--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can try to control people, or you can…" description: "\"You can try to control people, or you can try to have a system that represents reality. I find that knowing what's really happening is more important t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/larry-page-4715_happenings_you-can-try-to-control-people-or-you-can_1683843.png" --- # You can try to control people, or you can try to have a… ![“You can try to control people, or you can try to have a system that represents reality. I find that knowing what's really happening is more important than trying to control people.” quote by Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/larry-page-4715_happenings_you-can-try-to-control-people-or-you-can_1683843.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/larry-page-4715_happenings_you-can-try-to-control-people-or-you-can_1683843.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/larry-page-4715_happenings_you-can-try-to-control-people-or-you-can_1683843.png) > “You can try to control people, or you can try to have a system that represents reality. I find that knowing what's really happening is more important than trying to control people.” [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding reality is more vital than trying to control people; a system reflecting truth is preferable to manipulation. **In simple terms:** Knowing reality beats trying to control people. Key Takeaway Build systems that reveal truth. Themes control systems reality leadership Mood analytical cautious Type philosophical strategic When to use this quote - corporate strategy - public policy - organizational management Key Concepts information transparency system design ethical governance Questions to Reflect On - How can systems respect autonomy while reflecting reality? - What are the risks of over‑controlling people? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on reality may ignore human agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-people-266453/) [Happenings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happenings/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-knowing-984121/) [Represents Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/represents-reality-874835/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Trying Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-control-403140/) ## Related quotes > [Knowing reality is knowing that you can't lose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sinclair/knowing-reality-is-knowing-that-you-can-t-lose-it/) [May Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sinclair/) > [“I have learned that trying to control other people’s opinions of you is the fastest possible route to unhappiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pearce/i-have-learned-that-trying-to-control-other-people-s-opinions-of-you/) [Dan Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pearce/) > [“Trying to control other people and what they think is impossible. We can barely control what we think, how do we expect to control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-castillo/trying-to-control-other-people-and-what-they-think-is-impossible-we/) [Brooke Castillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-castillo/) > [Even though you try to put people under control, it is impossible. You cannot do it. 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I am more drawn to the image itself, rather than to the description of a scene.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beat-streuli/i-don-t-see-myself-as-a-documentary-photographer-i-am-more-drawn-to/) [Beat Streuli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beat-streuli/) > [I want to make sure that I represent a variety of backgrounds and that represents the reality out here in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-iyer/i-want-to-make-sure-that-i-represent-a-variety-of-backgrounds-and/) [Vijay Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-iyer/) > [“Baby, this is who I am. I'm hardwired this way. And if I'm trying to take control over the situation, please understand that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-wild/baby-this-is-who-i-am-i-m-hardwired-this-way-and-if-i-m-trying-to/) [Meredith Wild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-wild/) ## More by Larry Page > [One of our big goals in search is to make search that really understands exactly what you want, understands everything in the world. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/one-of-our-big-goals-in-search-is-to-make-search-that-really/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [We should be focusing on building things that do not exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/we-should-be-focusing-on-building-things-that-do-not-exist/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [We try to, when you come to Google, fulfill that need that you have as quickly as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/we-try-to-when-you-come-to-google-fulfill-that-need-that-you-have-as/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [I do think there is an important artistic component in what we do. As a technology company I've tried to really stress that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/i-do-think-there-is-an-important-artistic-component-in-what-we-do-as/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [Find the leverage in the world so you can be truly lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/find-the-leverage-in-the-world-so-you-can-be-truly-lazy/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [Invention is not enough. Tesla invented the electric power we use, but he struggled to get it out to people. You have to combine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/invention-is-not-enough-tesla-invented-the-electric-power-we-use-but/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [Optimism is important. You have to be a little silly about the goals you are going to set. There is a phrase I learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/optimism-is-important-you-have-to-be-a-little-silly-about-the-goals/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [Most of us carry at least one device, all the time, every