Predictions of the future are never anything but projections of present automatic processes and procedures, that is, of occurrences that are likely to come to pass if men do not act and if nothing unexpected happens; every action, for better or worse, and every accident necessarily destroys the whole pattern in whose frame the prediction moves and where it finds its evidence.

Summary

This quote suggests that attempts to predict the future are ultimately limited by the existing automatic processes and procedures of the present. These projections are based on the assumption that things will unfold a certain way if humans do not intervene and if unexpected events don't occur. However, any action taken or accidental event can disrupt the patterns on which the predictions are based, rendering them unreliable. In essence, the quote emphasizes the inherent uncertainty and fragility of predicting the future.

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