--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We tend to overestimate the impact of…" description: "\"“We tend to overestimate the impact of technology in the short term and underestimate it in the long term.”\" — Roy Amara" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/roy-amara-99512_long-term_we-tend-to-overestimate-the-impact-of-te_565376.jpg" --- # We tend to overestimate the impact of technology in the… ![“We tend to overestimate the impact of technology in the short term and underestimate it in the long term.” quote by Roy Amara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/roy-amara-99512_long-term_we-tend-to-overestimate-the-impact-of-te_565376.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/roy-amara-99512_long-term_we-tend-to-overestimate-the-impact-of-te_565376.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/roy-amara-99512_long-term_we-tend-to-overestimate-the-impact-of-te_565376.jpg) > ““We tend to overestimate the impact of technology in the short term and underestimate it in the long term.”” Roy Amara ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People tend to over‑estimate short‑term tech impact and underestimate long‑term consequences. **In simple terms:** Short‑term hype, long‑term neglect. Key Takeaway Balance optimism with realistic forecasting. Themes technology forecasting short term long term perception Mood insightful pragmatic Type technology:1 forecasting:1 short term:1 long term:1 perception:1 When to use this quote - business strategy - policy development - research agendas Key Concepts innovation cycles risk assessment strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - How can we improve long‑term tech foresight? - What mechanisms prevent short‑term bias? A Different Perspective Long‑term effects are hard to predict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Long term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-term/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [“We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-amara/we-tend-to-overestimate-the-effect-of-a-technology-in-the-short-run/) Roy Amara > [“(J)ust as we tend to underestimate the role of luck in life in general, we tend to overestimate it in games of chance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/j-ust-as-we-tend-to-underestimate-the-role-of-luck-in-life-in-general/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“we tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a year.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/we-tend-to-overestimate-what-we-can-accomplish-in-a-year/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [We tend to overestimate what we can do in a short period, and underestimate what we can do over a long period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/we-tend-to-overestimate-what-we-can-do-in-a-short-period-and-3/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“People tend to overestimate my character,' I say quietly, 'They think because I'm small, or a girl, or a Stiff, I can't possibly be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/people-tend-to-overestimate-my-character-i-say-quietly-they-think/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“We tend to overestimate what we can do in a short period, and underestimate what we can do over a long period, provided we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/we-tend-to-overestimate-what-we-can-do-in-a-short-period-and-2/) [Jocelyn K. 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