--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Back in the twentieth century, we thought…" description: "\"Back in the twentieth century, we thought that robots would have taken over by this time, and, in a way, they have. But robots as a race have proved di..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/mary-norris-31685_boss_back-in-the-twentieth-century-we-thought_336598.jpg" --- # Back in the twentieth century, we thought that robots… ![“Back in the twentieth century, we thought that robots would have taken over by this time, and, in a way, they have. But robots as a race have proved disappointing. Instead of getting to boss around underlings made of steel and plastic with circuitry and blinking lights and tank treads, like Rosie…” quote by Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/mary-norris-31685_boss_back-in-the-twentieth-century-we-thought_336598.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/mary-norris-31685_boss_back-in-the-twentieth-century-we-thought_336598.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/mary-norris-31685_boss_back-in-the-twentieth-century-we-thought_336598.jpg) > “Back in the twentieth century, we thought that robots would have taken over by this time, and, in a way, they have. But robots as a race have proved disappointing. Instead of getting to boss around underlings made of steel and plastic with circuitry and blinking lights and tank treads, like Rosie the maid on The Jetsons, we humans have outfitted ourselves with robotic external organs. Our iPods dictate what we listen to next, gadgets in our cars tell us which way to go, and smartphones finish our sentences for us. We have become our own robots.” [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans have become dependent on technology that mimics robotic behavior, turning devices into extensions of ourselves. **In simple terms:** Tech becomes an extension of us. Key Takeaway Be mindful of tech dependence. Themes technology dependence humanity Mood cautious thoughtful Type critical observational When to use this quote - smartphone use - vehicle navigation - media consumption - workplace tools - personal assistants Key Concepts Automation cognitive offloading digital identity Questions to Reflect On - How does technology shape your decisions? - What habits can restore agency? A Different Perspective Overreliance may erode autonomy and critical thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boss/) [Gadgets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gadgets/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Organs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organs/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Robotics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robotics/) [Robots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robots/) [Smartphones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smartphones/) [Tanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tanks/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Twentieth century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twentieth-century/) [Which way to go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which-way-to-go/) ## Related quotes > [“My way of life is to dare to imagine the truest, most beautiful life, family and world - and to then conjure up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle/my-way-of-life-is-to-dare-to-imagine-the-truest-most-beautiful-life/) [Glennon Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle/) > [And I think my spaceship knows which way to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/and-i-think-my-spaceship-knows-which-way-to-go/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [And so he who looks down at his feet will not know the truth, but he who discerns by the sun which way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/and-so-he-who-looks-down-at-his-feet-will-not-know-the-truth-but-he/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/would-you-tell-me-please-which-way-i-ought-to-go-from-here/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [You need to be moving if you want God to show you which way to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/you-need-to-be-moving-if-you-want-god-to-show-you-which-way-to-go/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and that when we no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/it-may-be-that-when-we-no-longer-know-what-to-do-we-have-come-to-our/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Let me hear the music. I'ma let the music instruct me on which way to go. Forwards, backwards, left, right. It's like boxing. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-gates/let-me-hear-the-music-i-ma-let-the-music-instruct-me-on-which-way-to/) [Kevin Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-gates/) > [Do you struggle with confusion? Not knowing which way to go? Here's why: We turn to means (help of creation, our own mind) before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/do-you-struggle-with-confusion-not-knowing-which-way-to-go-here-s-why/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [It may be that when we no longer know... which way to go we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/it-may-be-that-when-we-no-longer-know-which-way-to-go-we-have-begun/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [I get more choices of things, projects, which is a blessing and a curse. I can only do one at a time. Sometimes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benicio-del-toro/i-get-more-choices-of-things-projects-which-is-a-blessing-and-a-curse/) [Benicio Del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benicio-del-toro/) > [IT'S PRETTY HARD for the Lord TO GUIDE YOU IF YOU HAVEN'T MADE UP YOUR MIND WHICH WAY TO GO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madam-c-j-walker/it-s-pretty-hard-for-the-lord-to-guide-you-if-you-haven-t-made-up/) [Madam C. J. Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madam-c-j-walker/) > [In any organization there ought to be the possibility of discussion... fence sitting is an art, and it's difficult, and it's important to do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/in-any-organization-there-ought-to-be-the-possibility-of-discussion/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [There comes a time in the life of every nation when it stands at the cross-roads of history and must choose which way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lal-bahadur-shastri/there-comes-a-time-in-the-life-of-every-nation-when-it-stands-at-the/) [Lal Bahadur Shastri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lal-bahadur-shastri/) > [All I can do is say I smell a rat. I don't know where it is or what kind of rat it is, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/all-i-can-do-is-say-i-smell-a-rat-i-don-t-know-where-it-is-or-what/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [There are, it seems, two muses: The Muse of Inspiration, who gives us inarticulate visions and desires, and the Muse of Realization, who returns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/there-are-it-seems-two-muses-the-muse-of-inspiration-who-gives-us/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) ## More by Mary Norris > [One of the things I like about my job is that it draws on the entire person: not just your knowledge of grammar and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/one-of-the-things-i-like-about-my-job-is-that-it-draws-on-the-entire/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [Punctuation is a deeply conservative club. It hardly ever admits a new member.