--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem - when you cast your net that…" description: "\"The problem - when you cast your net that wide - is you inevitably catch something you don't want to catch.\" — Edward Felten" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/edward-felten-31518_casts_the-problem-when-you-cast-your-net-that_172460.png" --- # The problem - when you cast your net that wide - is you… ![“The problem - when you cast your net that wide - is you inevitably catch something you don't want to catch.” quote by Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/edward-felten-31518_casts_the-problem-when-you-cast-your-net-that_172460.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/edward-felten-31518_casts_the-problem-when-you-cast-your-net-that_172460.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/edward-felten-31518_casts_the-problem-when-you-cast-your-net-that_172460.png) > “The problem - when you cast your net that wide - is you inevitably catch something you don't want to catch.” [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Casting a broad net often yields unwanted results, highlighting the trade‑off between breadth and relevance. **In simple terms:** Broad efforts bring unwanted catches. Key Takeaway Focus scope to avoid unwanted outcomes. Themes strategy risk focus Mood cautious analytical Type advisory pragmatic When to use this quote - project planning - data collection - hiring processes - marketing campaigns Key Concepts probability selection bias trade‑off Questions to Reflect On - How can you refine criteria without limiting opportunity? - What costs arise from over‑inclusion? A Different Perspective Broad approaches can miss depth and increase noise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cast Net](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cast-net-733298/) [Casts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casts/) [Catch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catch/) [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Inevitably Catch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitably-catch-1863163/) [Net Wide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/net-wide-1863164/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Wide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wide/) [Wide Inevitably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wide-inevitably-1863165/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) ## Related quotes > [The only really conscious decision I made was to cast my net wide and if the work was good, to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-linney/the-only-really-conscious-decision-i-made-was-to-cast-my-net-wide-and/) [Laura Linney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-linney/) > [But I've also spread my net very wide. If there's one thing that I've done on purpose it's to take whatever job, so long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-linney/but-i-ve-also-spread-my-net-very-wide-if-there-s-one-thing-that-i-ve/) [Laura Linney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-linney/) > [You should just write the movie based on people you actually know and then just see who wants to play it. Cast the net.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/you-should-just-write-the-movie-based-on-people-you-actually-know-and/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [“Heaven's net is wide, but its mesh is fine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/heaven-s-net-is-wide-but-its-mesh-is-fine/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [Come with us to the field, or go with our brothers to the sea and cast your net. 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You can go hours without anything happening, and all of a sudden a big blue marlin comes into the spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-strait/i-love-to-fish-you-can-go-hours-without-anything-happening-and-all-of/) [George Strait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-strait/) > [They always say girls mature faster than boys, but I don't think that's true because I think girls just are more mature than boys.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reiner/they-always-say-girls-mature-faster-than-boys-but-i-don-t-think-that/) [Rob Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reiner/) > [The first act is the easiest to plot. The second act is always the hardest to plot. Generally a good, you know, sometimes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-j-cannell/the-first-act-is-the-easiest-to-plot-the-second-act-is-always-the/) [Stephen J. Cannell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-j-cannell/) > [Push on and faith will catch up with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/push-on-and-faith-will-catch-up-with-you/) [Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/) ## More by Edward Felten > [And the user may have a higher comfort level deciding what information to provide rather than worrying about what inferences might be made from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/and-the-user-may-have-a-higher-comfort-level-deciding-what/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [It's abundantly clear by now that no DRM system can stop serious pirates. A DRM system that stops serious pirates, and simultaneously gives broad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/it-s-abundantly-clear-by-now-that-no-drm-system-can-stop-serious/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [We're in a situation where the solutions that we have are not good enough. The way to improve anything is to have a discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/we-re-in-a-situation-where-the-solutions-that-we-have-are-not-good/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [The question is not whether we want to keep this open, neutral Internet - we do, or should - but whether government rulemaking can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/the-question-is-not-whether-we-want-to-keep-this-open-neutral/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [Network operators need reasonable leeway to manage their networks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/network-operators-need-reasonable-leeway-to-manage-their-networks/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [Innovation happens because there are people out there doing and trying a lot of different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/innovation-happens-because-there-are-people-out-there-doing-and/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [Even if there were no illegal copying, the advent of digital distribution will put a lot of stress on the movie and music industry.