--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once we admit that there is room for…" description: "\"Once we admit that there is room for newness - that there are vastly more conceivable possibilities than realized outcomes - we must confront the fact ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/paul-romer-12969_behinds_once-we-admit-that-there-is-room-for-new_1529206.jpg" --- # Once we admit that there is room for newness - that there… ![“Once we admit that there is room for newness - that there are vastly more conceivable possibilities than realized outcomes - we must confront the fact that there is no special logic behind the world we inhabit, no particular justification for why things are the way they are. Any number of…” quote by Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/paul-romer-12969_behinds_once-we-admit-that-there-is-room-for-new_1529206.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/paul-romer-12969_behinds_once-we-admit-that-there-is-room-for-new_1529206.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/paul-romer-12969_behinds_once-we-admit-that-there-is-room-for-new_1529206.jpg) > “Once we admit that there is room for newness - that there are vastly more conceivable possibilities than realized outcomes - we must confront the fact that there is no special logic behind the world we inhabit, no particular justification for why things are the way they are. Any number of arbitrarily small perturbations along the way could have made the world as we know it turn out very differently.” [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The world’s state is contingent on countless tiny variations; there is no inherent logic guaranteeing its current form, so many alternative outcomes were possible. **In simple terms:** The world could be very different due to tiny changes. Key Takeaway Recognize contingency and embrace creative possibilities. Themes contingency innovation uncertainty possibility determinism Mood reflective thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - policy design - entrepreneurship - scientific research - creative problem solving Key Concepts counterfactuals complex systems path dependence Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging contingency affect decision‑making? - What role do institutions play in shaping possible outcomes? A Different Perspective Assumes all perturbations are equally plausible, ignoring structural constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Justification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justification/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Possibilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibilities/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [You were born and with you endless possibilities, very few ever to be realized. It's okay. Life was never about what you could do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/you-were-born-and-with-you-endless-possibilities-very-few-ever-to-be/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Anything that is conceivable in the human mind is possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-hickel/anything-that-is-conceivable-in-the-human-mind-is-possible/) [Wally Hickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-hickel/) > [“But we are frightened at much that is not strictly conceivable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-we-are-frightened-at-much-that-is-not-strictly-conceivable/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [And yet without labour there were no ease, no rest, so much as conceivable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/and-yet-without-labour-there-were-no-ease-no-rest-so-much-as/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Anything that is conceivable is possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/anything-that-is-conceivable-is-possible/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Only in chaos are we conceivable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-bola-o/only-in-chaos-are-we-conceivable/) [Roberto Bolano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-bola-o/) > [There has been, is, and always will be every conceivable type of person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-has-been-is-and-always-will-be-every-conceivable-type-of-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Creation,' in the ordinary sense of the word, is perfectly conceivable. I find no difficulty in conceiving that, at some former period, this universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/creation-in-the-ordinary-sense-of-the-word-is-perfectly-conceivable-i/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [There is no conceivable situation in which it is not safe to trust God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-oswald-sanders/there-is-no-conceivable-situation-in-which-it-is-not-safe-to-trust-god/) [J. Oswald Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-oswald-sanders/) > [If we insist on being as sure as is conceivable... we must be content to creep along the ground, and can never soar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/if-we-insist-on-being-as-sure-as-is-conceivable-we-must-be-content-to/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [There is, in fact, no reason to believe that any given natural phenomenon, however marvelous it may seem today, will remain forever inexplicable. Soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/there-is-in-fact-no-reason-to-believe-that-any-given-natural/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [What is inconceivable about the universe is that it is at all conceivable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/what-is-inconceivable-about-the-universe-is-that-it-is-at-all/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A lot of people believe that you don't need to know the history and that creates newness. I disagree: we should always be informed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-wilson/a-lot-of-people-believe-that-you-don-t-need-to-know-the-history-and/) [Louise Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-wilson/) > [Science is the only news. When you scan a news portal or magazine, all the human interest stuff is the same old he-said-she-said, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-brand/science-is-the-only-news-when-you-scan-a-news-portal-or-magazine-all/) [Stewart Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-brand/) > [The greatest success in life is to feel I’m something for someone; the feeling of falling in