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The real accomplishment of modern science and technology consists in taking ordinary men, informing them narrowly and deeply and then, through appropriate organization, arranging to have their knowledge combined with that of other specialized but equally ordinary men. This dispenses with the need for genius. The resulting performance, though less inspiring, is far more predictable.
John Kenneth Galbraith
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Modern science and technology succeed by fostering ordinary individuals' specialized knowledge for collaborative performance rather than relying on extraordinary genius.

This quote by John Kenneth Galbraith emphasizes how modern advancements in science and technology are built on the collective efforts of ordinary people who are given specialized training. Instead of depending on rare genius, the systematic organization of knowledge from various experts leads to predictable and reliable outcomes, illustrating the power of collaboration in achieving significant results.

Themes

ScienceTechnologyCollaborationKnowledgeOrdinaryPredictableAccomplishment

In practice

Example use cases

In a talk about teamwork in project management, you could use this quote to emphasize the importance of collaboration over individual genius.

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