Ernst von Glasersfeld (2010) Partial Memories: Sketches from an Improbable Life. p. 136.
“
For me, as I later came to say, cybernetics is the art of creating equilibrium in a world of possibilities and constraints. This is not just a romantic description, it portrays the new way of thinking quite accurately. Cybernetics differs from the traditional scientific procedure, because it does not try to explain phenomena by searching for their causes, but rather by specifying the constraints that determine the direction of their development.
— Ernst von Glasersfeld on Cybernetics
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "For me, as I later came to say, cybernetics is the art of creating equilibrium in a world of possibilities and constraints. This is not just a romantic description, it portrays the new way of thinking quite accurately. Cybernetics differs from the traditional scientific procedure, because it does not try to explain phenomena by searching for their causes, but rather by specifying the constraints that determine the direction of their development." in the context of "Ernst von Glasersfeld (2010) Partial Memories: Sketches from an Improbable Life. p. 136." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Cybernetics" (Quotes: Quotes are arranged chronologically, 2010s)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Ernst von Glasersfeld
Ernst von Glasersfeld (March 8, 1917 – November 12, 2010) was an Austrian-born American philosopher, and Professor of Psychology at the University of Georgia.
About Ernst von Glasersfeld
Ernst von Glasersfeld (March 8, 1917 – November 12, 2010) was an Austrian-born American philosopher, and Professor of Psychology at the University of Georgia.
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