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The field of automatic control is about 50 years old. This lecture presents some reflections on the dynamic development of the field. It starts with a brief history and a discussion of engineering science and natural science. Automatic control being the first systems field was a paradigm shift because it fit poorly into organizations based on mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering. Key ideas in the development of the field are presented. The interplay of theory and applications are discussed as are relations to other fields such as mathematics and computer science. It is attempted to make an assessment of the current status. The lecture ends with some speculations about future development. Questions dealing with research, education and applications will be covered. An explanation of the title of the lecture will also be given.