--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People are seduced by signals from the…" description: "\"People are seduced by signals from the world, but that is manipulation, not reality. Computers have learned more about us than we've learned about them..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/douglas-rushkoff-2188_computer_people-are-seduced-by-signals-from-the-w_1688951.jpg" --- # People are seduced by signals from the world, but that is… ![“People are seduced by signals from the world, but that is manipulation, not reality. Computers have learned more about us than we've learned about them.” quote by Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/douglas-rushkoff-2188_computer_people-are-seduced-by-signals-from-the-w_1688951.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/douglas-rushkoff-2188_computer_people-are-seduced-by-signals-from-the-w_1688951.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/douglas-rushkoff-2188_computer_people-are-seduced-by-signals-from-the-w_1688951.jpg) > “People are seduced by signals from the world, but that is manipulation, not reality. Computers have learned more about us than we've learned about them.” [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. World signals manipulate perception; technology knows us more than we know it. **In simple terms:** Signals manipulate us; tech knows us. Key Takeaway Question digital influence. Themes media literacy technology manipulation Mood critical concerned Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - social media - marketing - policy making - personal data Key Concepts information theory surveillance capitalism Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify information? - What steps protect your data? A Different Perspective Tech can empower if used wisely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Computers Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers-learned-1034523/) [Manipulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manipulation/) [Manipulation Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manipulation-reality-1034522/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Seduced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-seduced-927207/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Seduced Signals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seduced-signals-1034521/) [Signals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/signals/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Manipulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-manipulation-1034524/) ## Related quotes > [The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-basic-tool-for-the-manipulation-of-reality-is-the-manipulation-of/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“Author Philip Dick once wrote, “The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-patrick/author-philip-dick-once-wrote-the-basic-tool-for-the-manipulation-of/) [Sean Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-patrick/) > [Most people, 95% of people, are good people. Its the 5% who get seduced by power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hickenlooper/most-people-95-of-people-are-good-people-its-the-5-who-get-seduced-by/) [George Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hickenlooper/) > [I have known many people who were seduced as children by same-sex partners and then spent their teen years being gay, and then found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-zink/i-have-known-many-people-who-were-seduced-as-children-by-same-sex/) [Nell Zink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-zink/) > [Most people, 95% of people, are good people. It's the 5% who get seduced by power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hickenlooper/most-people-95-of-people-are-good-people-it-s-the-5-who-get-seduced/) [George Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hickenlooper/) > [“Unsuccessful people are seduced by celebrity, name and fame.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sravani-saha-nakhro/unsuccessful-people-are-seduced-by-celebrity-name-and-fame/) [Sravani Saha Nakhro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sravani-saha-nakhro/) > [I am particularly horrified by the use of propaganda and the manipulation of the truth and the revision of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-particularly-horrified-by-the-use-of-propaganda-and-the/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Exploitation and manipulation produce boredom and triviality; they cripple man, and all factors that make man into a psychic cripple turn him also into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/exploitation-and-manipulation-produce-boredom-and-triviality-they/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Con men look for human frailty to exploit. This is most often greed. Trump found a different vice: anger. The emotional are always the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-meyer/con-men-look-for-human-frailty-to-exploit-this-is-most-often-greed/) [Pamela Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-meyer/) > [The casting couch exists in every business where there is power dynamics and manipulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tisca-chopra/the-casting-couch-exists-in-every-business-where-there-is-power/) [Tisca Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tisca-chopra/) > [“The fact that I can get away with something is the very reason why I shouldn’t do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-fact-that-i-can-get-away-with-something-is-the-very-reason-why-i/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“Manipulating or controlling others through the use of one's illness or suffering,for example,was-and remains-extremely effective for people who find they cannot be direct in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/manipulating-or-controlling-others-through-the-use-of-one-s-illness/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [“The people who would like to manipulate and use you won't tell you your blind spots. They may plan to continue using them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assegid-habtewold/the-people-who-would-like-to-manipulate-and-use-you-won-t-tell-you/) [Assegid Habtewold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assegid-habtewold/) > [I think that storytelling and creation are very close to what the center of what magic is about. I think not just for me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/i-think-that-storytelling-and-creation-are-very-close-to-what-the/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) ## More by Douglas Rushkoff > [The first step toward maintaining autonomy in any programmed environment is to be aware that there's programming going on. It's as simple as understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/the-first-step-toward-maintaining-autonomy-in-any-programmed/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digital media are biased toward replication and storage. Our digital photos practically upload and post themselves on Facebook, and our most deleted e-mails tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digital-media-are-biased-toward-replication-and-storage-our-digital/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“And spend they did. Money circulated faster and spread wider through its communities of use than at any other time in economic history.8 Workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/and-spend-they-did-money-circulated-faster-and-spread-wider-through/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Occupy Wall Street is meant more as a way of life that spreads through contagion, creates as many questions as it answers, aims to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/occupy-wall-street-is-meant-more-as-a-way-of-life-that-spreads/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Time