--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Today’s overwhelming volume and variety…" description: "\"“Today’s overwhelming volume and variety of information makes it possible—by selecting and connecting data points carefully—to paint practically any pi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/thomas-homer-dixon-31705_around-the-world_today-s-overwhelming-volume-and-variety_1120347.png" --- # Today’s overwhelming volume and variety of information… ![“Today’s overwhelming volume and variety of information makes it possible—by selecting and connecting data points carefully—to paint practically any picture of the world and make it seem accurate. So the pictures we paint are often more a reflection of our deepest personal orientation, especially…” quote by Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/thomas-homer-dixon-31705_around-the-world_today-s-overwhelming-volume-and-variety_1120347.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/thomas-homer-dixon-31705_around-the-world_today-s-overwhelming-volume-and-variety_1120347.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/thomas-homer-dixon-31705_around-the-world_today-s-overwhelming-volume-and-variety_1120347.png) > ““Today’s overwhelming volume and variety of information makes it possible—by selecting and connecting data points carefully—to paint practically any picture of the world and make it seem accurate. So the pictures we paint are often more a reflection of our deepest personal orientation, especially of our basic optimism or pessimism, than of empirical evidence.28 All the same, amidst the welter of information that sometimes seems to point in every direction, certain facts about long-term trends around the world ultimately shift the balance of evidence, in my mind, against the economic optimists. These facts indicate that there are chronic and widening ingenuity gaps in a number of domains of human activity. Significant problems, some of them fundamentally new in their character and scope, remain unsolved or are getting worse, in part because we haven’t generated and delivered enough ingenuity to address them. For instance, although average incomes and quality of life around the world are improving, these statistics—which are, again, highly aggregated—hide extreme and growing differences in wealth. Income per person, averaged globally, currently rises by about 0.8 percent per year, but in more than one hundred countries in the last fifteen years income has actually dropped. Some 1.3 billion people—about 30 percent of the population of the developing world—remain in absolute poverty, living on less than a dollar a day.29 And the gulf between the poorest and wealthiest people on the planet is widening very fast.”” [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Information overload lets us craft narratives that reflect personal biases more than facts, and despite global progress, widening gaps in wealth and ingenuity create serious long‑term challenges. **In simple terms:** Data can be twisted to fit beliefs; real trends show growing inequality and innovation shortfalls. Key Takeaway Recognize bias, seek hard data, address systemic gaps. Themes bias inequality innovation data optimism pessimism Mood concerned analytical hopeful Type analytical critical informative When to use this quote - policy making - economic analysis - social entrepreneurship - education reform Key Concepts cognitive bias systemic risk global development Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify the accuracy of the stories you tell? - What systemic changes can close the ingenuity gap? A Different Perspective Narratives may ignore inconvenient evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Around the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) [Billion People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billion-people/) [Fifteen years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifteen-years/) [Growing Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-differences-3028399/) [Ingenuity Gaps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenuity-gaps-3028400/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Poverty Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty-living-3028398/) [Quality of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality-of-life/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [World Improving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-improving-971082/) ## Related quotes > [“As ingenuity gaps widen the gulfs of wealth and power among us, we need imagination, metaphor and empathy more than ever, to help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/as-ingenuity-gaps-widen-the-gulfs-of-wealth-and-power-among-us-we/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [“The results have been devastating. Today, more than half of the people in our world live on less than $2 each per day, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-asmus/the-results-have-been-devastating-today-more-than-half-of-the-people/) [Barry Asmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-asmus/) > [“Today, more than half of the people in our world live on less than $2 each per day, and one billion people are mired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-asmus/today-more-than-half-of-the-people-in-our-world-live-on-less-than-2/) [Barry Asmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-asmus/) > [First, I was so dazzled and besotted by India. People said the poverty was biblical, and I'm afraid that was my attitude, too. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-prawer-jhabvala/first-i-was-so-dazzled-and-besotted-by-india-people-said-the-poverty/) [Ruth Prawer Jhabvala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-prawer-jhabvala/) > [We could also say that there is only one real kind of poverty: not living as children of God and brothers and sisters of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/we-could-also-say-that-there-is-only-one-real-kind-of-poverty-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end each of us must work for his own improvement,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-curie/you-cannot-hope-to-build-a-better-world-without-improving-the-2/) [Marie Curie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-curie/) > [“While the rest of the world has been improving technology, Ghana has been improving the quality of mans humanity to a man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/while-the-rest-of-the-world-has-been-improving-technology-ghana-has-2/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I think the world is always improving and always not improving. I think that both are simultaneously happening all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/i-think-the-world-is-always-improving-and-always-not-improving-i-2/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [While the rest of the world has been improving technology, Ghana has been improving the quality of man's humanity to man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/while-the-rest-of-the-world-has-been-improving-technology-ghana-has/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I think the world is always improving and always not improving. I think that both are simultaneously happening all the time. I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/i-think-the-world-is-always-improving-and-always-not-improving-i/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-curie/you-cannot-hope-to-build-a-better-world-without-improving-the/) [Marie Curie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-curie/) > [Making a company is a great way to improve the world while improving yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/making-a-company-is-a-great-way-to-improve-the-world-while-improving/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [India has a population of over 1 billion people. There is place for all sports and for sure there is space for football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zico/india-has-a-population-of-over-1-billion-people-there-is-place-for/) [Zico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zico/) > [“We are fornicating in the sight of six billion people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/we-are-fornicating-in-the-sight-of-six-billion-people/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Seven billion people in the world... But!! My heart choose you. :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udigwe-vinsnt/seven-billion-people-in-the-world-but-my-heart-choose-you/) [Udigwe Vinsnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udigwe-vinsnt/) ## More by Thomas Homer-Dixon > [hen the price of carbon reaches $100 a tonne, then it will become an economically viable business proposition to start taking COâ‚‚ out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/hen-the-price-of-carbon-reaches-100-a-tonne-then-it-will-become-an/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [“As ingenuity gaps widen the gulfs of wealth and power among us, we need imagination, metaphor and empathy more than ever, to help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/as-ingenuity-gaps-widen-the-gulfs-of-wealth-and-power-among-us-we/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [Our marvelous new information technologies boost our power and opportunities for political engagement, but they can also disempower us by contributing to extreme political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/our-marvelous-new-information-technologies-boost-our-power-and/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [“Conventional economics is the dominant intellectual rationalization of today’s world order. As we’ve overextended the growth phase of our global adaptive cycle, this rationalization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/conventional-economics-is-the-dominant-intellectual-rationalization/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [“As I looked over this curious document, I was particularly struck by a band of text across the bottom. It bore the title “Paperwork…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/as-i-looked-over-this-curious-document-i-was-particularly-struck-by-a/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [“We can see how our world is, in many ways, becoming more complex, fast-paced, and unpredictable. As a result, the problems we face are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/we-can-see-how-our-world-is-in-many-ways-becoming-more-complex-fast/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [“Writing and repairing software generally takes far more time and is far more expensive than initially anticipated. “Every feature that is added and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/writing-and-repairing-software-generally-takes-far-more-time-and-is/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [“The result is a dangerous lag between the natural sciences and the social sciences. The natural sciences and the technologies they spawn carry us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/the-result-is-a-dangerous-lag-between-the-natural-sciences-and-the/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [“We might be excused our ignorance in this case, because ocean-atmosphere systems are, after all, almost inconceivably complex. Less easy to excuse is our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/we-might-be-excused-our-ignorance-in-this-case-because-ocean/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [“To support an adequate standard of living, humankind still needs huge quantities of wood and wood products, from planking and beams and fibreboard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/to-support-an-adequate-standard-of-living-humankind-still-needs-huge/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [Bitumen is junk energy. A joule, or unit of energy, invested in extracting and processing bitumen returns only four to six joules in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/bitumen-is-junk-energy-a-joule-or-unit-of-energy-invested-in/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [Human beings have been smart enough to turn nature to their ends, generate vast wealth for themselves, and double their average life span. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/human-beings-have-been-smart-enough-to-turn-nature-to-their-ends/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [“The combined activities of our enormous population are already producing breathtaking effects. Our planet is only 12,700 kilometers in diameter—about three times the distance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/the-combined-activities-of-our-enormous-population-are-already/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [“Some people argue that economics is an exception to this general story. Economics, they say, provides a much more analytically precise and tightly integrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/some-people-argue-that-economics-is-an-exception-to-this-general/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) > [New information technologies-including email, the web, and computerized blast-faxes and phone calls-have fundamentally changed the landscape of political competition in modern democracies. They've done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-homer-dixon/new-information-technologies-including-email-the-web-and-computerized/) [Thomas Homer-Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) [Explore all 16 Thomas Homer-Dixon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-homer-dixon/) ## More Around the world quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [It's difficult to believe in yourself because the idea of self is an artificial construction. You are, in fact, part of the glorious oneness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/it-s-difficult-to-believe-in-yourself-because-the-idea-of-self-is-an/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Since 'coming out,' I've marched in gay pride parades all around the world, I've filled my home full of rainbow tat and I've become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carr/since-coming-out-i-ve-marched-in-gay-pride-parades-all-around-the/) [Liz Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carr/) > [Once, as an experiment, I travelled around the world with a single suit. Before I left, I went to a tailor in Savile Row…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/once-as-an-experiment-i-travelled-around-the-world-with-a-single-suit/) [George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/) > [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) > [I look at what's happening around the world and I see Iran four years closer to a bomb. I see the Middle East with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-look-at-what-s-happening-around-the-world-and-i-see-iran-four-years/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [“The low point occurred in July, during Romney’s junior week abroad, in which the press became increasingly frustrated over Romney’s refusal to talk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/the-low-point-occurred-in-july-during-romney-s-junior-week-abroad-in/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [I believe there definitely are good things about social networking. It's a way for people to connect all around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzie-velasquez/i-believe-there-definitely-are-good-things-about-social-networking-it/) [Lizzie Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzie-velasquez/) > [“Isn’t everyone on the planet or at least everyone on the planet called me stuck between the two impulses of wanting to walk away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-lacey/isn-t-everyone-on-the-planet-or-at-least-everyone-on-the-planet/) [Catherine Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-lacey/) > [You always can improve and I think that's the beauty of international cricket, particularly test cricket, is playing all around the world against different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane-williamson/you-always-can-improve-and-i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-international/) [Kane Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane-williamson/) > [Trump is reviled around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-reid/trump-is-reviled-around-the-world/) [Joy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-reid/) [Browse all 3,349 Around the world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Today’s overwhelming volume and variety of information makes it possible—by selecting and connecting data points carefully—to paint practically any picture of the world and make it seem accurate. So the pictures we paint are often more a reflection of our deepest personal orientation, especially of our basic optimism or pessimism, than of empirical evidence.28 All the same, amidst the welter of information that sometimes seems to point in every direction, certain facts about long-term trends around the world ultimately shift the balance of evidence, in my mind, against the economic optimists. These facts indicate that there are chronic and widening ingenuity gaps in a number of domains of human activity. Significant problems, some of them fundamentally new in their character and scope, remain unsolved or are getting worse, in part because we haven’t generated and delivered enough ingenuity to address them. For instance, although average incomes and quality of life around the world are improving, these statistics—which are, again, highly aggregated—hide extreme and growing differences in wealth. 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