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/even-if-there-were-no-illegal-copying-the-advent-of-digital/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [Given a choice between dancing pigs and security, users will pick dancing pigs every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/given-a-choice-between-dancing-pigs-and-security-users-will-pick/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [Vigorous enforcement of copyrights themselves is an important part of the picture. But I don't think that expanding the legal definition of copyright outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/vigorous-enforcement-of-copyrights-themselves-is-an-important-part-of/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [In making policy designed with copyright in mind, you end up making decisions about whether other important technologies, such as privacy-enhancing or file-search technologies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/in-making-policy-designed-with-copyright-in-mind-you-end-up-making/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [The secret of the Internet's success has been its openness to new services.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/the-secret-of-the-internet-s-success-has-been-its-openness-to-new/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [I think there are problems with compact disc copy protection that can't be resolved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/i-think-there-are-problems-with-compact-disc-copy-protection-that-can/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [Growth comes out of a healthy competitive atmosphere, not trying to choose a particular path forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/growth-comes-out-of-a-healthy-competitive-atmosphere-not-trying-to/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [The next generation of innovators, who need neutrality the most, are not at the bargaining table. They're hard at work in their labs or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/the-next-generation-of-innovators-who-need-neutrality-the-most-are/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) > [Given that you'll never be able to prevent copying, the question is, what can you do to minimize it? What can you do to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/given-that-you-ll-never-be-able-to-prevent-copying-the-question-is/) [Edward Felten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) [Explore all 16 Edward Felten quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/) ## More Casts quotes > [Everything comes home, my mother used to say; every word spoken, every shadow cast, every footprint in the sand. 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We all just focused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-jacobson/i-was-focused-on-the-hunger-games-movie-with-my-director-with-the/) [Nina Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-jacobson/) > [All my life I've been involved with racial politics. I was a Freedom Rider in the South. I was the author of books on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hayden/all-my-life-i-ve-been-involved-with-racial-politics-i-was-a-freedom/) [Tom Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hayden/) > [God hath work to do in this world; and to desert it because of its difficulties and entanglements, is to cast off His authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/god-hath-work-to-do-in-this-world-and-to-desert-it-because-of-its/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [The bullet that will kill me is not yet cast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-bullet-that-will-kill-me-is-not-yet-cast/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [All progress in literary style lies in the heroic resolve to cast aside accretions and exuberances, all the conventions of a past age that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/havelock-ellis/all-progress-in-literary-style-lies-in-the-heroic-resolve-to-cast/) [Havelock Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/havelock-ellis/) > [And as regards Adam and Eve we must maintain that before the fall they were virgins in Paradise: but after they sinned, and were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/and-as-regards-adam-and-eve-we-must-maintain-that-before-the-fall/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [I think that people who stand up for what they believe in, no matter how unpopular, should be celebrated, not cast aside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-lancaster/i-think-that-people-who-stand-up-for-what-they-believe-in-no-matter/) [Craig Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-lancaster/) > [Unless a man gives himself entirely to the Cross, in a spirit of humility and self-abasement; unless he casts himself down to be trampled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-the-evangelist/unless-a-man-gives-himself-entirely-to-the-cross-in-a-spirit-of/) [Mark the Evangelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-the-evangelist/) > [Now, we are agreed, I and my destinies. 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I would do with something inspired by the work of Guy Bourdin, my favorite photographer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/i-would-always-cast-meryl-streep-for-everything-i-would-do-with/) [Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/) [Browse all 2,106 Casts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The problem - when you cast your net that wide - is you inevitably catch something you don't want to catch.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Felten" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/the-problem-when-you-cast-your-net-that-wide-is-you-inevitably-catch/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Casts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/the-problem-when-you-cast-your-net-that-wide-is-you-inevitably-catch/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/edward-felten-31518_casts_the-problem-when-you-cast-your-net-that_172460.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/edward-felten-31518_casts_the-problem-when-you-cast-your-net-that_172460.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/edward-felten-31518_casts_the-problem-when-you-cast-your-net-that_172460.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The problem - when you cast your net that wide - is you inevitably catch something you don't want to catch.” — Edward Felten", "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": "Edward Felten", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-felten/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The problem - when you cast...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/the-problem-when-you-cast-your-net-that-wide-is-you-inevitably-catch/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-felten/the-problem-when-you-cast-your-net-that-wide-is-you-inevitably-catch/#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 } } ] } ```