has always been used against us on a certain level. The invention of the clock made us accountable to the employer, gave us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/time-has-always-been-used-against-us-on-a-certain-level-the-invention/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [What makes a great standalone piece of hardware is not the same thing as what makes a great networking device. One can work as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/what-makes-a-great-standalone-piece-of-hardware-is-not-the-same-thing/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digiphrenia - how technology lets us be in more than one place - and self - at the same time. Drone pilots suffer more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digiphrenia-how-technology-lets-us-be-in-more-than-one-place-and-self/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [A currency designed for long-term storage and investment doesn't do so well at encouraging transactions and exchange in the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/a-currency-designed-for-long-term-storage-and-investment-doesn-t-do/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Since the 1960s, mainstream media has searched out and co-opted the most authentic things it could find in youth culture, whether that was psychedelic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/since-the-1960s-mainstream-media-has-searched-out-and-co-opted-the/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Children are being adultified because our economy is depending on them to make purchasing decisions. So they're essentially the victims of a marketing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/children-are-being-adultified-because-our-economy-is-depending-on/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [In spite of my own reservations about Bing's ability to convert Google users, I have to admit that the search engine does offer a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/in-spite-of-my-own-reservations-about-bing-s-ability-to-convert/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“Limbic consonance is the little-known process through which the mood of a room changes when a happy or nervous person walks in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/limbic-consonance-is-the-little-known-process-through-which-the-mood/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Think 'Game of Thrones.' In the old days, this sort of show might be considered bad writing. It doesn't really seem to be moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/think-game-of-thrones-in-the-old-days-this-sort-of-show-might-be/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [We have the alternative. "Do I want to be on the subway looking at these people, or do I want to be in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/we-have-the-alternative-do-i-want-to-be-on-the-subway-looking-at/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digiphrenia”—the way our media and technologies encourage us to be in more than one place at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digiphrenia-the-way-our-media-and-technologies-encourage-us-to-be-in/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) [Explore all 180 Douglas Rushkoff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) ## More Computer quotes > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [The display is the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hsun-huang/the-display-is-the-computer/) [Jen-Hsun Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-hsun-huang/) > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [One of our big goals in search is to make search that really understands exactly what you want, understands everything in the world. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/one-of-our-big-goals-in-search-is-to-make-search-that-really/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [I'm from the South, so I'm very old-fashioned and I'm not very computer savvy at all, but I'm getting it. I understand that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-harmon/i-m-from-the-south-so-i-m-very-old-fashioned-and-i-m-not-very/) [Angie Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-harmon/) > [“To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/to-all-the-secret-writers-late-night-painters-would-be-singers-lapsed/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [A little bit more than 50% of what you see on screen is handcrafted and the other 50% was about emulating these textures on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-abreu/a-little-bit-more-than-50-of-what-you-see-on-screen-is-handcrafted/) [Alex Abreu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-abreu/) > [Well I'm trying to think what I put in... I think I put in 'why?' to see if I'd confuse the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/well-i-m-trying-to-think-what-i-put-in-i-think-i-put-in-why-to-see-if/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Our brains are great at knowing what to forget. We actually have to teach computers to do the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/our-brains-are-great-at-knowing-what-to-forget-we-actually-have-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [In nine months, a group of children left alone with a computer in any language will reach the same standard as an office secretary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/in-nine-months-a-group-of-children-left-alone-with-a-computer-in-any/) [Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/) > [Why do you do what you do? Why do you dress the way you dress?Why do you do what you do with your time?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-conway/why-do-you-do-what-you-do-why-do-you-dress-the-way-you-dress-why-do/) [Tim Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-conway/) > [Yeah, I'm a geek. I read sci-fi and I watch sci-fi films. I love my computer and I love to fix it. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-benson/yeah-i-m-a-geek-i-read-sci-fi-and-i-watch-sci-fi-films-i-love-my/) [Amber Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-benson/) [Browse all 3,924 Computer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People are seduced by signals from the world, but that is manipulation, not reality. Computers have learned more about us than we've learned about them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas Rushkoff" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/people-are-seduced-by-signals-from-the-world-but-that-is-manipulation/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Computer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/people-are-seduced-by-signals-from-the-world-but-that-is-manipulation/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/douglas-rushkoff-2188_computer_people-are-seduced-by-signals-from-the-w_1688951.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/douglas-rushkoff-2188_computer_people-are-seduced-by-signals-from-the-w_1688951.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/douglas-rushkoff-2188_computer_people-are-seduced-by-signals-from-the-w_1688951.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People are seduced by signals from the world, but that is manipulation, not reality. Computers have learned…” — Douglas Rushkoff", "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": "Douglas Rushkoff", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People are seduced by signals from...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/people-are-seduced-by-signals-from-the-world-but-that-is-manipulation/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/people-are-seduced-by-signals-from-the-world-but-that-is-manipulation/#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 } } ] } ```