love, the newness of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-wilson/the-greatest-success-in-life-is-to-feel-i-m-something-for-someone-the/) [Dennis Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-wilson/) ## More by Paul Romer > [Charter Cities has been approached in many different ways, by many people acting as individuals or as representatives of organizations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/charter-cities-has-been-approached-in-many-different-ways-by-many/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [For a nation, the choices that determine whether income doubles in one generation or two dwarf all other economic policy concerns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/for-a-nation-the-choices-that-determine-whether-income-doubles-in-one/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [Unfortunately, we don't have a bankruptcy process. Suppose the state actually just gets to the point where it cannot meet all of its promises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/unfortunately-we-don-t-have-a-bankruptcy-process-suppose-the-state/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [I'd rather live in a world where firms don't have these enormous incentives to spy on individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/i-d-rather-live-in-a-world-where-firms-don-t-have-these-enormous/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [When we speak of institutions, economists mean more than just organizations. We mean conventions, even rules, about how things are done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/when-we-speak-of-institutions-economists-mean-more-than-just/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [Good law includes a commitment to transparency and an insistence that no person or entity with a conflict of interest should have influence on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/good-law-includes-a-commitment-to-transparency-and-an-insistence-that/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [No one from Charter Cities, can have any financial interest in any project in Honduras; no one can accept consulting fees from the Honduran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/no-one-from-charter-cities-can-have-any-financial-interest-in-any/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [In the 1950s, Hong Kong was a place where millions of people could go, from the mainland, to start in jobs like sewing shirts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/in-the-1950s-hong-kong-was-a-place-where-millions-of-people-could-go/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [In the developing world, most people don't yet live in big well-run cities. Given the chance to move to one, hundreds of millions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/in-the-developing-world-most-people-don-t-yet-live-in-big-well-run/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [Fracking is an amazing instance of discovery of many things that come together to make it much cheaper to extract oil and gas. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/fracking-is-an-amazing-instance-of-discovery-of-many-things-that-come/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [My number-one recommendation is to invest in people. Humans that are well trained are the inputs into this discovery process. And there's big opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/my-number-one-recommendation-is-to-invest-in-people-humans-that-are/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [After 1960, anyone who wanted to discuss almost any aspect of U.S. public policy - from how to make cars safer to whether to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/after-1960-anyone-who-wanted-to-discuss-almost-any-aspect-of-u-s/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [The economy is this huge innovation discovery machine. What the government can do usefully is to focus some of that effort where things turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/the-economy-is-this-huge-innovation-discovery-machine-what-the/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [One of the most powerful insights in economics is this idea of a division of labor. You do the thing you're good at. Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/one-of-the-most-powerful-insights-in-economics-is-this-idea-of-a/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) > [If you go back to the really long-run questions that interested me, the big question was why, over the centuries, the millennia, has growth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-romer/if-you-go-back-to-the-really-long-run-questions-that-interested-me/) [Paul Romer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) [Explore all 52 Paul Romer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-romer/) ## More Behinds quotes > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for, when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/time-is-painted-with-a-lock-before-and-bald-behind-signifying-thereby/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [God hides Himself behind causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rollin/god-hides-himself-behind-causes/) [Charles Rollin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rollin/) > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Behind every word flows energy. If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/) [Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/) > [With the realization of God comes all power. If the little wave knew that behind it is the great ocean, it could say, "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/with-the-realization-of-god-comes-all-power-if-the-little-wave-knew/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm really thankful to God, man. Like now, I'm really making a real comeback with my group. With or without a record, with or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ike-turner/i-m-really-thankful-to-god-man-like-now-i-m-really-making-a-real/) [Ike Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ike-turner/) > [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/) [Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Once we admit that there is room for newness - that there are vastly more conceivable possibilities than realized outcomes - we must confront the fact that there is no special logic behind the world we inhabit, no particular justification for why things are the way they are. 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