Here is where the predictions failed: We didn't take Cargo Cult mentality into account: 'if somebody has something I don't, he must have stolen it.' We didn't understand how good we could get at communication - when you have something that someone else doesn't, the whole damn planet knows it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Niven critiques the Cargo Cult mentality where people assume differences imply theft, noting how fast information spreads today.
- In plain terms
- People often assume others have what they lack because they stole it, and now everyone knows everything fast.
- What can you take from it?
- Don't assume others have what you lack because of theft.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does information spread affect trust?
- When do we assume others stole from us?
Another view
The quote focuses on a specific historical analogy.
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