-perens-44492_believe_it-used-to-be-that-when-something-strang_2478313.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/649/bruce-perens-44492_believe_it-used-to-be-that-when-something-strang_2478313.jpg) > “It used to be that, when something strange happened, we'd hear on the news "Police believe this is the act of an isolated nut." On the internet there are no isolated nuts; whatever kind of nut you are, you can find fifty nuts in the world exactly like you.” [Bruce Perens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-perens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights how rare or odd behaviors are often not isolated; many people share similar quirks, challenging the notion of unique outliers. **In simple terms:** Odd behavior is common, not isolated. Key Takeaway Recognize shared quirks, avoid labeling others as “nuts.” Themes social perception conformity human behavior Mood reflective analytical Type observational commentary When to use this quote - online communities - workplace culture - media reporting - social media - psychology research Key Concepts statistics anonymity group dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify truly unique traits? - What impact does labeling have on community cohesion? A Different Perspective It may oversimplify complex individual differences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Fifty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifty/) [Happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happened/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Isolated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolated/) [Isolated Nut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolated-nut-835036/) [Isolated Nuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolated-nuts-835035/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Like you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-you/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [Nuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuts/) [Nuts Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuts-kind-835037/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Police Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-believe-835038/) [Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Used to be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used-to-be/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Just like Hillary Clinton is against the miners, she is against the police, believe me. Those peddling, the narrative of cops as a racist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/just-like-hillary-clinton-is-against-the-miners-she-is-against-the/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [We were raised in the black community not to trust the police, and I believe, in the white community, they were raised to actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-b-vance/we-were-raised-in-the-black-community-not-to-trust-the-police-and-i/) [Courtney B. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-b-vance/) > [I'm not an isolated person. The more I connect to people, the more I have the feeling that things work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raf-simons/i-m-not-an-isolated-person-the-more-i-connect-to-people-the-more-i/) [Raf Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raf-simons/) > [Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimistic-and-upbeat-it-comes-out-of/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [ I think his \[Reagan's\] policy toward the Soviet Union was more risky than most people realize, and it was risky because of the paranoia… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-hoffman/i-think-his-reagan-s-policy-toward-the-soviet-union-was-more-risky/) [David E. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-hoffman/) > [Alas, everything that men say to one another is alike; the ideas they exchange are almost always the same, in their conversation. But inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-de-musset/alas-everything-that-men-say-to-one-another-is-alike-the-ideas-they/) [Alfred de Musset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-de-musset/) > [Every step by which an individual substitutes concerted action for isolated action results in an immediate and recognizable improvement in his conditions. The advantages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/every-step-by-which-an-individual-substitutes-concerted-action-for/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [No country by itself and in an isolated manner would ever be able to effectively address the challenges it faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-rouhani/no-country-by-itself-and-in-an-isolated-manner-would-ever-be-able-to/) [Hassan Rouhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-rouhani/) > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [People in this world of superficial communication find themselves isolated and lonely and have difficult in talking about personal things that really matter to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-zeldin/people-in-this-world-of-superficial-communication-find-themselves/) [Theodore Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-zeldin/) > [Consequently, citizen legislators, rotating back to their communities after a short period of public service—considered an indispensable and routine characteristic and design of representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/consequently-citizen-legislators-rotating-back-to-their-communities/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [The improved American highway system isolated the American-in-transit. On his speedway he had no contact with the towns which he by-passed. If he stopped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/the-improved-american-highway-system-isolated-the-american-in-transit/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Growing up in Iceland, it was very beautiful, very safe, but quite isolated. There was something about jazz music that had a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/growing-up-in-iceland-it-was-very-beautiful-very-safe-but-quite/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) ## More by Bruce Perens > [No one cares what operating system you run as long as it stays up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-perens/no-one-cares-what-operating-system-you-run-as-long-as-it-stays-up/) [Bruce Perens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-perens/) > [The strategic marketing paradigm of Open Source is a massively-parallel drunkard's walk filtered by a Darwinistic process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-perens/the-strategic-marketing-paradigm-of-open-source-is-a-massively/) [Bruce Perens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-perens/) > [The reason for the success of this somewhat communist-sounding strategy, while the failure of communism itself is visible around the world, is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-perens/the-reason-for-the-success-of-this-somewhat-communist-sounding/) [Bruce Perens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-perens/) > [But the most reliable indication of the future of Open Source is its past: in just a few years, we have gone from nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-perens/but-the-most-reliable-indication-of-the-future-of-open-source-is-its/) [Bruce Perens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-perens/) > [Well, lets just say, if your VCR is still blinking 12:00, you dont want Linux.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-perens/well-lets-just-say-if-your-vcr-is-still-blinking-12-00-you-dont-want/) [Bruce Perens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-perens/) > [Before Ruby on Rails, web programming required a lot of verbiage, steps and time. Now, web designers and software engineers can develop a website…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-perens/before-ruby-on-rails-web-programming-required-a-lot-of-verbiage-steps/) [Bruce Perens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-perens/) > [The world is beating a path to our door](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-perens/the-world-is-beating-a-path-to-our-door/) [Bruce Perens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-perens/) > [It's not about ego. Really. If it was ego, I'd be telling you about my awesome... oh, never mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-perens/it-s-not-about-ego-really-if-it-was-ego-i-d-be-telling-you-about-my/) [Bruce Perens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-perens/) [Explore all 9 Bruce Perens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-perens/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It used to be that, when something strange happened, we'd hear on the news \"Police believe this is the act of an isolated nut.\" On the internet there are no isolated nuts; whatever kind of nut you are, you can find fifty nuts in the world exactly like you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bruce Perens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-perens/it-used-to-be-that-when-something-strange-happened-we-d-hear-on-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-perens/it-used-to-be-that-when-something-strange-happened-we-d-hear-on-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/649/bruce-perens-44492_believe_it-used-to-be-that-when-something-strang_2478313.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/649/bruce-perens-44492_believe_it-used-to-be-that-when-something-strang_2478313.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/649/bruce-perens-44492_believe_it-used-to-be-that-when-something-strang_2478313.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It used to be that, when something strange happened, we'd hear on the news \"Police believe this is the act…” — Bruce Perens", "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": "Bruce Perens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-perens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It used to be that, when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-perens/it-used-to-be-that-when-something-strange-happened-we-d-hear-on-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-perens/it-used-to-be-that-when-something-strange-happened-we-d-hear-on-the/#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 } } ] } ```