“This is rather as if you imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, 'This is an interesting world I find myself in--an interesting hole I find myself in--fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!' This is such a powerful idea that as the sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, it's still frantically hanging on to the notion that everything's going to be all right, because this world was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise. I think this may be something we need to be on the watch-out for. We all know that at some point in the future the universe will come to an end, and at some other point, considerably in advance from that but still not immediately pressing, the sun will explode. We feel there's plenty of time to worry about that, but on the other hand that's a very dangerous thing to say... I think that we need to take a larger perspective on who we are and what we are doing here if we are going to survive in the long term.”

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About Douglas Adams

British science fiction writer and humorist of the late 20th century, best known for *The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy*, a satirical space comedy that blends absurdity with sharp social commentary. His work explores existential questions with wit, critiquing human behavior through the lens of alien perspectives and cosmic absurdity.

More from Douglas Adams (284 quotes) →
"This is rather as if you imagine a puddle waking up one morning and t…" — Douglas Adams | Daily Quotes