Martin Svoboda

“When someone threatens you with a machete, never turn your back. Stand still. Look him straight in the eye and ask him what the problem is.”

“Keep track of gradual improvements. A small change every year can translate to a huge change in decades.”

“Technology should not aim to replace humans, rather amplify human capabilities.”

“If ease of use was the only requirement, everybody would still be riding tricycles.”

“In 20 or 30 years, you’ll be able to hold in your hand as much computing knowledge as exists now in the whole city, or even the whole world.”

“The key thing about all the world’s big problems is that they have to be dealt with collectively. If we don’t get collectively smarter, we’re doomed.”

“Human beings face ever more complex and urgent problems, and their effectiveness in dealing with these problems is a matter that is critical to the stability and continued progress of society”

“Why waste time doing experiments in the organization with technologies that are going to be out of date in 5 years or 10 years?”

“There’s a double pressure on the evolution of every organization: how you evolve to be more capable and effective, and efficient, but also how you stay in synch with the rest of the environment.”

“I was offered a free villa in Hollywood, but I said no thank you, I prefer to live in Italy.”

“You can see my decision as either a distinctive factor or as a limitation. I don't feel it is a limitation.”

“I come from a background of experimental music which mingled real sounds together with musical sounds.”

“It could have been extremely boring to write musical scores for only westerns of horror films. It was really exciting for me to work in all these various genres.”

“There are some directors who actually fear the possible success of music. They fear that the audience or the critics will think the film has worked because there was a very good music score.”

“They're all my children... every score I've done.”

“I often use the same harmonies as pop music because the complexity of what I do is elsewhere.”

“Beware of sentimental alliances where the consciousness of good deeds is the only compensation for noble sacrifices.”

“He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity.”

“Most of us live our lives by accident—we live as it happens. Fullfillment comes when we live our lives on purpose.”