--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To err is human, but to really foul…" description: "\"To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer.\" — Paul R. Ehrlich" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/paul-r-ehrlich-13046_computer_to-err-is-human-but-to-really-foul-thing_2274674.jpg" --- # To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a… ![“To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer.” quote by Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/paul-r-ehrlich-13046_computer_to-err-is-human-but-to-really-foul-thing_2274674.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/paul-r-ehrlich-13046_computer_to-err-is-human-but-to-really-foul-thing_2274674.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f56/paul-r-ehrlich-13046_computer_to-err-is-human-but-to-really-foul-thing_2274674.jpg) > “To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer.” [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human error is inevitable, but technology can amplify mistakes, making accountability essential. **In simple terms:** Technology can magnify human mistakes. Key Takeaway Implement checks when using technology. Themes technology error responsibility automation Mood cautious analytical Type ethical practical When to use this quote - software development - AI deployment - medical devices - financial systems Key Concepts human-computer interaction risk management ethical design Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can reduce tech‑induced errors? - When should humans override automated decisions? A Different Perspective Technology may also prevent errors if designed responsibly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Err Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/err-human/) [Foul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foul/) [Foul Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foul-things-3542923/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Human Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-really-1898642/) [Need Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-computer-2923386/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [Yes the Jews do many foul things and they distort our foreign policy but not everything that goes bad can be blamed on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-metzger/yes-the-jews-do-many-foul-things-and-they-distort-our-foreign-policy/) [Tom Metzger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-metzger/) > [Computers have become more friendly, understandable, and lots of years and thought have been put into developing software to convince people that they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-williams/computers-have-become-more-friendly-understandable-and-lots-of-years/) [Roberta Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-williams/) > [With the evolution of technology, kids really need to be computer-savvy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-seacrest/with-the-evolution-of-technology-kids-really-need-to-be-computer-savvy/) [Ryan Seacrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-seacrest/) > [I write with my brain. I don't need a computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-feliciano/i-write-with-my-brain-i-don-t-need-a-computer/) [Jose Feliciano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-feliciano/) > [Jobs in technology have the rapidest rate of growth. The need for computer science is so incredibly large, and it's important that girls of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-bryant/jobs-in-technology-have-the-rapidest-rate-of-growth-the-need-for/) [Kimberly Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-bryant/) > [People in the industry foresee a time in which, for many people, the only thing they'll need on a computer is a browser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/people-in-the-industry-foresee-a-time-in-which-for-many-people-the/) [Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/) > [“When I was a kid, they had a saying, 'to err is human but to really fuck it up takes a computer.’ ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-r-smith/when-i-was-a-kid-they-had-a-saying-to-err-is-human-but-to-really-fuck/) [Benjamin R. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-r-smith/) > [What a laugh, though. To think that one human being could ever really know another. You could get used to each other, get so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/what-a-laugh-though-to-think-that-one-human-being-could-ever-really/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Well, of course, people are only human... But it really does not seem much for them to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivy-compton-burnett/well-of-course-people-are-only-human-but-it-really-does-not-seem-much/) [Ivy Compton-Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivy-compton-burnett/) > [I think it is impossible for one human being really to know another without first knowing and being at peace with himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-think-it-is-impossible-for-one-human-being-really-to-know-another/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [No human being can really understand another, and no one can arrange another's happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/no-human-being-can-really-understand-another-and-no-one-can-arrange-2/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [ “To be conformed to the one who has become human—that is what being really human means.\[77.\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/to-be-conformed-to-the-one-who-has-become-human-that-is-what-being/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [No human being can really understand another, and no one can arrange anothers happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/no-human-being-can-really-understand-another-and-no-one-can-arrange/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [We treat our dogs as if they were "almost human": that is why they really become "almost human" in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/we-treat-our-dogs-as-if-they-were-almost-human-that-is-why-they/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [We measure areas of performance that are often ignored: jumping in pursuit of every rebound even if you don't get it, swatting at every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/we-measure-areas-of-performance-that-are-often-ignored-jumping-in/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) ## More by Paul R. Ehrlich > [We're never all going to agree with each other. We have to learn to value the diversity. It's one of the presumable principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/we-re-never-all-going-to-agree-with-each-other-we-have-to-learn-to/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [With taxes, if they aren't working right, we can change them with a stroke of the pen. It's basically a market-type mechanism. People