Charles F. Kettering (1876-1958) was an American engineer and inventor known for significant contributions to the modern automobile, including the electric starter1. Holding numerous patents (estimates range from 140 to over 300), his career included developing the first electric cash register at National Cash Register Company (NCR), co-founding the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (Delco), and serving as Vice President and Director of Research for General Motors (GM) from 1920 to 19471,4,78. His inventions spanned various fields, including automotive technology (like quick-drying paint, safety glass, automatic transmission, leaded gasoline), refrigeration (Freon), and even medical devices4,7.
The quote attributed to Kettering, “If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong,” reflects his philosophy on innovation and progress23. It serves as a provocative challenge against complacency and the unquestioning acceptance of established methods3. The statement suggests that meaningful advancement often requires breaking from tradition and questioning familiar approaches, rather than implying all existing methods are inherently flawed3.
Kettering’s philosophy emphasized:
- Questioning Norms: He believed that true innovation necessitates departing from conventional paths and methods3. Progress often comes from things not working as expected or challenging accepted philosophies5.
- Embracing Failure: Kettering viewed failure as an essential part of the invention process and a stepping stone to success. He famously stated that an inventor fails many times before succeeding and that learning to “fail intelligently” is crucial35.
- Continuous Learning and Research: He maintained a mindset of always having more to learn, even in established fields like automobiles. He defined research as finding out what to do when current methods are no longer sufficient35.
- Professional Amateurism: Kettering described researchers like himself as “professional amateurs”-amateurs because they attempt things for the first time, and professionals because they anticipate and handle the difficulties involved35.
This mindset drove Kettering’s work, leading him to organize industrial research laboratories at NCR and later GM specifically to challenge existing practices and develop new ideas367. His approach predated modern concepts like “disruptive thinking” by advocating for a constant search for improvement and being wary of the inertia associated with the phrase “we’ve always done it this way”3. The inclusion of “probably” in the quote signals the need for healthy skepticism and verification of traditional methods, rather than outright dismissal, acknowledging that progress requires critically evaluating the status quo3.
Citations:
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-F-Kettering
- https://wist.info/author/kettering-charles/
- https://www.deciphr.ai/podcast/125-charles-kettering-inventor-engineer-founder
- https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/streamliners-kettering/
- https://todayinsci.com/K/Kettering_Charles/KetteringCharles-Quotations.htm
- https://www.inventionandtech.com/node/85792
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3498412/
- https://ethw.org/Charles_F._Kettering
- https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/charles-kettering
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Kettering
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Charles_F._Kettering.jpg?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiOv5v97fqMAxV4VqQEHcAQHWUQ_B16BAgIEAI
- https://www.azquotes.com/author/7948-Charles_Kettering
- https://www.thinkergy.com/blog/the-world-hates-innovation-this-is-why
- https://paws.kettering.edu/~jhuggins/humor/quotes.html
- https://www.daytoninnovationlegacy.org/kettering.html
- https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2020/08/24/four-concepts-to-drive-innovation-in-a-time-of-crisis/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_F._Kettering
- https://www.plusxinnovation.com/blog/25-best-innovation-quotes
- https://fi.edu/en/news/case-files-charles-f-kettering
- https://www.localseotactics.com/choosing-the-right-keywords-for-low-volume-searches/
Answer from Perplexity: pplx.ai/share