day. In fact many of us would feel naked without our smartphone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/most-of-us-carry-at-least-one-device-all-the-time-every-day-in-fact/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [Artificial intelligence would be the ultimate version of Google. The ultimate search engine that would understand everything on the Web. It would understand exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/artificial-intelligence-would-be-the-ultimate-version-of-google-the/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [If you're not doing some things that are crazy, then you're doing the wrong things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/if-you-re-not-doing-some-things-that-are-crazy-then-you-re-doing-the/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [Many leaders of big organizations, I think, don't believe that change is possible. But if you look at history, things do change, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/many-leaders-of-big-organizations-i-think-don-t-believe-that-change/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [Don't be evil- apparently people like it better than "Be good".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/don-t-be-evil-apparently-people-like-it-better-than-be-good/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [As we transition from one screen to multiscreens, Google has enormous opportunities to innovate and drive ever higher monetization. Just like Search in 2000.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/as-we-transition-from-one-screen-to-multiscreens-google-has-enormous/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [If we are not trusted, we have no business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/if-we-are-not-trusted-we-have-no-business/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [I have over 2 million followers now on Google Plus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/i-have-over-2-million-followers-now-on-google-plus/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) [Explore all 107 Larry Page quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) ## More Happenings quotes > [ \[Photography is \] likewise even French impressionists. So the Sculls bought pop. It was politics, and they moved with it. And I think that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/photography-is-likewise-even-french-impressionists-so-the-sculls/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [Hardest emotion? They're all pretty damn hard; I don't know really if there's one specifically, but I do think, I don't know what's happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-gyllenhaal/hardest-emotion-they-re-all-pretty-damn-hard-i-don-t-know-really-if/) [Jake Gyllenhaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-gyllenhaal/) > [I have this belief about things happening organically. I believe life has this organic flow in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoko-mori/i-have-this-belief-about-things-happening-organically-i-believe-life/) [Naoko Mori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoko-mori/) > [Out in the field I try not to hold expectations. I try to achieve an openness. The senses heighten so that I am totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-lazelle/out-in-the-field-i-try-not-to-hold-expectations-i-try-to-achieve-an/) [Keith Lazelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-lazelle/) > [When we love, it is not necessary to understand what is happening outside, because everything happens inside us instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-we-love-it-is-not-necessary-to-understand-what-is-happening/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [No matter what's happening, choose to be happy. Don't focus on what's wrong. Find something positive in your life. Thank God for the small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/no-matter-what-s-happening-choose-to-be-happy-don-t-focus-on-what-s/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [What is happening here is we are living past the age, by the millions, living past the age where cultural values make any sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-is-happening-here-is-we-are-living-past-the-age-by-the-millions/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Baseball doesn't seem very important on a day like this...When you live in the United States and you think it's the greatest country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-hunsicker/baseball-doesn-t-seem-very-important-on-a-day-like-this-when-you-live/) [Gerry Hunsicker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-hunsicker/) > [Cause I swear that I'm dying, slowly but its happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/cause-i-swear-that-i-m-dying-slowly-but-its-happening/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [I wanted to do a war movie, a western and an alien movie. In reality, there are a lot of ugly things happening in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-eckhart/i-wanted-to-do-a-war-movie-a-western-and-an-alien-movie-in-reality/) [Aaron Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-eckhart/) > [We can sit and worry about what's going to happen to us two weeks from now. I'd rather focus on the amazing things happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/we-can-sit-and-worry-about-what-s-going-to-happen-to-us-two-weeks/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [Sometimes something will be happening in pop culture and a movie will be right there, so you'll have this perception that maybe the movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/sometimes-something-will-be-happening-in-pop-culture-and-a-movie-will/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) > [I visualized a lot of things happening to me, because I was a lonely kid because I didn't understand anything about school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/i-visualized-a-lot-of-things-happening-to-me-because-i-was-a-lonely/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) > [Today, something is happening to the whole structure of human consciousness. A fresh kind of life is starting. 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