--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was one field in which man was…" description: "\"There was one field in which man was unsurpassed; he showed unlimited ingenuity in devising bigger and more efficient ways to kill off, enslave, harass..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/robert-a-heinlein-209_bigger_there-was-one-field-in-which-man-was-uns_237035.jpg" --- # There was one field in which man was unsurpassed; he… ![“There was one field in which man was unsurpassed; he showed unlimited ingenuity in devising bigger and more efficient ways to kill off, enslave, harass, and in all ways make an unbearable nuisance of himself to himself.” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/robert-a-heinlein-209_bigger_there-was-one-field-in-which-man-was-uns_237035.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/robert-a-heinlein-209_bigger_there-was-one-field-in-which-man-was-uns_237035.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/robert-a-heinlein-209_bigger_there-was-one-field-in-which-man-was-uns_237035.jpg) > “There was one field in which man was unsurpassed; he showed unlimited ingenuity in devising bigger and more efficient ways to kill off, enslave, harass, and in all ways make an unbearable nuisance of himself to himself.” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human ingenuity is paradoxically used to create increasingly sophisticated means of self-destruction and oppression. **In simple terms:** Humans create advanced ways to harm themselves Key Takeaway Recognize and curb self‑destructive innovations Themes technology human nature self‑destruction ethics power dynamics Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - policy making - corporate governance - environmental regulation - education curricula Key Concepts Philosophy of technology ethical engineering social critique Questions to Reflect On - How can societies channel ingenuity toward constructive purposes? - What safeguards prevent harmful applications of new technologies? A Different Perspective Technological progress can be redirected toward positive ends. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ingenuity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenuity/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nuisance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuisance/) ## Related quotes > [Novels are . . . an unsurpassed form to understand people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/novels-are-an-unsurpassed-form-to-understand-people/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“Men and women were doing at their unsurpassed when they were together. It was more or less like the sky and the ground; diverse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diyar-harraz/men-and-women-were-doing-at-their-unsurpassed-when-they-were-together/) [Diyar Harraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diyar-harraz/) > [An unsurpassed master of the art of laying bare the inmost core of spiritual truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geza-vermes/an-unsurpassed-master-of-the-art-of-laying-bare-the-inmost-core-of/) Geza Vermes > [Samskrit is the unsurpassed zenith in the whole development of languages yet known to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-von-humboldt/samskrit-is-the-unsurpassed-zenith-in-the-whole-development-of/) [Wilhelm von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-von-humboldt/) > [What does my soul look like to you?' 'I couldn't reduce it to words if I tried, but its beauty is unsurpassed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/what-does-my-soul-look-like-to-you-i-couldn-t-reduce-it-to-words-if-i/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [“I never realized before there were so many ways to die. So many ways to kill people. Why are there so many deadly weapons?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wade-miller/i-never-realized-before-there-were-so-many-ways-to-die-so-many-ways/) Wade Miller > [Since there are only so many ways to kill a person, a good portion of homicides look pretty much alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-brown/since-there-are-only-so-many-ways-to-kill-a-person-a-good-portion-of/) [Pat Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-brown/) > [“I wouldn't do that if I were you Oh yeah, why not Because know a dozen ways to kill a man. i'm thinking number 5.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-graves/i-wouldn-t-do-that-if-i-were-you-oh-yeah-why-not-because-know-a-dozen/) Jane Graves > [With each passing day, the world finds new and exciting ways to kill a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/final-fantasy/with-each-passing-day-the-world-finds-new-and-exciting-ways-to-kill-a/) Final Fantasy > [When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaye-gibbons/when-i-was-little-i-would-think-of-ways-to-kill-my-daddy/) [Kaye Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaye-gibbons/) > [Tonight we're going to show you eight silent ways to kill a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/tonight-we-re-going-to-show-you-eight-silent-ways-to-kill-a-man/) [Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/) > [You’ll see, there are a million ways to kill off the soft parts of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-steinke/you-ll-see-there-are-a-million-ways-to-kill-off-the-soft-parts-of/) [Darcey Steinke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-steinke/) > [Budo is simply the study of the best ways to kill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masaaki-hatsumi/budo-is-simply-the-study-of-the-best-ways-to-kill/) [Masaaki Hatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masaaki-hatsumi/) > [“I'll be teaching you the nasty, furtive, polite ways to kill people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/i-ll-be-teaching-you-the-nasty-furtive-polite-ways-to-kill-people/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [ “I'm not sure why we have that \[book on weaponry\] on the shelves. I'd feel a lot better if we didn't teach our guests… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-renee-backen/i-m-not-sure-why-we-have-that-book-on-weaponry-on-the-shelves-i-d/) [Lindsey Renee Backen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-renee-backen/) ## More by Robert A. Heinlein > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ninety-percent-of-all-human-wisdom-is-the-ability-to-mind-your-own/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [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/) > [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/no-statement-should-be-believed-because-it-is-made-by-an-authority/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“The instinct to survive is human nature itself, and every aspect of our personalities derives from it. Anything that conflicts with the survival instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-instinct-to-survive-is-human-nature-itself-and-every-aspect-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“I tried to dig out of the computer a call directory for Luna. But it was still sulking. I could not get it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-tried-to-dig-out-of-the-computer-a-call-directory-for-luna-but-it/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Never own more than you can carry in both hands at a dead run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/never-own-more-than-you-can-carry-in-both-hands-at-a-dead-run/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“In Wilson's scale of evaluations breakfast rated just after life itself and ahead of the chance of immortality." ~ By His Bootstraps / Robert A. Heinlein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-wilson-s-scale-of-evaluations-breakfast-rated-just-after-life/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/ignorance-is-curable-stupid-is-forever/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) [Explore all 888 Robert A. Heinlein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More Bigger quotes > [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfried-vahland/in-china-people-are-moving-from-bigger-cars-to-small-hatches-and/) [Winfried Vahland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winfried-vahland/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [I just think structure can make a book feel so much bigger. It's the architecture. You could use flimsy materials if you wanted to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jami-attenberg/i-just-think-structure-can-make-a-book-feel-so-much-bigger-it-s-the/) [Jami Attenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jami-attenberg/) > [I've always thought that the most extraordinary special effect you could do is to buy a child at the moment of its birth, sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-ve-always-thought-that-the-most-extraordinary-special-effect-you/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock's parents. Focus on helping the whole world, not just your friends. I held my wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-you-have-a-bigger-mission-than-finding-the-flock-s-parents-focus/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Sometimes people can write really great scenes and even a great episode, but they can't see the bigger picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-night-shyamalan/sometimes-people-can-write-really-great-scenes-and-even-a-great/) [M. Night Shyamalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-night-shyamalan/) > [Never be too busy for the people you love. Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relationships. Love is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-willis/never-be-too-busy-for-the-people-you-love-never-allow-pursuits-or/) [Dave Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-willis/) > [If you consider yourself a part of the culture, then finances can't allow you to be bigger than the actual art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-jackson/if-you-consider-yourself-a-part-of-the-culture-then-finances-can-t/) [Curtis Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-jackson/) > [If we get better our customers will demand we get bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-truett-cathy/if-we-get-better-our-customers-will-demand-we-get-bigger/) [S. Truett Cathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-truett-cathy/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. 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