--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We live in a world changing so rapidly…" description: "\"We live in a world changing so rapidly that what we mean frequently by common sense is doing the thing that would have been right last year.\" — Edwin Land" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/edwin-land-7636_common_we-live-in-a-world-changing-so-rapidly-t_2163134.png" --- # We live in a world changing so rapidly that what we mean… ![“We live in a world changing so rapidly that what we mean frequently by common sense is doing the thing that would have been right last year.” quote by Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/edwin-land-7636_common_we-live-in-a-world-changing-so-rapidly-t_2163134.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/edwin-land-7636_common_we-live-in-a-world-changing-so-rapidly-t_2163134.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/edwin-land-7636_common_we-live-in-a-world-changing-so-rapidly-t_2163134.png) > “We live in a world changing so rapidly that what we mean frequently by common sense is doing the thing that would have been right last year.” [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rapid change makes yesterday’s common sense obsolete, requiring continual adaptation. **In simple terms:** What was sensible yesterday may be wrong today. Key Takeaway Stay flexible and update assumptions regularly. Themes technology change adaptation Mood pragmatic concerned Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - business strategy - policy making - education - personal decision making Key Concepts Obsolescence cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How do you test assumptions quickly? - What habits keep you adaptable? A Different Perspective Constant change can cause uncertainty and decision fatigue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Changing Rapidly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-rapidly-242835/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Common sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-sense/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Last year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-year/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Right Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-year-898608/) [Sense Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-doing-240111/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Changing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-changing/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [The world is changing rapidly, and our government needs to move more quickly to transform how we operate to have the greatest positive impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-lamont/the-world-is-changing-rapidly-and-our-government-needs-to-move-more/) [Ned Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-lamont/) > [“The world is changing rapidly, and everyone changes along with the world. Discoveries is now becoming rampant; intellectually, technologically,etc, each having its advantage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/the-world-is-changing-rapidly-and-everyone-changes-along-with-the/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Our society is changing so rapidly that none of us can know what it is or where it is going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/our-society-is-changing-so-rapidly-that-none-of-us-can-know-what-it/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [I haven’t been right all year. I guess, you know, when you don’t feel good, and you still get hits, that’s when you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-ramirez/i-haven-t-been-right-all-year-i-guess-you-know-when-you-don-t-feel/) [Manny Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-ramirez/) > [It's constantly fascinating for me that something that feels absolutely right one year, 12 months later feels like the wrong thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-lewis/it-s-constantly-fascinating-for-me-that-something-that-feels/) [Damian Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-lewis/) > [When I was a kid, I don't think I even knew what being gay was, and now it's just part of our culture. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-anne-moss/when-i-was-a-kid-i-don-t-think-i-even-knew-what-being-gay-was-and-now/) [Carrie-Anne Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-anne-moss/) > [The world today is changing rapidly, and we are helping to make it better for our children's future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginny-brown-waite/the-world-today-is-changing-rapidly-and-we-are-helping-to-make-it/) [Ginny Brown-Waite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginny-brown-waite/) > [Invest in learning and discovering new filmmaking techniques is the next keystone to success. Film is changing rapidly right now. The last big change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-grove/invest-in-learning-and-discovering-new-filmmaking-techniques-is-the/) [Elliot Grove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-grove/) > [In each business, there is a process, or a delivery system or information system, that is changing rapidly under them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-moelis/in-each-business-there-is-a-process-or-a-delivery-system-or/) [Ken Moelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-moelis/) > [There is always frustration from people who work in schools that things keep changing but it is an unfortunate truth with the world of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-knight/there-is-always-frustration-from-people-who-work-in-schools-that/) [Jim Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-knight/) > [The sky outside the window was changing rapidly from deep, velvety blue to cold, steely gray and then, slowly, to pink shot with gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sky-outside-the-window-was-changing-rapidly-from-deep-velvety/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The way people buy and sell homes is changing rapidly, and the way people get in and out of the real estate business is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-serhant/the-way-people-buy-and-sell-homes-is-changing-rapidly-and-the-way/) [Ryan Serhant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-serhant/) > [When you start working as an Internet entrepreneur, the world is moving at a million miles an hour and is changing rapidly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-pierce/when-you-start-working-as-an-internet-entrepreneur-the-world-is/) [Brock Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-pierce/) > [Poetry should help, not only to refine the language of the time, but to prevent it from changing too rapidly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/poetry-should-help-not-only-to-refine-the-language-of-the-time-but-to/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [If you have a strong sense of who you are and what you're doing, then it's actually easier to work with other people, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-coupe/if-you-have-a-strong-sense-of-who-you-are-and-what-you-re-doing-then/) [Eliza Coupe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-coupe/) ## More by Edwin Land > [We have to keep in practice like musicians. Besides, there are still potentialities to be realized in color film. To us, it's just like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/we-have-to-keep-in-practice-like-musicians-besides-there-are-still/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [It only takes a day to change someone from an anti-intellectual to an intellectual by persuading him that he might be one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/it-only-takes-a-day-to-change-someone-from-an-anti-intellectual-to-an/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [Don't do anything that someone else can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/don-t-do-anything-that-someone-else-can-do/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [The present is the past biting into the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/the-present-is-the-past-biting-into-the-future/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [The world belongs to the articulate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/the-world-belongs-to-the-articulate/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [Why do I want to believe what I believe?... Science, to put it somewhat vulgarly, is a technique to keep yourself from kidding yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/why-do-i-want-to-believe-what-i-believe-science-to-put-it-somewhat/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [Who can object to a monopoly when any new company, if it is built around a scientific nucleus, can create a new monopoly of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/who-can-object-to-a-monopoly-when-any-new-company-if-it-is-built/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [I believe that each young person is different from any other who has ever lived, as different as his fingerprints: that he could bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/i-believe-that-each-young-person-is-different-from-any-other-who-has/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [There is no such thing as group originality, group creativity or group perspicacity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/there-is-no-such-thing-as-group-originality-group-creativity-or-group/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [A significant invention must be startling, unexpected. It must come to a world that is not prepared for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/a-significant-invention-must-be-startling-unexpected-it-must-come-to/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [I believe quite simply that the small company of the future will be as much a research organization as it is a manufacturing company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/i-believe-quite-simply-that-the-small-company-of-the-future-will-be/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [A premature attempt to explain something that thrills you will destroy your perceptivity rather than increase it, because your tendency will be to explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/a-premature-attempt-to-explain-something-that-thrills-you-will/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [A significant inventionmust be startling, unexpected. It must come to a world that is not prepared for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/a-significant-inventionmust-be-startling-unexpected-it-must-come-to-a/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [The world is like a fertile field that's waiting to be harvested. The seeds have been planted, and what I do is go out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/the-world-is-like-a-fertile-field-that-s-waiting-to-be-harvested-the/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [The most important thing about power is to make sure you don't have to use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/the-most-important-thing-about-power-is-to-make-sure-you-don-t-have/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) [Explore all 89 Edwin Land quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) ## More Common quotes > [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [When you have a cavity in your tooth and you let it get worse, eventually you have to get a root canal. 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