---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It had been the most complex, difficult…"
description: "\"“It had been the most complex, difficult feat of mass-scale engineering humanity had ever accomplished until the next thing they did.”\" — James S.A. Corey"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/james-s-a-corey-861_engineering_it-had-been-the-most-complex-difficult-f_473698.jpg"
---

#  It had been the most complex, difficult feat of mass-scale…

![“It had been the most complex, difficult feat of mass-scale engineering humanity had ever accomplished until the next thing they did.” quote by James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/james-s-a-corey-861_engineering_it-had-been-the-most-complex-difficult-f_473698.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/james-s-a-corey-861_engineering_it-had-been-the-most-complex-difficult-f_473698.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/james-s-a-corey-861_engineering_it-had-been-the-most-complex-difficult-f_473698.jpg)

> ““It had been the most complex, difficult feat of mass-scale engineering humanity had ever accomplished until the next thing they did.””

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The feat described was humanity’s most complex engineering achievement until surpassed by later innovations.

**In simple terms:** It was the pinnacle of engineering until something greater came.

Key Takeaway

Recognize that progress is always temporary.

Themes

innovation progress engineering humanity

Mood

thought‑provoking inspirational

Type

science‑fiction historical.

When to use this quote

- space colonization
- large‑scale construction
- future tech
- historical analysis

Key Concepts

technological evolution historical milestones

Questions to Reflect On

- What will future generations view as our greatest feat?
- How does this perspective affect current ambition?

A Different Perspective

Future breakthroughs may render current achievements obsolete.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Complex Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complex-difficult-421378/) [Difficult Feat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-feat-313075/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Engineering Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering-humanity-4088397/) [Humanity Accomplished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity-accomplished-4088398/) [Scale Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scale-engineering-4088399/)

## Related quotes

> [All the great things of humanity have been accomplished in the name of absolute principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/all-the-great-things-of-humanity-have-been-accomplished-in-the-name/)

[Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/)

> [Apparently, the most difficult feat for a Cambridge male is to accept a woman not merely as feeling, not merely as thinking, but as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/apparently-the-most-difficult-feat-for-a-cambridge-male-is-to-accept/)

[Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/)

> [Cannibalization is by far the most difficult feat any established, successful company can pull off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/cannibalization-is-by-far-the-most-difficult-feat-any-established/)

[Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/)

> [As they grow, companies saturate their markets, become more complex and difficult to manage, and face larger and more entrenched competitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/as-they-grow-companies-saturate-their-markets-become-more-complex-and/)

[Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/)

> [Simplicity is no longer presented as a virtue. The value of complex and difficult language has been preached with such insistence that the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/simplicity-is-no-longer-presented-as-a-virtue-the-value-of-complex/)

[John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/)

> [“Don’t confuse the complex with the difficult. Most situations are simple – many are just emotionally difficult to act upon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/don-t-confuse-the-complex-with-the-difficult-most-situations-are/)

[Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/)

> [Brexit is the most complex and difficult political decision our country has had to take in mine and many other lifetimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layla-moran/brexit-is-the-most-complex-and-difficult-political-decision-our/)

[Layla Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layla-moran/)

> [The relationship between the public and the artist is complex and difficult to explain. There is a fine line between using this critical energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-goldsworthy/the-relationship-between-the-public-and-the-artist-is-complex-and/)

[Andy Goldsworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-goldsworthy/)

> [I enjoy taking on complex, difficult characters and have always striven to capture the truth of those people, whether or not it's popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/i-enjoy-taking-on-complex-difficult-characters-and-have-always/)

[Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/)

> [I see nothing easy in Washington. I see either analytically simple things that are politically complex or those that are politically complex and analytically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/i-see-nothing-easy-in-washington-i-see-either-analytically-simple/)

[Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/)

> [If they think they can get anyone who could have better handled the complex and difficult issues surrounding North Korea, Iran and other controversies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/if-they-think-they-can-get-anyone-who-could-have-better-handled-the/)

[Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/)

> [With age, life becomes complex and difficult, often fraught with risk on several levels, from the practical to the fiscal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/with-age-life-becomes-complex-and-difficult-often-fraught-with-risk/)

[Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/)

> [Politics is far more complex and difficult than other professions, as it involves takeover of your own personal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atishi/politics-is-far-more-complex-and-difficult-than-other-professions-as/)

[Atishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atishi/)

> [Beware of people preaching simple solutions to complex problems. If the answer was easy someone more intelligent would have thought of it a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-herbert/beware-of-people-preaching-simple-solutions-to-complex-problems-if/)

[Steve Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-herbert/)

> [I came from a Conservatoire background where the idea of complexity was very much bound up with good music - good music was seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-richter/i-came-from-a-conservatoire-background-where-the-idea-of-complexity/)

[Max Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-richter/)

