---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People thrive on genuine connections…"
description: "\"People thrive on genuine connections - not with machines, but with each other. You don't want a robot taking care of your baby; an ailing elder needs t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/oren-etzioni-9741_best_people-thrive-on-genuine-connections-not_2891272.jpg"
---

#  People thrive on genuine connections - not with machines…

![“People thrive on genuine connections - not with machines, but with each other. You don't want a robot taking care of your baby; an ailing elder needs to be loved, to be listened to, fed, and sung to. This is one job category that people are - and will continue to be - best at.” quote by Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/oren-etzioni-9741_best_people-thrive-on-genuine-connections-not_2891272.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/oren-etzioni-9741_best_people-thrive-on-genuine-connections-not_2891272.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/oren-etzioni-9741_best_people-thrive-on-genuine-connections-not_2891272.jpg)

> “People thrive on genuine connections - not with machines, but with each other. You don't want a robot taking care of your baby; an ailing elder needs to be loved, to be listened to, fed, and sung to. This is one job category that people are - and will continue to be - best at.”

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Human caregiving requires genuine emotional presence, which machines cannot fully replicate, especially for vulnerable individuals.

**In simple terms:** People need real human care.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize human connection in caregiving.

Themes

compassion humanity technology

Mood

thoughtful optimistic

Type

ethical philosophical

When to use this quote

- elder care
- childcare
- hospital support
- mental health services

Key Concepts

ethics caregiving AI limitations

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we balance tech and human touch?
- What roles should robots play in care?

A Different Perspective

Technology may augment but not replace empathy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Connections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) [Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elder/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Robotics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robotics/)

## Related quotes

> [I understand that it would be smart, career-wise, to line up something, but it wouldn't be smart for my personal life or my sanity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-understand-that-it-would-be-smart-career-wise-to-line-up-something/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“dependency harms culture. People thrive the more they can be self-reliant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-j-smith/dependency-harms-culture-people-thrive-the-more-they-can-be-self/)

[Wesley J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-j-smith/)

> [“What is the difference between people who thrive and people who decline over a long period of time? It’s not that they don’t get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-johnston/what-is-the-difference-between-people-who-thrive-and-people-who/)

Ray Johnston

> [Bullying has always been around and there will always be people who thrive on the hurt they cause to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trisha-paytas/bullying-has-always-been-around-and-there-will-always-be-people-who/)

[Trisha Paytas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trisha-paytas/)

> [People thrive by focusing on the question of who they really are - and connecting that to work that they truly love .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/po-bronson/people-thrive-by-focusing-on-the-question-of-who-they-really-are-and/)

[Po Bronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/po-bronson/)

> [Some people thrive on creating chaos and then operating through it, though usually that's presented as a female trait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-schneider/some-people-thrive-on-creating-chaos-and-then-operating-through-it/)

[John Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-schneider/)

> [As a teenager I was more of an anarchist, but now I want people to thrive and be harmonious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/as-a-teenager-i-was-more-of-an-anarchist-but-now-i-want-people-to/)

[Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/)

> [A workplace that encourages self-awareness is an environment where the most productive, curious, and innovative people thrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-blumenthal/a-workplace-that-encourages-self-awareness-is-an-environment-where/)

[Neil Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-blumenthal/)

> [We all make mistakes, but the people who thrive from their mistakes are the successful ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/we-all-make-mistakes-but-the-people-who-thrive-from-their-mistakes/)

[Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/)

> [The most pro-business thing you can do is to help middle-class people thrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hanauer/the-most-pro-business-thing-you-can-do-is-to-help-middle-class-people/)

[Nick Hanauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hanauer/)

> [Sooner or later, the U.S. will face mounting job losses due to advances in automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/sooner-or-later-the-u-s-will-face-mounting-job-losses-due-to-advances/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [Even seemingly innocuous housecleaning robots create maps of your home. That is information you want to make sure you control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/even-seemingly-innocuous-housecleaning-robots-create-maps-of-your/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [“Useless the Elder was looking at me in amusement. “Not exactly stalwart, are you?” he said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/useless-the-elder-was-looking-at-me-in-amusement-not-exactly-stalwart/)

[Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/)

> [Find…this...elder boy…any guess…if found…tell me…….](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun/find-this-elder-boy-any-guess-if-found-tell-me/)

[Arun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun/)

> [Poetry is the elder sister of history, the mother of language, the ancestress of civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-f-whitney/poetry-is-the-elder-sister-of-history-the-mother-of-language-the/)

[Orson F. Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-f-whitney/)