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/punctuation-is-a-deeply-conservative-club-it-hardly-ever-admits-a-new/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [There is a phase in the life of every copy editor when she is obsessed with hyphens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/there-is-a-phase-in-the-life-of-every-copy-editor-when-she-is/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [The English language is full of words that are just waiting to be misspelled, and the world is full of sticklers, ready to pounce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/the-english-language-is-full-of-words-that-are-just-waiting-to-be/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [Commas, like nuns, often travel in pairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/commas-like-nuns-often-travel-in-pairs/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [“I always wanted to write a book, but it looked really hard: how did you get all the lines to come out even on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/i-always-wanted-to-write-a-book-but-it-looked-really-hard-how-did-you/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [Everybody is a writer. Everybody uses e-mail and has Facebook pages and tweets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/everybody-is-a-writer-everybody-uses-e-mail-and-has-facebook-pages/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [Something there is in cyberspace that doesn't love an apostrophe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/something-there-is-in-cyberspace-that-doesn-t-love-an-apostrophe/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [“I always forget that, in the popular imagination, the copy editor is a bit of a witch, and it surprises me when someone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/i-always-forget-that-in-the-popular-imagination-the-copy-editor-is-a/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [Why, if there is alphabet soup, do we not have punctuation cereal?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/why-if-there-is-alphabet-soup-do-we-not-have-punctuation-cereal/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [The dictionary is a wonderful thing, but you can't let it push you around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/the-dictionary-is-a-wonderful-thing-but-you-can-t-let-it-push-you/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [The comma, if it's left out, sometimes can be a problem. There's a slogan on a T-shirt going around that "Let's Eat, Grandma," and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/the-comma-if-it-s-left-out-sometimes-can-be-a-problem-there-s-a/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [Nobody knows everything-one of the pleasures of language is that there is always something new to learn-and everybody makes mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/nobody-knows-everything-one-of-the-pleasures-of-language-is-that/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [Many survivors refuse to talk about what they went through but I've never been ashamed to have been in one of those places. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/many-survivors-refuse-to-talk-about-what-they-went-through-but-i-ve/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [On the printed page, it's best to have everything - you know, to still mind your P's and Q's, dot your I's and cross…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/on-the-printed-page-it-s-best-to-have-everything-you-know-to-still/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) [Explore all 16 Mary Norris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) ## More Boss quotes > [ME AND SUMMER GUNNA BE MOVING IN TOGETHER HELL YA ITS GUNNA BE BOSS!!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hawes/me-and-summer-gunna-be-moving-in-together-hell-ya-its-gunna-be-boss/) [Jon Hawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hawes/) > [“having sex with her boss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-henning/having-sex-with-her-boss/) Stephen Henning > [Once in a while there's wisdom in recognizing that the Boss is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/once-in-a-while-there-s-wisdom-in-recognizing-that-the-boss-is/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/) [Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/) > [It is reassuring for people to feel they have a boss, someone who knows the answers and has charted the course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-cukor/it-is-reassuring-for-people-to-feel-they-have-a-boss-someone-who/) [George Cukor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-cukor/) > [I don't have a boss or PR person, so I'm accountable to no one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sacca/i-don-t-have-a-boss-or-pr-person-so-i-m-accountable-to-no-one/) [Chris Sacca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sacca/) > [ I remember Robin \[Williams\] walked up to me after the last take and said, "Thanks boss! We nailed it!" That will probably be one… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-aguire/i-remember-robin-williams-walked-up-to-me-after-the-last-take-and/) Roberto Aguire > [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) > [Your manager is your boss and tells you what to do, what to wear and who to be, so our relationship changed. I loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcdonald/your-manager-is-your-boss-and-tells-you-what-to-do-what-to-wear-and/) [Jane McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcdonald/) > [When I get home, I'm not the boss like I am at work - I slip into a more feminine role. I take everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-kerr/when-i-get-home-i-m-not-the-boss-like-i-am-at-work-i-slip-into-a-more/) [Miranda Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-kerr/) > [I can't say it was challenging for me to shake the image of Frasier. I've been fortunate to have had a very interesting career…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-grammer/i-can-t-say-it-was-challenging-for-me-to-shake-the-image-of-frasier-i/) [Kelsey Grammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-grammer/) > [You will be at your best forever, Even now you have good moments. Occasional glimpses of your heavenly self. When you change your baby's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/you-will-be-at-your-best-forever-even-now-you-have-good-moments/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Take lack of candor. ... I'm not talking about boldface lying, but a tendency to withhold information. That behavior is far more common, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/take-lack-of-candor-i-m-not-talking-about-boldface-lying-but-a/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [“Pizza as a reward at work, gotta love it. Personally, I'd rather have that than a raise. Give me a pizza, boss, and let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/pizza-as-a-reward-at-work-gotta-love-it-personally-i-d-rather-have/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Let me spell it out: with the psychotic boss, nothing you do is ever quite right. They set traps, asking you to do things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/let-me-spell-it-out-with-the-psychotic-boss-nothing-you-do-is-ever/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) [Browse all 1,833 Boss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boss/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Back in the twentieth century, we thought that robots would have taken over by this time, and, in a way, they have. But robots as a race have proved disappointing. Instead of getting to boss around underlings made of steel and plastic with circuitry and blinking lights and tank treads, like Rosie the maid on The Jetsons, we humans have outfitted ourselves with robotic external organs. Our iPods dictate what we listen to next, gadgets in our cars tell us which way to go, and smartphones finish our sentences for us. 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