--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Abe said something interesting. He said…" description: "\"“Abe said something interesting. He said that because everyone's so poor these days, the '90s will be a decade with no architectural legacy or style- e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/douglas-coupland-305_90s_abe-said-something-interesting-he-said-t_2512326.jpg" --- # Abe said something interesting. He said that because… ![“Abe said something interesting. He said that because everyone's so poor these days, the '90s will be a decade with no architectural legacy or style- everyone's too poor to put up new buildings. He said that code is the architecture of the '90s.” quote by Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/douglas-coupland-305_90s_abe-said-something-interesting-he-said-t_2512326.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/douglas-coupland-305_90s_abe-said-something-interesting-he-said-t_2512326.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/douglas-coupland-305_90s_abe-said-something-interesting-he-said-t_2512326.jpg) > ““Abe said something interesting. He said that because everyone's so poor these days, the '90s will be a decade with no architectural legacy or style- everyone's too poor to put up new buildings. He said that code is the architecture of the '90s.”” [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compares 1990s architectural stagnation to software code, suggesting economic constraints shape cultural output. **In simple terms:** Poverty limited building design, code became the new architecture. Key Takeaway Recognize constraints as creative drivers. Themes economics architecture technology culture Mood analytical insightful Type cultural critique philosophical When to use this quote - city planning - startup design - budget-constrained projects - historical analysis Key Concepts Urban studies software engineering Questions to Reflect On - How do constraints inspire new forms? - What modern “architectures” replace physical buildings? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on constraints may overlook innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Nerds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nerds/) ## Related quotes > [“He said that for those who hadn't been to California, what it was most like was an enchanted island. The spitting image. Just like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-bola-o/he-said-that-for-those-who-hadn-t-been-to-california-what-it-was-most/) [Roberto Bolaño](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-bola-o/) > [“These evil freaks," Karrin said. "They always pick the most charming places to hang out." "Dark energy here," I said. 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McQueen said American Vogue could borrow the dress only if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-callahan/anna-wintour-hadn-t-been-to-any-of-mcqueen-s-shows-and-mcqueen-didn-t/) Maureen Callahan > [“94 was a good year to be twelve. Star Wars still had two more years as Box Office King, cartoons were still hand-drawn, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-vander-ark/94-was-a-good-year-to-be-twelve-star-wars-still-had-two-more-years-as/) [Jake Vander Ark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-vander-ark/) > [“I think of myself as a political idiot. Idiot, in ancient Greece, denoted a common person without access to knowledge and information--all women, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmina-te-anovi/i-think-of-myself-as-a-political-idiot-idiot-in-ancient-greece/) Jasmina Tešanović > [Nature never said to me: Do not be poor; still less did she say: Be rich; her cry to me was always: Be independent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/nature-never-said-to-me-do-not-be-poor-still-less-did-she-say-be-rich/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) ## More by Douglas Coupland > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [A man in a bookstore buys a book on loneliness and every woman in the store hits on him. A woman buys a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/a-man-in-a-bookstore-buys-a-book-on-loneliness-and-every-woman-in-the/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [The future and eternity are two entirely different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/the-future-and-eternity-are-two-entirely-different-things/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Do you remember how you felt at seventeen? I do and I don't (...) 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You mean to tell me we can drive all the way here from L.A.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/negative-moi-i-think-realistic-might-be-a-better-word-you-mean-to/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [It was pivotal in making you but you don't remember it. Or do you? Do we understand the events that make us who we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/it-was-pivotal-in-making-you-but-you-don-t-remember-it-or-do-you-do/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Your ability to rationalize your own bad deeds makes you believe that the whole world is as amoral as you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/your-ability-to-rationalize-your-own-bad-deeds-makes-you-believe-that/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“I like to go beach-combing, and I like to find interestingly shaped rocks. When I really get into the groove I start finding beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/i-like-to-go-beach-combing-and-i-like-to-find-interestingly-shaped/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“You know, Dag and Claire smile a lot, as do many people I know. But I always wondered if there is something either mechanical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-know-dag-and-claire-smile-a-lot-as-do-many-people-i-know-but-i/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Brain research tells us that only twenty percent of human beings have a sense of irony, which means that eighty percent of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/brain-research-tells-us-that-only-twenty-percent-of-human-beings-have/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [I keep vampire hours, going to bed at 2 A.M. and waking up at about 10:30-11 A.M.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/i-keep-vampire-hours-going-to-bed-at-2-a-m-and-waking-up-at-about-10/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Anna-Louise leans over and whispers in my ear. "This is so surreal," she says, "I think I'm turning into a melting clock.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/anna-louise-leans-over-and-whispers-in-my-ear-this-is-so-surreal-she/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [When you grow up these days, you're told you're going to have four or five different careers during your lifetime. But what they don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/when-you-grow-up-these-days-you-re-told-you-re-going-to-have-four-or/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) [Explore all 704 Douglas Coupland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) ## More 90s quotes > [“I think of myself as a political idiot. Idiot, in ancient Greece, denoted a common person without access to knowledge and information--all women, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmina-te-anovi/i-think-of-myself-as-a-political-idiot-idiot-in-ancient-greece/) Jasmina Tešanović > [“94 was a good year to be twelve. Star Wars still had two more years as Box Office King, cartoons were still hand-drawn, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-vander-ark/94-was-a-good-year-to-be-twelve-star-wars-still-had-two-more-years-as/) [Jake Vander Ark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-vander-ark/) > [“Anna Wintour hadn't been to any of McQueen's shows, and McQueen didn't like it. McQueen said American Vogue could borrow the dress only if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-callahan/anna-wintour-hadn-t-been-to-any-of-mcqueen-s-shows-and-mcqueen-didn-t/) Maureen Callahan > [“What Kate wore, whether on the street or the red carpet was much cooler to them than what she modelled. Her paparazzi photos were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-callahan/what-kate-wore-whether-on-the-street-or-the-red-carpet-was-much/) Maureen Callahan > [“Ahh the 90's I hated ye when I was in it, but I love it now that it's gone...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-b-levine/ahh-the-90-s-i-hated-ye-when-i-was-in-it-but-i-love-it-now-that-it-s/) Allison B. Levine > [Anyone remember Hip-Hop and the 90s? When a person could sit on his porch drinking Gin & Juice while Killing Me Softly listening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-nathaniel-butler/anyone-remember-hip-hop-and-the-90s-when-a-person-could-sit-on-his/) [Eugene Nathaniel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-nathaniel-butler/) > [“Ani DiFranco or Ani, as she is universally know to her fans, was, to a certain kind of white, middle-class woman, girl power in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisa-meltzer/ani-difranco-or-ani-as-she-is-universally-know-to-her-fans-was-to-a/) Marisa Meltzer Browse all 8 90s quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Abe said something interesting. He said that because everyone's so poor these days, the '90s will be a decade with no architectural legacy or style- everyone's too poor to put up new buildings. 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