I confess that in 1901 I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for fifty years.
Interpretation
The quote reflects Wilbur Wright's humble acknowledgment of his past skepticism about human flight.
In this quote, Wilbur Wright reminisces about a time when he doubted the feasibility of flight, indicating that innovation and progress often happen faster than we can imagine. It serves as a reminder that great advancements can occur in unexpected ways and that our limitations may be surpassed through determination and ingenuity.
In practice
During a speech on technological advancements, one might quote this to emphasize the unpredictability of progress.
I am an enthusiast, but not a crank in the sense that I have some pet theories as to the proper construction of a flying machine. I wish to avail myself of all that is already known and then, if possible, add my mite to help on the future worker who will attain final success.
Men become wise just as they become rich, more by what they save than by what they receive.
The fact that the great scientist believed in flying machines was the one thing that encouraged us to begin our studies.
The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who... looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space... on the infinite highway of the air.
Government isn't that good at rapid advancement of technology. It tends to be better at funding basic research. To have things take off, you've got to have commercial companies do it.
Like most early enthusiasts, I always thought the way the Internet encouraged multitasking made users less vulnerable to manipulation, while simultaneously exploiting even more of our brain's capacity than before. Apparently not.
The IT organization can't drive or lead a digital transformation. It has to come from the business and the business strategy, because they're fundamental to how a company or an organization evolves.
Sometimes, the Internet can feel like a middle-school playground populated by brats in ski masks who name-call and taunt with the fake bravery of the anonymous. But sometimes - thank goodness - it's nicer than real life.
First we thought the PC was a calculator. Then we found out how to turn numbers into letters with ASCII β and we thought it was a typewriter. Then we discovered graphics, and we thought it was a television. With the World Wide Web, we've realized it's a brochure.
To turn really interesting ideas and fledgling technologies into a company that can continue to innovate for years, it requires a lot of disciplines.
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