I don't care how big and fast computers are, they're not as big

When Herbert A. Simon declared, “I don’t care how big and fast computers are, they’re not as big and fast as the world,” he spoke not as a man in awe of machines, but as one who remembered the vastness of reality itself. His words carry the tone of a sage reminding his disciples that no creation of man, however wondrous, can contain the living, breathing complexity of existence. Simon — a pioneer of artificial intelligence and one of the great thinkers of the twentieth century — knew the power of computation. Yet even as he helped shape the age of machines, he remained humble before the unfathomable vastness of the world, that infinite network of cause, chance, spirit, and motion.

In this quote, Simon draws a line between simulation and reality. A computer, however fast, is still bound by the data given to it, the limits of its programming, and the scope of human imagination. The world, by contrast, is unbounded — full of mysteries that exceed logic and events that defy prediction. Nature itself runs on laws no processor can fully map. A machine can calculate probabilities, but it cannot grasp the poetry of coincidence, the chaos of creation, or the sacred rhythm that beats beneath every atom and star. Simon reminds us that in our rush to build intelligence, we must not mistake imitation for infinity.

In his lifetime, Simon watched computers evolve from mechanical calculators into thinking engines. He was among the first to predict that machines could one day play chess, compose music, and reason logically. But even he, the prophet of artificial intelligence, knew their throne was not absolute. For all their speed, computers are like candles beside the sun — glowing, yet dwarfed by the magnitude of the living universe. The human mind, the ocean, the beating of a heart, the growth of a forest — these are systems so vast and alive that no machine can truly capture them.

History gives us countless reminders of this truth. In 1997, the world gasped as IBM’s Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov, the world chess champion. It was a triumph of silicon over strategy — or so it seemed. Yet even in victory, the machine’s power was confined to the board. It knew the game, but not the meaning of the game; it calculated moves, but never felt the glory or despair of the contest. Kasparov, reflecting later, said, “The machine did not surprise me. What surprised me was my own emotion.” In that moment, humanity’s paradox was revealed: the computer could master logic, but not life.

Simon’s wisdom invites us to remember humility in the face of our own inventions. The danger of the modern age is not that we build machines that think, but that we forget to think beyond them. The world is not just information — it is mystery, intuition, emotion, and experience. The wind carries more data than any computer can read; a single moment of human compassion holds more meaning than terabytes of text. To live wisely, we must recognize that the map is not the territory, the model is not the mind, and the computer, no matter how advanced, is not the world.

This truth is ancient. The Taoists taught that the Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao — that the essence of life cannot be contained in form. Likewise, Simon’s words echo through the ages: the machine that can model the world is not the world itself. The world is wild, untamed, holy in its unpredictability. Its strength lies not in order alone, but in the living tension between order and chaos, structure and spirit. The wise know that even the greatest algorithms bow before the sublime vastness of existence.

The lesson of Simon’s quote is both grounding and liberating. It tells us that no matter how brilliant our machines become, the universe remains greater — and so do we. It is a call to balance progress with reverence, logic with wonder. Use computers, yes, but remember that they are tools — reflections of the mind, not replacements for the heart. Let them serve your understanding, not limit it.

Practical actions for the seeker of truth in the age of machines:

1. Honor technology, but never worship it — let it amplify your humanity, not replace it.

2. Spend time with the living world — the forest, the sea, the stars — to remember what cannot be computed.

3. Keep your curiosity alive; accept that not all truths can be measured or programmed.

4. Use the power of the digital age to seek wisdom, not merely information.

For as Herbert A. Simon reminds us, no matter how fast our machines may think, the world moves faster still — not in speed, but in mystery. It is infinite, alive, and ever beyond our full comprehension. To live wisely is to stand in awe of that greatness, to embrace technology as a servant of understanding, while bowing always before the endless majesty of the real.