--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can see our forests vanishing, our…" description: "\"“We can see our forests vanishing, our water-powers going to waste, our soil being carried by floods into the sea; and the end of our coal and our iron..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/346/frederick-winslow-taylor-38918_efficiency_we-can-see-our-forests-vanishing-our-wat_1398677.png" --- # We can see our forests vanishing, our water-powers going… ![“We can see our forests vanishing, our water-powers going to waste, our soil being carried by floods into the sea; and the end of our coal and our iron is in sight. But our larger wastes of human effort, which go on every day through such of our acts as are blundering, ill-directed, or inefficient…” quote by Frederick Winslow Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/346/frederick-winslow-taylor-38918_efficiency_we-can-see-our-forests-vanishing-our-wat_1398677.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/346/frederick-winslow-taylor-38918_efficiency_we-can-see-our-forests-vanishing-our-wat_1398677.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/346/frederick-winslow-taylor-38918_efficiency_we-can-see-our-forests-vanishing-our-wat_1398677.png) > ““We can see our forests vanishing, our water-powers going to waste, our soil being carried by floods into the sea; and the end of our coal and our iron is in sight. But our larger wastes of human effort, which go on every day through such of our acts as are blundering, ill-directed, or inefficient, and which Mr. Roosevelt refers to as a lack of" national efficiency," are less visible) less tangible, and are but vaguely appreciated. We can see and feel the waste of material things. Awkward, inefficient, or ill-directed movements of men, however, leave nothing visible or tangible behind them. Their appreciation calls for an act of memory, an effort of the imagination. And for this reason, even though our daily loss from this source is greater than from our waste of material things, the one has stirred us deeply, while the other has moved us but little.”” [Frederick Winslow Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-winslow-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts visible material waste with invisible inefficiencies in human effort, urging recognition of the latter as a greater loss. **In simple terms:** Visible waste is easy to see; hidden inefficiency is harder but more costly. Key Takeaway Identify and address hidden inefficiencies. Themes efficiency industrialization human behavior environment productivity Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - business management - environmental policy - personal productivity - organizational change Key Concepts systems thinking resource allocation psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can we make hidden inefficiencies visible? - What tools help quantify effort waste? A Different Perspective Invisible inefficiencies are harder to measure and may be ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Efficiency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficiency/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Material things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/material-things/) [Optimization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimization/) [Productivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productivity/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) ## Related quotes > [“He listened to her with a cool indifference and said: 'Why do you worry over the matter? God’s will is supreme. 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Grab any intriguing offer. Say yes to a challenge and to the unknown. 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They are found-given-by experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/faith-hope-love-and-insight-are-the-highest-achievements-of-human/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Frederick Winslow Taylor > [ “When, however the elements of this \[book\] such as time study, functional formanaship etc, are used without being accompanied by the true philosophy of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-winslow-taylor/when-however-the-elements-of-this-book-such-as-time-study-functional/) [Frederick Winslow Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-winslow-taylor/) > [“The search for better, for more competent men, from the presidents of our great companies down to our household servants, was never more vigorous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-winslow-taylor/the-search-for-better-for-more-competent-men-from-the-presidents-of/) [Frederick Winslow Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-winslow-taylor/) > [It's easier to make a reporter into an economist than an economist into a reporter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-winslow-taylor/it-s-easier-to-make-a-reporter-into-an-economist-than-an-economist/) [Frederick Winslow Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-winslow-taylor/) > [I am a complete, mature, self-sufficient being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-winslow-taylor/i-am-a-complete-mature-self-sufficient-being/) [Frederick Winslow Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-winslow-taylor/) > [In the early stages of wealth, up to 10 years after individuals became very rich, they display a bit of reluctance to spend money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-winslow-taylor/in-the-early-stages-of-wealth-up-to-10-years-after-individuals-became/) [Frederick Winslow Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-winslow-taylor/) > [Tell him to go to hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-winslow-taylor/tell-him-to-go-to-hell/) [Frederick Winslow Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-winslow-taylor/) > [The man who is ... physically able to handle pig-iron and is sufficiently ... stupid to choose this for his occupation is rarely able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-winslow-taylor/the-man-who-is-physically-able-to-handle-pig-iron-and-is-sufficiently/) [Frederick Winslow Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-winslow-taylor/) > [In the past the man has been first; in the future the system must be first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-winslow-taylor/in-the-past-the-man-has-been-first-in-the-future-the-system-must-be/) [Frederick Winslow Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-winslow-taylor/) > [(Walls) show that politicians have reached the end of their ideas about what to do about a difficult situation with a neighbor. ... They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-winslow-taylor/walls-show-that-politicians-have-reached-the-end-of-their-ideas-about/) [Frederick Winslow Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-winslow-taylor/) > [In the past the man has been first; in the future the system must be first. 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Davey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-e-davey/) [Browse all 782 Efficiency quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficiency/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We can see our forests vanishing, our water-powers going to waste, our soil being carried by floods into the sea; and the end of our coal and our iron is in sight. But our larger wastes of human effort, which go on every day through such of our acts as are blundering, ill-directed, or inefficient, and which Mr. Roosevelt refers to as a lack of\" national efficiency,\" are less visible) less tangible, and are but vaguely appreciated. We can see and feel the waste of material things. Awkward, inefficient, or ill-directed movements of men, however, leave nothing visible or tangible behind them. Their appreciation calls for an act of memory, an effort of the imagination. 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