Computers Quote by Nathanael West
“Prayers for the condemned man will be offered on an adding machine. Numbers constitute the only universal language.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Day of the Locust, 1939
Human suffering is recorded in cold, mechanical ways, reducing empathy.
In simple terms: Numbers lack human feeling.
Key Takeaway
Remember the human behind the data.
Themes
empathy
technology
dehumanization
Mood
somber
critical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- data analysis
- media reporting
Key Concepts
sociology
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we keep humanity in statistics?
- Can data ever fully represent suffering?
A Different Perspective
Numbers can’t capture lived experience.
