--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before we choose our tools and…" description: "\"Before we choose our tools and technology, we must choose our dreams and values, for some technologies serve them, while others make them more unobtain..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/marilyn-ferguson-4496_dream_before-we-choose-our-tools-and-technolog_3074125.jpg" --- # Before we choose our tools and technology, we must choose… ![“Before we choose our tools and technology, we must choose our dreams and values, for some technologies serve them, while others make them more unobtainable.” quote by Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/marilyn-ferguson-4496_dream_before-we-choose-our-tools-and-technolog_3074125.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/marilyn-ferguson-4496_dream_before-we-choose-our-tools-and-technolog_3074125.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/marilyn-ferguson-4496_dream_before-we-choose-our-tools-and-technolog_3074125.jpg) > “Before we choose our tools and technology, we must choose our dreams and values, for some technologies serve them, while others make them more unobtainable.” [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing tools should follow our aspirations and ethics, not dictate them; technology can either support or hinder our goals. **In simple terms:** Pick tools that match your dreams, not the other way around. Key Takeaway Align tech with values. Themes values technology ethics aspirations Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - business strategy - personal development - policy making - product design Key Concepts human-centered design goal alignment Questions to Reflect On - What core values guide your tech choices? - How can you ensure tools serve your vision? A Different Perspective Technology may limit possibilities if values are unclear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choose Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose-dreams-3127387/) [Choose Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose-tools-578599/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Our dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-dreams/) [Technologies Serve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technologies-serve-5214832/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Technology Choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology-choose-1655963/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Values Technologies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values-technologies-5214833/) ## Related quotes > [Choose your tools carefully, but not so carefully that you get uptight or spend more time at the stationery store than at your writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/choose-your-tools-carefully-but-not-so-carefully-that-you-get-uptight/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [In my books the technology that I choose to talk about has to serve the themes. What that means is that I end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-wilson/in-my-books-the-technology-that-i-choose-to-talk-about-has-to-serve/) [Daniel H. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-wilson/) > [I am good everywhere; I can pick and choose the tools on the day, or even adjust during the fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hooker/i-am-good-everywhere-i-can-pick-and-choose-the-tools-on-the-day-or/) [Dan Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hooker/) > [You've got to choose your horse ahead of time. So, if you're interested in water technology, energy technology, you get to choose between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/you-ve-got-to-choose-your-horse-ahead-of-time-so-if-you-re-interested/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [“One should never be exclusive of the other. If you have to choose between your dreams or your man . . . always choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-should-never-be-exclusive-of-the-other-if-you-have-to-choose/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you feel that you must suffer, then plan your suffering carefully -- as you choose your dreams, as you conceive your ancestors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/if-you-feel-that-you-must-suffer-then-plan-your-suffering-carefully/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [... if you have nothing, you are free to choose among dreams and fantasies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/if-you-have-nothing-you-are-free-to-choose-among-dreams-and-fantasies/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [For us who choose our dreams over our love the only thing we can do for love is perhaps to release the lock around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-yazawa/for-us-who-choose-our-dreams-over-our-love-the-only-thing-we-can-do/) [Ai Yazawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-yazawa/) > [Ask any parent what we want for our children, and invariably we say 'a better life.' To that end, we give our time, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonor-varela/ask-any-parent-what-we-want-for-our-children-and-invariably-we-say-a/) [Leonor Varela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonor-varela/) > [We are here to learn and to make our dreams realized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kai-greene/we-are-here-to-learn-and-to-make-our-dreams-realized/) [Kai Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kai-greene/) > [The natural world is not only a set of constraints but of contexts within which we can more fully realize our dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-shepard/the-natural-world-is-not-only-a-set-of-constraints-but-of-contexts/) [Paul Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-shepard/) > [What's important is how we use our time on this earth, not how conspicuously we give our money away. What's important is the energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pallotta/what-s-important-is-how-we-use-our-time-on-this-earth-not-how/) [Dan Pallotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pallotta/) > [The glory of the world is transitory, and we should not measure our lives by it, but by the choice we make to follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-glory-of-the-world-is-transitory-and-we-should-not-measure-our/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The