--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [...] there is one inexorable law of…" description: "\"“[...] there is one inexorable law of technology, and it is this: when revolutionary inventions become widely accessible, they cease to be accessible. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fb/umberto-eco-313_elite_there-is-one-inexorable-law-of-technolog_1178437.jpg" --- # \[...\] there is one inexorable law of technology, and it is… ![“[...] there is one inexorable law of technology, and it is this: when revolutionary inventions become widely accessible, they cease to be accessible. Technology is inherently democratic, because it promises the same services to all; but it works only if the rich are alone using it. When the poor…” quote by Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fb/umberto-eco-313_elite_there-is-one-inexorable-law-of-technolog_1178437.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fb/umberto-eco-313_elite_there-is-one-inexorable-law-of-technolog_1178437.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fb/umberto-eco-313_elite_there-is-one-inexorable-law-of-technolog_1178437.jpg) > ““\[...\] there is one inexorable law of technology, and it is this: when revolutionary inventions become widely accessible, they cease to be accessible. Technology is inherently democratic, because it promises the same services to all; but it works only if the rich are alone using it. When the poor also adopt technology, it stops working. A train used to take two hours to go from A to B; then the motor car arrived, which could cover the same distance in one hour. For this reason cars were very expensive. But as soon as the masses could afford to buy them, the roads became jammed, and the trains started to move faster. Consider how absurd it is for the authorities constantly to urge people to use public transport, in the age of the automobile; but with public transport, by consenting not to belong to the elite, you get where you're going before members of the elite do.”” [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When technology becomes widespread, it loses its elite advantage; its democratic promise fails if the poor adopt it, leading to congestion and reduced efficiency. **In simple terms:** Mass adoption erodes the exclusive benefits of new tech. Key Takeaway Balance access with sustainability. Themes technology democracy inequality access efficiency social impact Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - urban planning - digital infrastructure - education - regulation Key Concepts diffusion of innovation public policy resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - What policies can preserve tech benefits for everyone? - How can we mitigate congestion from mass adoption? A Different Perspective The argument may simplify complex economic dynamics and ignore innovation benefits for all. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Elite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elite/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Inventions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inventions/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [“Collectivism is not inherently democratic, but, on the contrary, gives to a tyrannical minority such powers as the Spanish Inquisitors never dreamed of. ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/collectivism-is-not-inherently-democratic-but-on-the-contrary-gives/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Most of our children have access to Internet-accessible technology, yet most of us are actually not paying much attention to what they're doing online.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-madigan/most-of-our-children-have-access-to-internet-accessible-technology/) [Lisa Madigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-madigan/) > [“the book is like the spoon, scissors, the hammer, the wheel. once invented, it cannot be improved”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-book-is-like-the-spoon-scissors-the-hammer-the-wheel-once-2/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [In some cases, inventions prohibit innovation because we're so caught up in playing with the technology, we forget about the fact that it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/in-some-cases-inventions-prohibit-innovation-because-we-re-so-caught/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [“Without conversion of potentials, almost nothing will exist. We could have a world of about 7.6billion people full of potentials and yet not have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-ogedegbe/without-conversion-of-potentials-almost-nothing-will-exist-we-could/) [CLEMENT OGEDEGBE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-ogedegbe/) > [Things That Actually Happen Are Often More Surprising Than Stories That Are Invented...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/things-that-actually-happen-are-often-more-surprising-than-stories/) Pacifiersucker > [Let's drive not just breakthroughs in new products, but new ways to give more and more people access to these inventions and their benefits.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/let-s-drive-not-just-breakthroughs-in-new-products-but-new-ways-to/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Inventions that are not made, like babies that are not born, are rarely missed. In the absence of new developments, old ones may seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/inventions-that-are-not-made-like-babies-that-are-not-born-are-rarely/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [The inventions and the great discoveries have opened up whole continents to reciprocal communication and interchange, provided we are willing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alva-myrdal/the-inventions-and-the-great-discoveries-have-opened-up-whole/) [Alva Myrdal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alva-myrdal/) > [I think the most beautiful inventions are the ones you don't think of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/i-think-the-most-beautiful-inventions-are-the-ones-you-don-t-think-of/) [Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/) > [Neighbor is no longer confined to the vocabulary of the individual. It is a national word. Modern inventions have annihilated distance. Commercial relations have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-josiah-brewer/neighbor-is-no-longer-confined-to-the-vocabulary-of-the-individual-it/) [David Josiah Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-josiah-brewer/) > [Impossible situations do breed invention and creativity, but they are also where God provides miracles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-blake-michiels/impossible-situations-do-breed-invention-and-creativity-but-they-are/) [Jordan Blake Michiels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-blake-michiels/) > [As we benefit from the inventions of others, we should be glad to share our own ... freely and