--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Things work well when a group of people…" description: "\"Things work well when a group of people know each other, and things break down when it's a bunch of random people interacting.\" — Jimmy Wales" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/jimmy-wales-4935_break_things-work-well-when-a-group-of-people_2506337.png" --- # Things work well when a group of people know each other… ![“Things work well when a group of people know each other, and things break down when it's a bunch of random people interacting.” quote by Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/jimmy-wales-4935_break_things-work-well-when-a-group-of-people_2506337.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/jimmy-wales-4935_break_things-work-well-when-a-group-of-people_2506337.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/jimmy-wales-4935_break_things-work-well-when-a-group-of-people_2506337.png) > “Things work well when a group of people know each other, and things break down when it's a bunch of random people interacting.” [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Collaboration thrives among familiar groups; random interactions cause breakdown. **In simple terms:** Familiar teams work better than strangers. Key Takeaway Build trust before collaboration. Themes collaboration trust community networking Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - team projects - online forums - network events - remote work Key Concepts social dynamics group cohesion open source Questions to Reflect On - How can strangers build trust quickly? - What structures support random collaboration? A Different Perspective Trust takes time to develop. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Breaking down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking-down/) [Bunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bunch/) [Group People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/group-people/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Interacting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interacting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Interacting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-interacting-1112618/) [People Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-know/) [Random People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/random-people-604829/) [Things Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-work/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [How often do we get to see trans people interacting with each other onscreen? We have friends. Hello? We're people. We're not just this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-lysette/how-often-do-we-get-to-see-trans-people-interacting-with-each-other/) [Trace Lysette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-lysette/) > [I like interacting with human beings, so being on stage feels like a larger version of that - kind of like throwing a party.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-nathanson/i-like-interacting-with-human-beings-so-being-on-stage-feels-like-a-2/) [Matt Nathanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-nathanson/) > [It's sometimes the random people that say things that aren't so nice, but that's okay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-emmons/it-s-sometimes-the-random-people-that-say-things-that-aren-t-so-nice/) [Matt Emmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-emmons/) > [I don't go out with random people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nimrat-kaur/i-don-t-go-out-with-random-people/) [Nimrat Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nimrat-kaur/) > [I always think about taking 10 random people off the street and trying to pair them. Probably a lot of them are not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-bristowe/i-always-think-about-taking-10-random-people-off-the-street-and/) [Kaitlyn Bristowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlyn-bristowe/) > [How can random people come in your life, and make you feel perfect, special and everything they ever wanted But the one your with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabitha-lynn/how-can-random-people-come-in-your-life-and-make-you-feel-perfect/) [Tabitha Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabitha-lynn/) > [I don't like to analyze what I do too much, but I certainly never meet a single person and say, 'You're the next character.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-don-t-like-to-analyze-what-i-do-too-much-but-i-certainly-never-meet/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [“When you are given a public forum and you have an audience of unnamed, random people who are listening to you, why would you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-are-given-a-public-forum-and-you-have-an-audience-of-unnamed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That awkward moment when your friends table is full and you had to sit by yourself with all these random people :3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annavang/that-awkward-moment-when-your-friends-table-is-full-and-you-had-to/) [Annavang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annavang/) > [My cellphone calls random people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mlynowski/my-cellphone-calls-random-people/) [Sarah Mlynowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mlynowski/) > [I hate it when random people get involved, its not your business, piss off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-it-when-random-people-get-involved-its-not-your-business-piss/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm going to make a facebook account called No one. Then I'll like random people's status, then it will say No one likes this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-going-to-make-a-facebook-account-called-no-one-then-i-ll-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Admit it you love to have a long conversation with random people on the internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktoria/admit-it-you-love-to-have-a-long-conversation-with-random-people-on/) [Viktoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktoria/) > [I wish I was the like button, then I could get pushed on by random people and see everybody's wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-i-was-the-like-button-then-i-could-get-pushed-on-by-random/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm always much more inspired by random people on the street. I live down by NYU and The New School, and I'd almost say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bastian/i-m-always-much-more-inspired-by-random-people-on-the-street-i-live/) [Michael Bastian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bastian/) ## More by Jimmy Wales > [People are not fundamentally bad. It only takes the smallest of correctives to take care of that tiny minority that wants to disrupt the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/people-are-not-fundamentally-bad-it-only-takes-the-smallest-of/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [Simply having rules does not change the things that people want to do. You have to change incentives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/simply-having-rules-does-not-change-the-things-that-people-want-to-do/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I think that argument is completely morally bankrupt, and I think people know that when they make it. There's a very big difference between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/i-think-that-argument-is-completely-morally-bankrupt-and-i-think/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I have said this many times in the past and will say it many times in the future I am sure: some people need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/i-have-said-this-many-times-in-the-past-and-will-say-it-many-times-in/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [The core community is passionate about quality and getting it right. If you want to read some good criticisms of Wikipedia, probably the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/the-core-community-is-passionate-about-quality-and-getting-it-right/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [People who have achieved a public voice find it a mixed bag.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/people-who-have-achieved-a-public-voice-find-it-a-mixed-bag/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [The core of Wikipedia is something people really believe in. That is too valuable for the world to screw it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/the-core-of-wikipedia-is-something-people-really-believe-in-that-is/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [It's kind of surprising that you could just open up a site and let people work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/it-s-kind-of-surprising-that-you-could-just-open-up-a-site-and-let/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [Wikis and social networking are just tools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/wikis-and-social-networking-are-just-tools/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I think it's a mistake to treat different realms of knowledge as if they are some how fundamentally the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/i-think-it-s-a-mistake-to-treat-different-realms-of-knowledge-as-if/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [It turns out a lot of people don't get it. Wikipedia is like rock'n'roll; it's a cultural shift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/it-turns-out-a-lot-of-people-don-t-get-it-wikipedia-is-like-rock-n/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [Freely licensed textbooks are the next big thing in education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/freely-licensed-textbooks-are-the-next-big-thing-in-education/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [We are still in the very beggining of the Internet. Let's use it wisely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/we-are-still-in-the-very-beggining-of-the-internet-let-s-use-it-wisely/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [If you see a blatant error or misconception about yourself, you really want to set it straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/if-you-see-a-blatant-error-or-misconception-about-yourself-you-really/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [“Now, you may think this is all kindergarten ethics, right down to the time-out for naught kids. If so, you are correct. … Civility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/now-you-may-think-this-is-all-kindergarten-ethics-right-down-to-the/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) [Explore all 105 Jimmy Wales quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) ## More Break quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/) [Peter Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dunne/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, flood you with it. You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-purpose-is-to-be-in-gratitude-forever-live-with-applied/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Never break another man's rice bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/never-break-another-man-s-rice-bowl/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) [Browse all 8,188 Break quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Things work well when a group of people know each other, and things break down when it's a bunch of random people interacting.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jimmy Wales" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/things-work-well-when-a-group-of-people-know-each-other-and-things/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Break" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/things-work-well-when-a-group-of-people-know-each-other-and-things/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/jimmy-wales-4935_break_things-work-well-when-a-group-of-people_2506337.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/jimmy-wales-4935_break_things-work-well-when-a-group-of-people_2506337.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/jimmy-wales-4935_break_things-work-well-when-a-group-of-people_2506337.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Things work well when a group of people know each other, and things break down when it's a bunch of random…” — Jimmy Wales", "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": "Jimmy Wales", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Things work well when a group...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/things-work-well-when-a-group-of-people-know-each-other-and-things/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/things-work-well-when-a-group-of-people-know-each-other-and-things/#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 } } ] } ```