--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I went from being a kid who loved to…" description: "\"I went from being a kid who loved to perform magic tricks to becoming the world's most notorious hacker, feared by corporations and the government.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/kevin-mitnick-3026_becoming_i-went-from-being-a-kid-who-loved-to-per_847786.png" --- # I went from being a kid who loved to perform magic tricks… ![“I went from being a kid who loved to perform magic tricks to becoming the world's most notorious hacker, feared by corporations and the government.” quote by Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/kevin-mitnick-3026_becoming_i-went-from-being-a-kid-who-loved-to-per_847786.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/kevin-mitnick-3026_becoming_i-went-from-being-a-kid-who-loved-to-per_847786.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/968/kevin-mitnick-3026_becoming_i-went-from-being-a-kid-who-loved-to-per_847786.png) > “I went from being a kid who loved to perform magic tricks to becoming the world's most notorious hacker, feared by corporations and the government.” [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A transformation from innocent curiosity to feared expertise illustrates the thin line between play and crime. **In simple terms:** From magic tricks to hacking fame. Key Takeaway Balance curiosity with ethical boundaries. Themes technology ethics identity risk power Mood cautious intrigued Type cautionary inspirational When to use this quote - career counseling - corporate security - legal policy - personal digital hygiene Key Concepts Cybersecurity psychology of deviance Questions to Reflect On - What drives the shift from hobby to illicit activity? - Is fame worth legal consequences? A Different Perspective Risk of glorifying illegal behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hacker/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [My dad was trying to prepare me for what he went through as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/my-dad-was-trying-to-prepare-me-for-what-he-went-through-as-a-kid/) [Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/) > [“That's one of the oldest tricks in the world, Adrien-with-an-e.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/that-s-one-of-the-oldest-tricks-in-the-world-adrien-with-an-e/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [I happen to be notorious. That, I have no control over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-happen-to-be-notorious-that-i-have-no-control-over/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [“Fuck. I hated being notorious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-estep/fuck-i-hated-being-notorious/) [Jennifer Estep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-estep/) > [These people, as far as I can see, do not congregate in the notorious centers of the movement, like the North Beach in San…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/these-people-as-far-as-i-can-see-do-not-congregate-in-the-notorious/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [It is quite exhilarating to speak about a God who has an incredible bias, a notorious bias in favor of the downtrodden. You look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/it-is-quite-exhilarating-to-speak-about-a-god-who-has-an-incredible/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [I was incredibly unpopular in high school but also extremely notorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grimes/i-was-incredibly-unpopular-in-high-school-but-also-extremely-notorious/) [Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grimes/) > [Nationalized industries are notorious for their inability to operate at a profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nationalized-industries-are-notorious-for-their-inability-to-operate/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am a notorious and constant worrier. I'm worried if I'm not worried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karla-crome/i-am-a-notorious-and-constant-worrier-i-m-worried-if-i-m-not-worried/) [Karla Crome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karla-crome/) > [“Budget airlines are notorious for over selling their flights and bumping passengers when too many show up!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/budget-airlines-are-notorious-for-over-selling-their-flights-and/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [It is notorious that the desire to live increases as life itself shortens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-ramon-y-cajal/it-is-notorious-that-the-desire-to-live-increases-as-life-itself/) [Santiago Ramon y Cajal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-ramon-y-cajal/) > [Your country is one of the most notorious centres of trading in endangered species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-philip/your-country-is-one-of-the-most-notorious-centres-of-trading-in/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-philip/) > [How the American right managed to convince itself that the programs to alleviate poverty are responsible for the consequences of poverty will someday be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/how-the-american-right-managed-to-convince-itself-that-the-programs/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [The facts of variability, of the struggle for existence, of adaptation to conditions, were notorious enough; but none of us had suspected that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-facts-of-variability-of-the-struggle-for-existence-of-adaptation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) ## More by Kevin Mitnick > [The human. Now you know all about your target](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-human-now-you-know-all-about-your-target/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I was fascinated with the phone system and how it worked; I became a hacker to get better control over the phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-was-fascinated-with-the-phone-system-and-how-it-worked-i-became-a/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Nine out of every 10 large corporations and government agencies have been attacked by computer intruders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/nine-out-of-every-10-large-corporations-and-government-agencies-have/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Back up everything! You are not invulnerable. Catastrophic data loss can happen to you - one worm or Trojan is all it takes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/back-up-everything-you-are-not-invulnerable-catastrophic-data-loss/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [It's true, I had hacked into a lot of companies, and took copies of the source code to analyze it for security bugs. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/it-s-true-i-had-hacked-into-a-lot-of-companies-and-took-copies-of-the/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [When an attacker fails with one person, they often go to another person. The key is to report the attack to other departments. Workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/when-an-attacker-fails-with-one-person-they-often-go-to-another/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I think malware is a significant threat because the mitigation, like antivirus software, hasn't evolved to a point to really mitigate the risk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-think-malware-is-a-significant-threat-because-the-mitigation-like/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Usually companies hire me, and they know full well who I am, and that's one of the reasons they want to hire me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/usually-companies-hire-me-and-they-know-full-well-who-i-am-and-that-s/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [A lot of companies are clueless, because they spend most or all of their security budget on high-tech security like fire walls and biometric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/a-lot-of-companies-are-clueless-because-they-spend-most-or-all-of/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I characterize myself as a retired hacker. I'm applying what I know to improve security at companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-characterize-myself-as-a-retired-hacker-i-m-applying-what-i-know-to/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [No company that I ever hacked into reported any damages, which they were required to do for significant losses. Sun didn't stop using Solaris…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/no-company-that-i-ever-hacked-into-reported-any-damages-which-they/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [New security loopholes are constantly popping up because of wireless networking. The cat-and-mouse game between hackers and system administrators is still in full swing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/new-security-loopholes-are-constantly-popping-up-because-of-wireless/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [The explosion of companies deploying wireless networks insecurely is creating vulnerabilities, as they think it's limited to the office - then they have Johnny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-explosion-of-companies-deploying-wireless-networks-insecurely-is/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [The government does things like insisting that all encryption programs should have a back door. But surely no one is stupid enough to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-government-does-things-like-insisting-that-all-encryption/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I get hired to hack into computers now and sometimes it's actually easier than it was years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-get-hired-to-hack-into-computers-now-and-sometimes-it-s-actually/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) [Explore all 142 Kevin Mitnick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) ## More Becoming quotes > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. 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