--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He was thinking about automated teller…" description: "\"“He was thinking about automated teller machines. The term was aged and burdened by its own historical memory. It worked at cross-purposes, unable to e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/don-delillo-294_computers_he-was-thinking-about-automated-teller-m_1229206.jpg" --- # He was thinking about automated teller machines. The term… ![“He was thinking about automated teller machines. The term was aged and burdened by its own historical memory. It worked at cross-purposes, unable to escape the inferences of fuddled human personnel and jerky moving parts. The term was part of the process that the device was meant to replace. It…” quote by Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/don-delillo-294_computers_he-was-thinking-about-automated-teller-m_1229206.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/don-delillo-294_computers_he-was-thinking-about-automated-teller-m_1229206.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/don-delillo-294_computers_he-was-thinking-about-automated-teller-m_1229206.jpg) > ““He was thinking about automated teller machines. The term was aged and burdened by its own historical memory. It worked at cross-purposes, unable to escape the inferences of fuddled human personnel and jerky moving parts. The term was part of the process that the device was meant to replace. It was anti-futuristic, so cumbrous and mechanical that even the acronym seemed dated.”” [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The term “automated teller machines” feels outdated, trapped by old perceptions, hindering its futuristic purpose. **In simple terms:** Old language can hold back new technology. Key Takeaway Update language to match innovation. Themes technology language progress future obsolescence Mood reflective critical analytical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - banking - software development - marketing - public policy Key Concepts semantic inertia technological adoption cultural lag Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape technology adoption? - Can new terms overcome legacy biases? A Different Perspective Changing terminology alone may not shift entrenched mindsets. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) ## Related quotes > [Here's a startling fact: in the 45 years since the introduction of the automated teller machine, those vending machines that dispense cash, the number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-autor/here-s-a-startling-fact-in-the-45-years-since-the-introduction-of-the/) [David Autor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-autor/) > [“According to this model, human beings are, at least in one aspect, sensation-receiving machines; and although our receptory apparatus is competent to select and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cruce-stark/according-to-this-model-human-beings-are-at-least-in-one-aspect/) Cruce Stark > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? 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