## More by Oren Etzioni

> [The mechanical loom and the calculator have shown us that technology is both disruptive and filled with opportunities. But it would be hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/the-mechanical-loom-and-the-calculator-have-shown-us-that-technology/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [It's hard for me to speculate about what motivates somebody like Stephen Hawking or Elon Musk to talk so extensively about AI. I'd have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/it-s-hard-for-me-to-speculate-about-what-motivates-somebody-like/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [Israel is a wonderful place to grow up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/israel-is-a-wonderful-place-to-grow-up/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [AI is a tool. The choice about how it gets deployed is ours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/ai-is-a-tool-the-choice-about-how-it-gets-deployed-is-ours/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [Driverless cars are a great thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/driverless-cars-are-a-great-thing/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [AI works really well when you couple AI in a raisin bread model. AI is the raisins, but you wrap it in a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/ai-works-really-well-when-you-couple-ai-in-a-raisin-bread-model-ai-is/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [When you think of driverless cars, there's a huge potential for these cars to save lives by preventing accidents and by reducing congestion on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/when-you-think-of-driverless-cars-there-s-a-huge-potential-for-these/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [An AI utopia is a place where people have income guaranteed because their machines are working for them. Instead, they focus on activities that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/an-ai-utopia-is-a-place-where-people-have-income-guaranteed-because/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [I could do a whole talk on the question of is AI dangerous.' My response is that AI is not going to exterminate us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/i-could-do-a-whole-talk-on-the-question-of-is-ai-dangerous-my/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [Ultimately, to me, the computer is just a big pencil. What can we sketch using this pencil that makes a positive difference to society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/ultimately-to-me-the-computer-is-just-a-big-pencil-what-can-we-sketch/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [One of my favorite sayings is, 'Much have I learned from my teachers, but even more from my friends and even more from my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/one-of-my-favorite-sayings-is-much-have-i-learned-from-my-teachers/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [I became interested in AI in high school because I read 'Goedel, Escher, Bach,' a book by Douglas Hofstader. He showed how all their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/i-became-interested-in-ai-in-high-school-because-i-read-goedel-escher/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [The truth is that behind any AI program that works is a huge amount of, A, human ingenuity and, B, blood, sweat and tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/the-truth-is-that-behind-any-ai-program-that-works-is-a-huge-amount/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [Infrastructure investment in science is an investment in jobs, in health, in economic growth and environmental solutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/infrastructure-investment-in-science-is-an-investment-in-jobs-in/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

> [Scientists need the infrastructure for scientific search to aid their research, and they need it to offer relevancy and ways to separate the wheat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/scientists-need-the-infrastructure-for-scientific-search-to-aid-their/)

[Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

[Explore all 70 Oren Etzioni quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/)

## More Best quotes

> [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/)

[Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/)

> [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/)

[Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/)

[Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/)

> [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/)

[Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/)

> [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/)

[Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/)

> [Life is where you love people and use things not use people and love things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/life-is-where-you-love-people-and-use-things-not-use-people-and-love/)

[Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/)

> [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/)

[Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/)

> [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/)

Gene Scott

> [I'm looking to fight the best guys in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-rodriguez/i-m-looking-to-fight-the-best-guys-in-the-world/)

[Yair Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-rodriguez/)

> [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [It is no secret that I have read 'The Da Vinci Code' several times. I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-no-secret-that-i-have-read-the-da-vinci-code-several-times-i/)

[Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/)

> [Any position I was going to be in, I was going to make the best of it. I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/)

[Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/)

Browse all 21,674 Best quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "People thrive on genuine connections - not with machines, but with each other. You don't want a robot taking care of your baby; an ailing elder needs to be loved, to be listened to, fed, and sung to. This is one job category that people are - and will continue to be - best at.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Oren Etzioni"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/people-thrive-on-genuine-connections-not-with-machines-but-with-each/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Best"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/people-thrive-on-genuine-connections-not-with-machines-but-with-each/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/oren-etzioni-9741_best_people-thrive-on-genuine-connections-not_2891272.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/oren-etzioni-9741_best_people-thrive-on-genuine-connections-not_2891272.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/oren-etzioni-9741_best_people-thrive-on-genuine-connections-not_2891272.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People thrive on genuine connections - not with machines, but with each other. You don't want a robot taking…” — Oren Etzioni",
                "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": "Oren Etzioni",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "People thrive on genuine connections -...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/people-thrive-on-genuine-connections-not-with-machines-but-with-each/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/people-thrive-on-genuine-connections-not-with-machines-but-with-each/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