## More by James S.A. Corey

> [“If life transcends death, then I will seek for you there. If not, then there too.” He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/if-life-transcends-death-then-i-will-seek-for-you-there-if-not-then/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [Violence is what people do when they run out of good ideas. It's attractive because it's simple, it's direct, it's almost always available as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/violence-is-what-people-do-when-they-run-out-of-good-ideas-it-s/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“This was the difference, she thought, between solitude and isolation. And now she knew something about herself she hadn’t known before. It was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/this-was-the-difference-she-thought-between-solitude-and-isolation/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“Oh, I’m not dying out here,” Amos said, and pointed toward the interior of the ship with his chin. “Worst-case scenario, I’m dying inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/oh-i-m-not-dying-out-here-amos-said-and-pointed-toward-the-interior/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“My love is a pure love,” Alex said with a grin. “I wouldn’t sully it by actually, you know, doin’ anything about it.” “The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/my-love-is-a-pure-love-alex-said-with-a-grin-i-wouldn-t-sully-it-by/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“The mech hadn’t been designed for violence, but it was suited for it. That made her and it the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/the-mech-hadn-t-been-designed-for-violence-but-it-was-suited-for-it/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“For another thing, we’re under martial law, so I can do very nearly whatever the fuck I want. Including march through your precious little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/for-another-thing-we-re-under-martial-law-so-i-can-do-very-nearly/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“This attack is the greatest tragedy in human history,” Avasarala said. “They want the belt to rise up so they can hide behind the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/this-attack-is-the-greatest-tragedy-in-human-history-avasarala-said/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“Church of Humanity Ascendant, a religion that eschewed supernaturalism in all forms, and whose theology boiled down to Humans can be better than they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/church-of-humanity-ascendant-a-religion-that-eschewed-supernaturalism/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“Oh good,” Amos replied. “Somebody got killed there. That’s how we claim stuff, you know. This planet is officially ours now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/oh-good-amos-replied-somebody-got-killed-there-that-s-how-we-claim/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“Alamogordo and worked his two-year service stripping down ancient solar electricity stations from the bad old days before fusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/alamogordo-and-worked-his-two-year-service-stripping-down-ancient/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“But humans hadn’t been living and working in space nearly long enough for the primitive part of the brain not to say, I’ll fall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/but-humans-hadn-t-been-living-and-working-in-space-nearly-long-enough/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“I like the backup plan better,” Amos said. “Backup plan?” Prax asked. “The backup plan is I grab the first guy we see, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/i-like-the-backup-plan-better-amos-said-backup-plan-prax-asked-the/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“She had seen Holden on the newsfeeds and reports. At the beginning of the war between Mars and the Belt, he had been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/she-had-seen-holden-on-the-newsfeeds-and-reports-at-the-beginning-of/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

> [“the lizard living at the base of her spine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/the-lizard-living-at-the-base-of-her-spine/)

[James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

[Explore all 341 James S.A. Corey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/)

## More Engineering quotes

> [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [“Nothing is easier than yesterday's solutions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-sperry/nothing-is-easier-than-yesterday-s-solutions/)

[Roger Sperry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-sperry/)

> [Design is not making beauty, beauty emerges from selection, affinities, integration, love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kahn/design-is-not-making-beauty-beauty-emerges-from-selection-affinities/)

[Louis Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kahn/)

> [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [I design some of my own clothes now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiernan-shipka/i-design-some-of-my-own-clothes-now/)

[Kiernan Shipka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiernan-shipka/)

> [Design is a very personal thing. It's like art. Your personal choice plays a big role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gauri-khan/design-is-a-very-personal-thing-it-s-like-art-your-personal-choice/)

[Gauri Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gauri-khan/)

> [Worship isn't destructive, Martin. I know that. I don't. I only know it's the core of his life. What else has he got? He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/worship-isn-t-destructive-martin-i-know-that-i-don-t-i-only-know-it-s/)

[Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/)

> [ Leave a cavity behind the \[wall\] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-and-on-the-inside-build-walls/)

[Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/)

> [Our guiding principle was that design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair, but simply an integral part of the stuff of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gropius/our-guiding-principle-was-that-design-is-neither-an-intellectual-nor/)

[Walter Gropius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gropius/)

> [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/)

[Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/)

> [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/)

[Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/)

> [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/)

[Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/)

> [My objective is to design a space that nobody else can come up with while using the material that anyone can use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadao-ando/my-objective-is-to-design-a-space-that-nobody-else-can-come-up-with/)

[Tadao Ando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadao-ando/)

> [Man's endeavour to cross even the most difficult terrain with railway lines has produced some of the most stunning marvels of engineering of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prashant-bhushan/man-s-endeavour-to-cross-even-the-most-difficult-terrain-with-railway/)

[Prashant Bhushan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prashant-bhushan/)

> [Of course design is about problem solving, but I cannot resist adding something personal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-crouwel/of-course-design-is-about-problem-solving-but-i-cannot-resist-adding/)

[Wim Crouwel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-crouwel/)

[Browse all 3,003 Engineering quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It had been the most complex, difficult feat of mass-scale engineering humanity had ever accomplished until the next thing they did.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James S.A. Corey"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/it-had-been-the-most-complex-difficult-feat-of-mass-scale-engineering/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Engineering"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/it-had-been-the-most-complex-difficult-feat-of-mass-scale-engineering/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/james-s-a-corey-861_engineering_it-had-been-the-most-complex-difficult-f_473698.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/james-s-a-corey-861_engineering_it-had-been-the-most-complex-difficult-f_473698.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/256/james-s-a-corey-861_engineering_it-had-been-the-most-complex-difficult-f_473698.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It had been the most complex, difficult feat of mass-scale engineering humanity had ever accomplished until…” — James S.A. Corey",
                "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": "James S.A. Corey",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It had been the most complex,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/it-had-been-the-most-complex-difficult-feat-of-mass-scale-engineering/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/it-had-been-the-most-complex-difficult-feat-of-mass-scale-engineering/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
