Accomplish Quote by Norbert Wiener
“There is one quality more important than know-how… This is know-how by which we determine not only how to accomplish our purposes, but what our purposes are to be.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Cybernetics, 1948
True understanding combines technical skill with purpose, shaping goals as well as methods.
In simple terms: Know‑how includes deciding why you act.
Key Takeaway
Align skills with meaningful objectives.
Themes
purpose
knowledge
ethics
technology
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
strategic
When to use this quote
- career planning
- product design
- policy making
- AI development
Key Concepts
systems thinking
goal setting
Questions to Reflect On
- What purpose drives your expertise?
- How do you ensure your skills serve a greater good?
A Different Perspective
Technical expertise alone may not guarantee ethical outcomes.
![“[The Community's] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it is always upon nothingness that God is pleased to rear His works. If at any day we accomplish some good here, the glory will certainly be His alone, since…” quote by Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2b8/theodore-guerin-54729_accomplish_the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give_7176.jpg)
