--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The horrible truth is we are linear…" description: "\"The horrible truth is we are linear beings; we can't multitask, and we shouldn't keep interrupting important connections to each other with the latest ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/douglas-rushkoff-2188_connections_the-horrible-truth-is-we-are-linear-bein_1717841.png" --- # The horrible truth is we are linear beings; we can't… ![“The horrible truth is we are linear beings; we can't multitask, and we shouldn't keep interrupting important connections to each other with the latest message coming in.” quote by Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/douglas-rushkoff-2188_connections_the-horrible-truth-is-we-are-linear-bein_1717841.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/douglas-rushkoff-2188_connections_the-horrible-truth-is-we-are-linear-bein_1717841.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/douglas-rushkoff-2188_connections_the-horrible-truth-is-we-are-linear-bein_1717841.png) > “The horrible truth is we are linear beings; we can't multitask, and we shouldn't keep interrupting important connections to each other with the latest message coming in.” [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. Points out human cognitive limits, warning against constant digital interruptions that erode deep connections. **In simple terms:** Humans can’t multitask effectively. Key Takeaway Protect focus and relationships from constant alerts. Themes attention human limits digital health Mood cautious concerned Type psychological practical When to use this quote - workplace policy - personal boundaries - digital detox retreats - communication norms Key Concepts cognitive overload social interaction Questions to Reflect On - What habits help you maintain deep focus? - How can you balance connectivity with presence? A Different Perspective May underestimate benefits of rapid information flow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Connections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) [Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Interrupting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interrupting/) [Interrupting Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interrupting-important-1309033/) [Latest Message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latest-message-1309034/) [Linear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linear/) [Linear Beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linear-beings-1309032/) [Message Coming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message-coming-487562/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-is/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes the most difficult things to see are those that have been right in front of us all along… We who have heard the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/sometimes-the-most-difficult-things-to-see-are-those-that-have-been/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [The message coming back at all of us is: live without closure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-message-coming-back-at-all-of-us-is-live-without-closure/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I regard any behavior we indulge in as a game. The soul is beyond not only three-dimensional space but beyond the illusion of linear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/i-regard-any-behavior-we-indulge-in-as-a-game-the-soul-is-beyond-not/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [There is nothing so annoying as having two people talking when you're busy interrupting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-nothing-so-annoying-as-having-two-people-talking-when-you-re/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“Myr, your mole is interrupting my solo”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-cunning/myr-your-mole-is-interrupting-my-solo/) [Olivia Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-cunning/) > [“If you have ever experienced this type of unprofessional treatment, I doubt you would even consider giving them business in the future. Interrupting, ignoring,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/if-you-have-ever-experienced-this-type-of-unprofessional-treatment-i/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [Selling to people who actually want to hear from you is more effective than interrupting strangers who don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/selling-to-people-who-actually-want-to-hear-from-you-is-more/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“At a small dinner with other business executives, the guest of honor spoke the entire time without taking a breath. This meant that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/at-a-small-dinner-with-other-business-executives-the-guest-of-honor/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [The fact that I am interrupting serious work to answer these questions proves that I am so stupid that I should be penalized severely.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-fact-that-i-am-interrupting-serious-work-to-answer-these/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [That's the trouble with a politician's life-somebody is always interrupting it with an election.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/that-s-the-trouble-with-a-politician-s-life-somebody-is-always/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [“Look,” said Chains. “I don’t want to spend the rest of the day interrupting your questions, so I’m going to temporarily forget how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scot-lynch/look-said-chains-i-don-t-want-to-spend-the-rest-of-the-day/) [Scot Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scot-lynch/) > [“Interrupting a man when he’s discussing his profession is like telling him what he has to say isn’t important. Besides, you never learn anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dugoni/interrupting-a-man-when-he-s-discussing-his-profession-is-like/) [Robert Dugoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dugoni/) > [Writers get exactly the right amount of fame: just enough to get a good table in a restaurant but not enough so that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/writers-get-exactly-the-right-amount-of-fame-just-enough-to-get-a/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [“It is unimpressive to interrupt another person while they are talking. Interrupting someone in mid-sentence demonstrates that your focus is on yourself, not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/it-is-unimpressive-to-interrupt-another-person-while-they-are-talking/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man's enjoyment of his cigar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/eating-and-sleeping-are-the-only-activities-that-should-be-allowed-to/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## 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. 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