--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People are sources not just of…" description: "\"People are sources not just of consumption but of innovation.\" — Ramez Naam" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/ramez-naam-5111_consumption_people-are-sources-not-just-of-consumpti_3234660.jpg" --- # People are sources not just of consumption but of… ![“People are sources not just of consumption but of innovation.” quote by Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/ramez-naam-5111_consumption_people-are-sources-not-just-of-consumpti_3234660.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/ramez-naam-5111_consumption_people-are-sources-not-just-of-consumpti_3234660.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/ramez-naam-5111_consumption_people-are-sources-not-just-of-consumpti_3234660.jpg) > “People are sources not just of consumption but of innovation.” [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People generate ideas and value, not merely consume products. **In simple terms:** People drive innovation. Key Takeaway Encourage creative contributions. Themes innovation collaboration economics Mood optimistic analytical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - startup culture - education - policy making - community projects Key Concepts value creation human capital Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance consumption with creation? - What incentives foster innovation? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on consumption can ignore resource constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. 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Now I work in the U.K. where there is a more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/i-trained-as-a-journalist-in-america-where-paying-sources-is-frowned/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [When I was in high school in the early 1970s, we knew we were running out of oil; we knew that easy sources were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-safina/when-i-was-in-high-school-in-the-early-1970s-we-knew-we-were-running/) [Carl Safina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-safina/) > [The most attractive habitats for synthetic sentience might be the vicinities of exceptional sources of energy - for example black holes, or even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/the-most-attractive-habitats-for-synthetic-sentience-might-be-the/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Saturated fat is a fundamental building block for brain cells. It's certainly interesting to consider that one of the richest sources of saturated fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/saturated-fat-is-a-fundamental-building-block-for-brain-cells-it-s/) [David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/) > [I spent more than 20 years of my professional career researching and developing renewable energy sources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-mcnerney/i-spent-more-than-20-years-of-my-professional-career-researching-and/) [Jerry McNerney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-mcnerney/) > [For me, I want to see diversity in storytelling sources because we live in a very diverse society, and the stories are for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-shelton/for-me-i-want-to-see-diversity-in-storytelling-sources-because-we/) [Lynn Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-shelton/) > [During my study of happiness, I noticed something that surprised me: I often learn more from one person's highly idiosyncratic experiences than I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/during-my-study-of-happiness-i-noticed-something-that-surprised-me-i/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [When you look at the number of nuclear power plants in China and India, we can't afford not to pursue similar alternative energy sources.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-latta/when-you-look-at-the-number-of-nuclear-power-plants-in-china-and/) [Bob Latta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-latta/) > [It will be proper to take a review of the several sources from which governments have arisen, and on which they have been founded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/it-will-be-proper-to-take-a-review-of-the-several-sources-from-which/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“The human eye is restricted to see the useen, because there’s a price to be paid to the rulers of this image and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/the-human-eye-is-restricted-to-see-the-useen-because-there-s-a-price/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [We do an epically bad job of acknowledging one another's work and checking our sources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/we-do-an-epically-bad-job-of-acknowledging-one-another-s-work-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by Ramez Naam > [In the end, our minds and their ability to create new ideas are the ultimate source of all human wealth. That's a resource nearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/in-the-end-our-minds-and-their-ability-to-create-new-ideas-are-the/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [We're fortunate enough to live on a planet that's bathed in thousands of times more energy than we use and that's stocked with thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/we-re-fortunate-enough-to-live-on-a-planet-that-s-bathed-in-thousands/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [Technology is vital. We have to have development in new technology if we're going to solve these environmental problems without throwing humanity back in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/technology-is-vital-we-have-to-have-development-in-new-technology-if/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [We have to slow down the emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from coal burning, oil and eventually natural gas... And the best ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/we-have-to-slow-down-the-emissions-of-carbon-dioxide-and-methane-from/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [I'm a geek through and through. My last job at Microsoft was leading much of the search engine relevance work on Bing. There we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/i-m-a-geek-through-and-through-my-last-job-at-microsoft-was-leading/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [Technology is incredibly powerful. And in many ways, the sky is the limit in terms of what you can actually accomplish with the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/technology-is-incredibly-powerful-and-in-many-ways-the-sky-is-the/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [On almost every environmental issue I care about, in fact, I've been wrong at one point or another. I used to think that climate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/on-almost-every-environmental-issue-i-care-about-in-fact-i-ve-been/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [The accumulated knowledge of materials, computing, electromagnetism, product design, and all the rest that we've learned over the last several centuries converts a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/the-accumulated-knowledge-of-materials-computing-electromagnetism/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [In the end, I expect we'll have AI that is better than we are at nearly every narrow task but which are still our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/in-the-end-i-expect-we-ll-have-ai-that-is-better-than-we-are-at/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [If