--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The systems that fail are those that rely…" description: "\"“The systems that fail are those that rely on the permanency of human nature”\" — Oscar Wilde" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ce/oscar-wilde-16_failure_the-systems-that-fail-are-those-that-rel_2497685.jpg" --- # The systems that fail are those that rely on the… ![“The systems that fail are those that rely on the permanency of human nature” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ce/oscar-wilde-16_failure_the-systems-that-fail-are-those-that-rel_2497685.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ce/oscar-wilde-16_failure_the-systems-that-fail-are-those-that-rel_2497685.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ce/oscar-wilde-16_failure_the-systems-that-fail-are-those-that-rel_2497685.jpg) > ““The systems that fail are those that rely on the permanency of human nature”” [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Systems that assume human nature is unchanging are destined to fail. **In simple terms:** Assuming unchanging human nature leads to failure. Key Takeaway Design flexible systems that adapt to human change. Themes systems human nature adaptability design Mood inquisitive analytical Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - policy design - organizational management - technology development - social programs Key Concepts behavioral economics systemic resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can systems anticipate human change? - What mechanisms allow systems to adapt? A Different Perspective Predicting human behavior is inherently uncertain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Permanency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanency/) [Permanency Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanency-human-1029621/) [Rely Permanency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rely-permanency-1029620/) [Systems Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/systems-fail-1029619/) ## Related quotes > [The systems that fail are those that rely on the permanency of human nature, and not its growth and development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-systems-that-fail-are-those-that-rely-on-the-permanency-of-human-2/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“The only thing that one really knows about human nature is that it changes. Change is the one quality we can predicate of it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-only-thing-that-one-really-knows-about-human-nature-is-that-it-2/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The only thing that one really knows about human nature is that it changes. Change is the one quality we can predicate of it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-only-thing-that-one-really-knows-about-human-nature-is-that-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“human beings fail the way all complex systems fail: randomly and gradually.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/human-beings-fail-the-way-all-complex-systems-fail-randomly-and/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [“if you repeat a temporary answer often enough, it acquires a degree of permanency.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/if-you-repeat-a-temporary-answer-often-enough-it-acquires-a-degree-of/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [I don't like permanency. I just like to slip and slide, and in identity, I think that's a very feminine artist's point of view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/i-don-t-like-permanency-i-just-like-to-slip-and-slide-and-in-identity/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [“Well, well -- the prizes all go to the women who 'play their cards well' -- but if they can only be won in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/well-well-the-prizes-all-go-to-the-women-who-play-their-cards-well/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [We insist on permanency, on continuity, when the only continuity possible is in growth, in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/we-insist-on-permanency-on-continuity-when-the-only-continuity/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [“You don’t seek permanency where it cannot be found: in the world of form, of gain and loss, birth and death. You don’t demand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/you-don-t-seek-permanency-where-it-cannot-be-found-in-the-world-of/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [I have changed as everyone changes: within a permanency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-have-changed-as-everyone-changes-within-a-permanency/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in the world nothing can be said to be certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/our-new-constitution-is-now-established-and-has-an-appearance-that/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Frankly, I do not know how to effect a permanency in American foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/frankly-i-do-not-know-how-to-effect-a-permanency-in-american-foreign/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Often a quite assified remark becomes sanctified by use and petrified by custom; it is then a permanency, its term of activity a geologic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/often-a-quite-assified-remark-becomes-sanctified-by-use-and-petrified/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [In their search for quality, people seem to be looking for permanency in a time of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-naisbitt/in-their-search-for-quality-people-seem-to-be-looking-for-permanency/) [John Naisbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-naisbitt/) > [The more one analyses people, the more all reasons for analysis disappear. Sooner or later one comes to that dreadful universal thing called human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-more-one-analyses-people-the-more-all-reasons-for-analysis/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More by Oscar Wilde > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/bachelors-should-be-heavily-taxed-it-is-not-fair-that-some-men-should/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Who, being loved, is poor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/who-being-loved-is-poor/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Basil my dear boy puts everything that is charming in him into his work. The consequence is that he has nothing left for life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/basil-my-dear-boy-puts-everything-that-is-charming-in-him-into-his/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Anybody can be good in the country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/anybody-can-be-good-in-the-country/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Alles Populäre ist falsch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alles-popul-re-ist-falsch/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“If these elements of beauty are real, the whole thing simply appeals to our sense of dramatic effect. Suddenly we find that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-these-elements-of-beauty-are-real-the-whole-thing-simply-appeals/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [To love one's self is the beginning of a life-long romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-love-one-s-self-is-the-beginning-of-a-life-long-romance/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/moderation-is-a-fatal-thing-enough-is-as-bad-as-a-meal-more-than/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/beauty-is-the-only-thing-that-time-cannot-harm-philosophies-fall-away/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) [Explore all 3,343 Oscar Wilde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [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/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The systems that fail are those that rely on the permanency of human nature”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Wilde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-systems-that-fail-are-those-that-rely-on-the-permanency-of-human/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-systems-that-fail-are-those-that-rely-on-the-permanency-of-human/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ce/oscar-wilde-16_failure_the-systems-that-fail-are-those-that-rel_2497685.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ce/oscar-wilde-16_failure_the-systems-that-fail-are-those-that-rel_2497685.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ce/oscar-wilde-16_failure_the-systems-that-fail-are-those-that-rel_2497685.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The systems that fail are those that rely on the permanency of human nature” — Oscar Wilde", "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": "Oscar Wilde", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The systems that fail are those...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-systems-that-fail-are-those-that-rely-on-the-permanency-of-human/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-systems-that-fail-are-those-that-rely-on-the-permanency-of-human/#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 } } ] } ```