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Kevin Kelly Quotes

Editor

Kevin Kelly, born on August 14, 1952, is a seasoned editor with a broad influence in the fields of technology, culture, and art. He has held editing positions at several renowned publishing houses and brought many excellent works to readers.

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Famous Kevin Kelly Quotes

“Technology is anything that doesn't work yet.”

Technology

Author:Kevin Kelly

“Technology is anything that was invented after you were born.”

Born Technology

Book:What Technology Wants

Source: What Technology Wants

“All these computers, all these handhelds, all these cell phones, all these laptops, all these servers - what we're getting out of all these connections is we're getting one machine. ... We're constructing a single, global machine.”

Technology Computer Connections Machines Phones Cells Cell Phone Laptops Server

Author:Kevin Kelly

“What technology is really about is better ways to evolve. That is what we call an 'infinite game.' ... A finite game is played to win, and an infinite game is played to keep playing.”

Way Inspiration Motivation Games Winning Technology Infinite Evolve Finite Better Ways

Author:Kevin Kelly

“Our society lacks a feedback loop for controlling technology: a way to gauge intended effects from actual effects later on”

Way Vision Technology Effects Future Our Society Feedback Sustainable Development Loops Gauges

Author:Kevin Kelly

“Extrapolated, technology wants what life wants: Increasing efficiency Increasing opportunity Increasing emergence Increasing complexity Increasing diversity Increasing specialization Increasing ubiquity Increasing freedom Increasing mutualism Increasing beauty Increasing sentience Increasing structure Increasing evolvability”

Want Opportunity Technology Diversity Structure Complexity Efficiency Emergence Specialization Ubiquity

Book:What Technology Wants

Source: What Technology Wants

“Humans are the reproductive organs of technology. We multiply manufactured artifacts and spread ideas and memes.”

Humans Ideas Technology Spread Organs Artifacts Memes

Book:What Technology Wants

Source: What Technology Wants

“Technology is all the accumulated usefulness that our minds invent.”

Mind Technology Usefulness

Author:Kevin Kelly

“The daily grinding of evolution, as accelerated by technology, churns out more and more complex organisms, with higher rates of energy use, and with increasing specialization. Minds are the ideal way to express complexity, energy density, increasing specialization, expanding diversity -- all in one system. Mindedness is what evolution produces. Mindedness is what technology wants, too.”

Way Want Mind Use Energy Technology Produce Evolution Higher Diversity Ideals Complexes Rate Complexity Organisms Expanding Density Specialization Energy Use

Author:Kevin Kelly

“Life is the ultimate technology. Machine technology is a temporary surrogate for life technology. As we improve our machines they will become more organic, more biological, more like life, because life is the best technology for living.”

Life Is Technology Machines Ultimate Temporary Surrogates Best Technology

Book:Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems and the Economic World

Source: Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems and the Economic World

“Find the minimum amount of technology that will maximize your options.”

Technology Amount Minimum

Author:Kevin Kelly

“Clearly, we are self-made. We are the first technology. We are part inventor and part the invented”

Firsts Made Self Technology Inventor Self Made

Author:Kevin Kelly

“Attention deficit is no longer the supposed domain of Generation Y's who were brought up on a diet of social media and new technology. A recent study revealed 65 percent of 55-64 year olds surf, text and watch television simultaneously.”

Years Social Attention Watches Technology Study Generations Media Television Percent Social Media Diets Domain Deficit New Technology Surf Generation Y

Author:Kevin Kelly

“Humans are the reproductive organs of technology.”

Humans Technology Organs

Book:What Technology Wants

Source: What Technology Wants

“Our mission as humans is not only to discover our fullest selves in the technium, and to find full contentment, but to expand the possibilities for others. Greater technology will selfishly unleash our talents, but it will also unselfishly unleash others: our children, and all children to come.”

Humans Children Self Technology Greater Talent Possibility Our Children Missions Contentment

Book:What Technology Wants

Source: What Technology Wants

About the Author

Born: August 14, 1952
Known for: Editor
Quotes: 99

Books & Sources

Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known EarlierRelated source material

What Technology WantsRelated source material

Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems and the Economic WorldRelated source material

New Rules for the New Economy: 10 Radical Strategies for a Connected WorldRelated source material

Out of Control: The Rise of Neo-Biological CivilizationRelated source material

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