make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/with-taxes-if-they-aren-t-working-right-we-can-change-them-with-a/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [There's all of this stuff where we have so much debate over nonsense; it could be cured if we had a better educational system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/there-s-all-of-this-stuff-where-we-have-so-much-debate-over-nonsense/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [ In ten years \[i.e., 1980\] all important animal life in the sea will be extinct. Large areas of coastline will have to be evacuated… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/in-ten-years-i-e-1980-all-important-animal-life-in-the-sea-will-be/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [So, regarding the time frame, I'm only too willing to admit that my crystal ball, like everybody else's, is cracked. If I could predict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/so-regarding-the-time-frame-i-m-only-too-willing-to-admit-that-my/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [If we were redesigning around people instead of around automobiles, which I think the market is more or less going to do, although too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/if-we-were-redesigning-around-people-instead-of-around-automobiles/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Sometimes I think the Congress feels that if you only decided tomorrow to switch to wind power that in two years we'd be getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/sometimes-i-think-the-congress-feels-that-if-you-only-decided/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Solving the population problem is not going to solve the problems of racism, of sexism, of religious intolerance, of war, of gross economic inequality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/solving-the-population-problem-is-not-going-to-solve-the-problems-of/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Your children should have it impressed upon them that their adult life-style will bear very little resemblance to yours and that they should now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/your-children-should-have-it-impressed-upon-them-that-their-adult/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [The mother of the year should be a sterilized woman with two adopted children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/the-mother-of-the-year-should-be-a-sterilized-woman-with-two-adopted/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [It turns out the population issue is an easier thing to deal with than the consumption issue. Some obvious extremes in consumption we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/it-turns-out-the-population-issue-is-an-easier-thing-to-deal-with/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Overall, The Population Bomb was probably too optimistic. I was writing about climate change - Anne and I actually wrote the book. We discussed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/overall-the-population-bomb-was-probably-too-optimistic-i-was-writing/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [I don't think scientists can dictate from above what we should do, because it's not a matter of scientific decision. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/i-don-t-think-scientists-can-dictate-from-above-what-we-should-do/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Organisms are starting to move in response to climate change all over the place. Bees are disappearing and we don't have many of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/organisms-are-starting-to-move-in-response-to-climate-change-all-over/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Woman should have the choice whether to have an abortion or not, but I like what Bill Clinton said: It ought to be safe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/woman-should-have-the-choice-whether-to-have-an-abortion-or-not-but-i/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) [Explore all 52 Paul R. Ehrlich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) ## More Computer quotes > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [The display is the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hsun-huang/the-display-is-the-computer/) [Jen-Hsun Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-hsun-huang/) > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [One of our big goals in search is to make search that really understands exactly what you want, understands everything in the world. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/one-of-our-big-goals-in-search-is-to-make-search-that-really/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [I'm from the South, so I'm very old-fashioned and I'm not very computer savvy at all, but I'm getting it. I understand that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-harmon/i-m-from-the-south-so-i-m-very-old-fashioned-and-i-m-not-very/) [Angie Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-harmon/) > [“To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/to-all-the-secret-writers-late-night-painters-would-be-singers-lapsed/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [A little bit more than 50% of what you see on screen is handcrafted and the other 50% was about emulating these textures on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-abreu/a-little-bit-more-than-50-of-what-you-see-on-screen-is-handcrafted/) [Alex Abreu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-abreu/) > [Well I'm trying to think what I put in... I think I put in 'why?' to see if I'd confuse the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/well-i-m-trying-to-think-what-i-put-in-i-think-i-put-in-why-to-see-if/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Our brains are great at knowing what to forget. We actually have to teach computers to do the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/our-brains-are-great-at-knowing-what-to-forget-we-actually-have-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [In nine months, a group of children left alone with a computer in any language will reach the same standard as an office secretary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/in-nine-months-a-group-of-children-left-alone-with-a-computer-in-any/) [Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/) > [Why do you do what you do? Why do you dress the way you dress?Why do you do what you do with your time?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-conway/why-do-you-do-what-you-do-why-do-you-dress-the-way-you-dress-why-do/) [Tim Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-conway/) > [Yeah, I'm a geek. I read sci-fi and I watch sci-fi films. I love my computer and I love to fix it. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-benson/yeah-i-m-a-geek-i-read-sci-fi-and-i-watch-sci-fi-films-i-love-my/) [Amber Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-benson/) [Browse all 3,924 Computer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul R. 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