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Evolution consists of many great revolutionary events taking place quite independently of man's consciously attempting to bring them about. Man is very vain; he likes to feel that he is responsible for all the favorable things that happen, and he is innocent of all the unfavorable happenings. But all the larger evolutionary patternings seeming favorable or unfavorable to man's conditioned reflexing are transpiring transcendentally to any of man's conscious planning or contriving.

Buckminster Fuller#22

EvolutionNatureHuman natureControlPlanning

About this quote

What does it mean?
Fuller states that evolution happens independently of human conscious planning. He notes that humans take credit for good outcomes but ignore bad ones, while major patterns occur beyond our control.
In plain terms
Evolution happens on its own, regardless of human plans or feelings of responsibility.
What can you take from it?
Recognize that major changes often occur independently of human control or planning.

Where it applies

  • strategic planning
  • historical analysis
  • scientific observation

Putting it to work

  • Accepting unforeseen outcomes
  • humbling strategic assumptions
  • studying natural patterns

Questions to consider

  • To what extent are we responsible for outcomes?
  • How much control do we really have over change?

Another view

The quote assumes a specific view of evolution that excludes human agency entirely.

More from Buckminster Fuller

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  3. There's a major pattern of energy in universe wherein the very large events, earthquakes, and so forth, occur in any one area of universe very much less freque…

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