How does Jared Diamond feel about this saying : “The necessity is the mother of invention”?

This is from Jared Diamond’s book called, “Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies”.

I do not understand, or I mean, find how he feels about this old saying, because most of what he’s using are examples to support how he feels about that quote.

BTW, I know, that he doesn’t agree with this quote.

Here are some of the quotes from the book, so that maybe you could find it through here: http://quotesjournal.blogspot.com/2007/03/invention-is-often-mother-of-necessity.html

Could you please explain it in a way a 7th/8th grader can understand it.

Thanks. I’d really appreciate it.

Top 3 Answers

A few days ago

pat z

Favorite Answer

Diamond actually reversed the well-known quote to say “invention is often the mother of necessity” which means, as is explained in the subsequent text, that many inventors created things out of curiosity rather than because of need. In other words, they made a product before there was a demand for it. They then had to hype their invention(s) and generate consumer and companies interest so that they could sell their creation(s) to make money to support further inventions and flights of fantasy.

5 years ago

While necessity may very well be the “mother” of invention, I have always felt that serendipity is its “father”. That is to say, sometimes pure happenstance, or even luck can be responsible for many innovations or inventions. Do you think that mankind was actually trying to invent alcoholic beverages (for example), or did someone just drink some grape juice that had been stored too long (and therefore been allowed to ferment) and stumbled upon the “high” induced by alcohol?

A few days ago

steve M

Jared seems to think, as in edisions case, that inventions were made(i.e the phonograph) and then figured out how to use it. unlike what the quote is saying.

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How does Jared Diamond feel about this saying : “The necessity is the mother of invention”?

How does Jared Diamond feel about this saying : “The necessity is the mother of invention”?

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