--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Suddenly, we humans - a recently arrived…" description: "\"Suddenly, we humans - a recently arrived species, no longer subject to the checks and balances inherent in nature - have grown in population, technolog..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1b/paul-maccready-40925_balance_suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-sp_213142.png" --- # Suddenly, we humans - a recently arrived species, no… ![“Suddenly, we humans - a recently arrived species, no longer subject to the checks and balances inherent in nature - have grown in population, technology and intelligence to a position of terrible power.” quote by Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1b/paul-maccready-40925_balance_suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-sp_213142.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1b/paul-maccready-40925_balance_suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-sp_213142.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1b/paul-maccready-40925_balance_suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-sp_213142.png) > “Suddenly, we humans - a recently arrived species, no longer subject to the checks and balances inherent in nature - have grown in population, technology and intelligence to a position of terrible power.” [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human advancement has outpaced natural checks, giving us unprecedented power and responsibility. **In simple terms:** We now wield great power without natural limits. Key Takeaway Use power wisely, respect limits. Themes technology ethics responsibility future Mood thoughtful concerned Type philosophical warning When to use this quote - policy making - AI development - environmental stewardship Key Concepts anthropocene existential risk Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards are needed for emerging technologies? - How do we balance progress with precaution? A Different Perspective Power can be misused or ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Checks and balances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/checks-and-balances/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [Human use, population, and technology have reached that certain stage where mother Earth no longer accepts our presence with silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/human-use-population-and-technology-have-reached-that-certain-stage/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I get on top of somebody, I don't have to do all the other little checks and balances guys in other weight classes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-blaydes/when-i-get-on-top-of-somebody-i-don-t-have-to-do-all-the-other-little/) [Curtis Blaydes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-blaydes/) > [“The odd American idea that giving money to political campaigns is free speech means that the very rich have far more speech, and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-odd-american-idea-that-giving-money-to-political-campaigns-is/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [The Constitutional framework of checks and balances matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pruitt/the-constitutional-framework-of-checks-and-balances-matters/) [Scott Pruitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pruitt/) > [“The independence of the arms of government must be checked. 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And in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/we-are-a-republic-very-inefficient-if-you-want-a-really-efficient/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [Politicians, in many cases - their moral code will be dictated by what can get them reelected, what they can get away with. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/politicians-in-many-cases-their-moral-code-will-be-dictated-by-what/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) ## More by Paul MacCready > [The only big ideas I've ever had came from daydreaming, but modern life keeps people from daydreaming. Every moment of the day your mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/the-only-big-ideas-i-ve-ever-had-came-from-daydreaming-but-modern/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [Anyone who's not interested in model airplanes must have a screw loose somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/anyone-who-s-not-interested-in-model-airplanes-must-have-a-screw/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [The problem is we don't understand the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/the-problem-is-we-don-t-understand-the-problem/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [I'm more interested in a world that works than what sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/i-m-more-interested-in-a-world-that-works-than-what-sells/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [Your grandchildren will likely find it incredible - or even sinful - that you burned up a gallon of gasoline to fetch a pack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/your-grandchildren-will-likely-find-it-incredible-or-even-sinful-that/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [We humans are basically content with a two-dimensional world, which is what we-ve always occupied. 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Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Suddenly, we humans - a recently arrived species, no longer subject to the checks and balances inherent in nature - have grown in population, technology and intelligence to a position of terrible power.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul MacCready" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-species-no-longer-subject-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Balance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-species-no-longer-subject-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1b/paul-maccready-40925_balance_suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-sp_213142.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1b/paul-maccready-40925_balance_suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-sp_213142.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1b/paul-maccready-40925_balance_suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-sp_213142.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Suddenly, we humans - a recently arrived species, no longer subject to the checks and balances inherent in…” — Paul MacCready", "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": "Paul MacCready", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Suddenly, we humans - a recently...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-species-no-longer-subject-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-species-no-longer-subject-to/#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 } } ] } ```