deepest courage we can exercise is continuing to believe in our dreams until we make them come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/the-deepest-courage-we-can-exercise-is-continuing-to-believe-in-our/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I think cinema is closer to allegories than to reality. It's closer to our dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-puig/i-think-cinema-is-closer-to-allegories-than-to-reality-it-s-closer-to/) [Manuel Puig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-puig/) ## More by Marilyn Ferguson > [Evolution happens in jumps, very rapidly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/evolution-happens-in-jumps-very-rapidly/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of every fear is freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/ultimately-we-know-deeply-that-the-other-side-of-every-fear-is-freedom/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [People are seeking more power in the individual and less in government and institutions; they want more cooperation and less competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/people-are-seeking-more-power-in-the-individual-and-less-in/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [You can be more productive, confident, comfortable with insecurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/you-can-be-more-productive-confident-comfortable-with-insecurity/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [Whatever the rationale, the suppression of unorthodox cancer therapies and the sustained persecution of their proponents by government and colleagues runs counter to freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/whatever-the-rationale-the-suppression-of-unorthodox-cancer-therapies/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [Making mental connections is our most crucial learning tool, the essence of human intelligence; to forge links; to go beyond the given; to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/making-mental-connections-is-our-most-crucial-learning-tool-the/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [ General Systems Theory, a related modern concept \[to holism\], says that each variable in any system interacts with the other variables so thoroughly that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/general-systems-theory-a-related-modern-concept-to-holism-says-that/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [The East contemplated the forest the West counted the trees...the mind that knows that trees and the forest is a new mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/the-east-contemplated-the-forest-the-west-counted-the-trees-the-mind/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [The difference between transformation by accident and transformation by a system is like the difference between lightning and a lamp. Both give illumination, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/the-difference-between-transformation-by-accident-and-transformation/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [Most of us are having to invent, discover, and create the next steps of our lives without a light, a map, or a relevant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/most-of-us-are-having-to-invent-discover-and-create-the-next-steps-of/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [Cynics know the answers without having penetrated deeply enough to know the questions. When challenged by mysterious truths, they marshall 'facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/cynics-know-the-answers-without-having-penetrated-deeply-enough-to/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [Many artists have said that when life itself becomes fully conscious, art as we know it will vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/many-artists-have-said-that-when-life-itself-becomes-fully-conscious/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [Spirituality is a kind of virgin wisdom, a knowing that comes prior to experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/spirituality-is-a-kind-of-virgin-wisdom-a-knowing-that-comes-prior-to/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [Fear is a question: What are you afraid of and why? Just as the seed of health is in illness, because illness contains information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/fear-is-a-question-what-are-you-afraid-of-and-why-just-as-the-seed-of/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [The struggle to make people understand the need for change is over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/the-struggle-to-make-people-understand-the-need-for-change-is-over/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) [Explore all 110 Marilyn Ferguson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before we choose our tools and technology, we must choose our dreams and values, for some technologies serve them, while others make them more unobtainable.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marilyn Ferguson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/before-we-choose-our-tools-and-technology-we-must-choose-our-dreams/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dream" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/before-we-choose-our-tools-and-technology-we-must-choose-our-dreams/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/marilyn-ferguson-4496_dream_before-we-choose-our-tools-and-technolog_3074125.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/marilyn-ferguson-4496_dream_before-we-choose-our-tools-and-technolog_3074125.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/marilyn-ferguson-4496_dream_before-we-choose-our-tools-and-technolog_3074125.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Before we choose our tools and technology, we must choose our dreams and values, for some technologies serve…” — Marilyn Ferguson", "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": "Marilyn Ferguson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Before we choose our tools and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/before-we-choose-our-tools-and-technology-we-must-choose-our-dreams/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/before-we-choose-our-tools-and-technology-we-must-choose-our-dreams/#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 } } ] } ```