we fix our economic system and invest in the human capital of the poor, then we should welcome every new person born as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/if-we-fix-our-economic-system-and-invest-in-the-human-capital-of-the/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [We have climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from human power and transportation infrastructure. At the same time, we have 2 billion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/we-have-climate-change-caused-by-greenhouse-gas-emissions-mostly-from/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [Many of the most science-fictional tools to fight climate change are untested, are almost impossible to truly test at planetary scale - we only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/many-of-the-most-science-fictional-tools-to-fight-climate-change-are/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [If the incentives are aligned right - towards better preservation and restoration of nature and natural resources - then you'll see a tremendous amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/if-the-incentives-are-aligned-right-towards-better-preservation-and/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [I've read science fiction my whole life. I never really dreamed that I'd be a published science fiction writer myself, but a short story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/i-ve-read-science-fiction-my-whole-life-i-never-really-dreamed-that-i/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [“We think of ourselves as individuals, but all that we have accomplished, and all that we will accomplish, is the result of groups of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/we-think-of-ourselves-as-individuals-but-all-that-we-have/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) [Explore all 103 Ramez Naam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) ## More Consumption quotes > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [“Truth is commodity in political consumption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/truth-is-commodity-in-political-consumption/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Is the minor convenience of allowing the present generation the luxury of doubling its energy consumption every 10 years worth the major hazard of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/is-the-minor-convenience-of-allowing-the-present-generation-the/) [David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/) > [The obsessive documentation is itself adjacent to hyper-consumption in our society. The desire to just have everything all the time and adjacent to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/the-obsessive-documentation-is-itself-adjacent-to-hyper-consumption/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [Over-consumption is a cancer eating away at our spiritual vitals. It distances us from the great masses of broken bleeding humanity. It converts us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/over-consumption-is-a-cancer-eating-away-at-our-spiritual-vitals-it/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is a very effective way to raise awareness and consumption of two vital food groups that are sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dean-crapo/the-fresh-fruit-and-vegetable-program-is-a-very-effective-way-to/) Michael Dean Crapo > [On the whole it may be observed, that the specific use of a body of unproductive consumers, is to give encouragement to wealth by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-malthus/on-the-whole-it-may-be-observed-that-the-specific-use-of-a-body-of/) [Thomas Malthus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-malthus/) > [Gentlemen, comrades, do not be concerned about all you hear about Glasnost and Perestroika and democracy in the coming years. They are primarily for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-gorbachev/gentlemen-comrades-do-not-be-concerned-about-all-you-hear-about/) [Mikhail Gorbachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-gorbachev/) > [We are being conditioned, as a population, to never wait, to never delay our gratification, to accept thoughtless, constant consumption as the new norm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-wortham/we-are-being-conditioned-as-a-population-to-never-wait-to-never-delay/) [Jenna Wortham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-wortham/) > [Americans don't eat horses. They are not raised as food animals and they are treated with chemicals that render them unsafe for consumption. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/americans-don-t-eat-horses-they-are-not-raised-as-food-animals-and/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [You might think of consumption as a fairly passive activity, but buying new products and services is actually pretty risky, at least if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/you-might-think-of-consumption-as-a-fairly-passive-activity-but/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [“Every society clings to a myth by which it lives. Ours is the myth of economic growth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-jackson/every-society-clings-to-a-myth-by-which-it-lives-ours-is-the-myth-of/) [Tim Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-jackson/) > [You cannot control your own population by force, but it can be distracted by consumption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-cannot-control-your-own-population-by-force-but-it-can-be/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“The regular consumption of amino acids improved my health.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-regular-consumption-of-amino-acids-improved-my-health/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [At the outset of the creation of the euro in 1999, it was expected that the southern eurozone economies would behave like those in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/at-the-outset-of-the-creation-of-the-euro-in-1999-it-was-expected/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) [Browse all 771 Consumption quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People are sources not just of consumption but of innovation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ramez Naam" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/people-are-sources-not-just-of-consumption-but-of-innovation/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Consumption" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/people-are-sources-not-just-of-consumption-but-of-innovation/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/ramez-naam-5111_consumption_people-are-sources-not-just-of-consumpti_3234660.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/ramez-naam-5111_consumption_people-are-sources-not-just-of-consumpti_3234660.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/ramez-naam-5111_consumption_people-are-sources-not-just-of-consumpti_3234660.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People are sources not just of consumption but of innovation.” — Ramez Naam", "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": "Ramez Naam", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People are sources not just of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/people-are-sources-not-just-of-consumption-but-of-innovation/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/people-are-sources-not-just-of-consumption-but-of-innovation/#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 } } ] } ```