gladly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/as-we-benefit-from-the-inventions-of-others-we-should-be-glad-to/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The mechanical loom and the calculator have shown us that technology is both disruptive and filled with opportunities. But it would be hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/the-mechanical-loom-and-the-calculator-have-shown-us-that-technology/) [Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More by Umberto Eco > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [Followers of the occult believe in only what they already know, and in those things that confirm what they have already learned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/followers-of-the-occult-believe-in-only-what-they-already-know-and-in/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“This has nothing to do with realism (even if it explains also realism). A completely real world can be constructed, in which asses fly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/this-has-nothing-to-do-with-realism-even-if-it-explains-also-realism/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“…there’s nothing in this world that demands more caution than the truth. To tell the truth is like leeching one’s own heart...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-s-nothing-in-this-world-that-demands-more-caution-than-the/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [The book is like the spoon, scissors, the hammer, the wheel. Once invented, it cannot be improved. 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Anything, however trifling, may be of use one day. What matters is to know something that others don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/listening-doesn-t-mean-trying-to-understand-anything-however-trifling/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [They say that a cat, if it falls from a window and hits its nose, can lose its sense of smell and then, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/they-say-that-a-cat-if-it-falls-from-a-window-and-hits-its-nose-can/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [There are magic moments, involving great physical fatigue and intense motor excitement, that produce visions of people known in the past. As I learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-are-magic-moments-involving-great-physical-fatigue-and-intense/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [All poets write bad poetry. Bad poets publish them, good poets burn them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/all-poets-write-bad-poetry-bad-poets-publish-them-good-poets-burn-them/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [There are four kinds of people in this world: cretins, fools, morons, and lunatics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-are-four-kinds-of-people-in-this-world-cretins-fools-morons-and/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) [Explore all 600 Umberto Eco quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## More Elite quotes > [The strange rejection of the expert is mind boggling to me. When we're told that the worst word in politics is 'elite,' I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/the-strange-rejection-of-the-expert-is-mind-boggling-to-me-when-we-re/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [In UFC there are K-1 strikers, but I want to be good at everything. You can be an elite striker, but I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovince-saint-preux/in-ufc-there-are-k-1-strikers-but-i-want-to-be-good-at-everything-you/) [Ovince Saint Preux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovince-saint-preux/) > [“If you are frustrated with the elite of your society, do something about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/if-you-are-frustrated-with-the-elite-of-your-society-do-something/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [There's a lot of pressure, and it's a long battle, to coach at the elite level. My wife and I didn't take a vacation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liang-chow/there-s-a-lot-of-pressure-and-it-s-a-long-battle-to-coach-at-the/) [Liang Chow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liang-chow/) > [Economists actually disagree about whether there are significant economic returns from attending an elite college versus a less-selective one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-oster/economists-actually-disagree-about-whether-there-are-significant/) [Emily Oster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-oster/) > [“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/as-democracy-is-perfected-the-office-of-president-represents-more-and/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/anti-intellectualism-has-been-a-constant-thread-winding-its-way/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [As countries embrace mass higher education, the cost of maintaining universities increases dramatically relative to an elite system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-bok/as-countries-embrace-mass-higher-education-the-cost-of-maintaining/) [Derek Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-bok/) > [When you are dealing with a mass movement, as opposed to a quote-unquote "elite," you are talking to people who don't have time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hamilton/when-you-are-dealing-with-a-mass-movement-as-opposed-to-a-quote/) [Rebecca Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hamilton/) > [“The Warrior Elite,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-luttrell/the-warrior-elite/) [Marcus Luttrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-luttrell/) > [Outside of the Moscow elite and a very small urban elite, Russia is one great big blue-collar country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/outside-of-the-moscow-elite-and-a-very-small-urban-elite-russia-is/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [Sometimes people who want to understand Haiti from a political perspective may be missing part of the picture. They also need to look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-bertrand-aristide/sometimes-people-who-want-to-understand-haiti-from-a-political/) [Jean-Bertrand Aristide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-bertrand-aristide/) > [Having cancer gave me membership in an elite club I'd rather not belong to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/having-cancer-gave-me-membership-in-an-elite-club-i-d-rather-not/) [Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/) [Browse all 392 Elite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elite/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“[...] there is one inexorable law of technology, and it is this: when revolutionary inventions become widely accessible, they cease to be accessible. Technology is inherently democratic, because it promises the same services to all; but it works only if the rich are alone using it. When the poor also adopt technology, it stops working. 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