--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the world were really right, humans…" description: "\"If the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They'd be all knowing in the beginning and innocent in the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2e/angela-johnson-42540_ends_if-the-world-were-really-right-humans-wo_2243219.png" --- # If the world were really right, humans would live life… ![“If the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They'd be all knowing in the beginning and innocent in the end...” quote by Angela Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2e/angela-johnson-42540_ends_if-the-world-were-really-right-humans-wo_2243219.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2e/angela-johnson-42540_ends_if-the-world-were-really-right-humans-wo_2243219.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2e/angela-johnson-42540_ends_if-the-world-were-really-right-humans-wo_2243219.png) > “If the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They'd be all knowing in the beginning and innocent in the end...” [Angela Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If reality were inverted, knowledge would precede experience, making us wise at birth and naive at death. **In simple terms:** Reversed world: knowing first, learning later. Key Takeaway Consider how knowledge and experience shape each other. Themes philosophy human nature time knowledge experience Mood thoughtful speculative Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - education - personal growth - storytelling - psychology discussions Key Concepts Epistemology life cycles counterfactual thinking Questions to Reflect On - How would early certainty affect later learning? - Can wisdom truly be separated from lived experience? A Different Perspective Idealizing knowledge without experience can be hollow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Live life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-life/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Why Judge someone? What gives YOU the right? We are all humans and we all have stories. Don't be critical on people...For how would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/violet-lillydale/why-judge-someone-what-gives-you-the-right-we-are-all-humans-and-we/) Violet Lillydale > [Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead; that is where your future lies. Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-landers/nobody-gets-to-live-life-backward-look-ahead-that-is-where-your/) [Ann Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-landers/) > [Sometimes in life, we have to go backward a certain distance in order to go forwards. If we have conflicts within ourselves that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/sometimes-in-life-we-have-to-go-backward-a-certain-distance-in-order/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-landers/nobody-gets-to-live-life-backward-look-ahead-that-is-where-your-2/) [Ann Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-landers/) > [“We live forward. Ecclesiastes teaches us to live life backward. It encourages us to take the one thing in the future that is certain—our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gibson/we-live-forward-ecclesiastes-teaches-us-to-live-life-backward-it/) [David Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gibson/) > [At times is it seems that I am living my life backward, and that at the approach of old age my real youth will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/at-times-is-it-seems-that-i-am-living-my-life-backward-and-that-at/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Nobody gets to live life backward.look back,that is where your future lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nobody-gets-to-live-life-backward-look-back-that-is-where-your-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“humans live in a world where it’s words and not deeds that have power, where the ultimate skill is mastery of language.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/humans-live-in-a-world-where-it-s-words-and-not-deeds-that-have-power/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [“Words have to die if humans are to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/words-have-to-die-if-humans-are-to-live/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [Religions,languages,history's was made by humans to live with peace, comfort and prosperity not to fight and kill eachother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manjulavanya-ch/religions-languages-history-s-was-made-by-humans-to-live-with-peace/) Manjulavanya Ch > [Perhaps we humans are cosmic dwarfs; perhaps we are molecular giants. But there is no denying our mid-scale complexity. We humans live neither at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holmes-rolston-iii/perhaps-we-humans-are-cosmic-dwarfs-perhaps-we-are-molecular-giants/) [Holmes Rolston III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holmes-rolston-iii/) > [“If a Martian (who, we'll imagine, never dies except by accident) came to Earth and saw this peculiar race of creatures - these humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-feynman/if-a-martian-who-we-ll-imagine-never-dies-except-by-accident-came-to/) [Richard Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-feynman/) > [God designed humans to live in community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/god-designed-humans-to-live-in-community/) [Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/) > [“Many humans live their entire lives without questioning the ‘truths’ they’ve been told.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-reilly/many-humans-live-their-entire-lives-without-questioning-the-truths/) [Matthew Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-reilly/) > [“If humans can live for 100 years, why do companies die so young.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sukant-ratnakar/if-humans-can-live-for-100-years-why-do-companies-die-so-young/) [Sukant Ratnakar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sukant-ratnakar/) ## More by Angela Johnson > [which pisses her off and makes her scream and i look around my room and miss me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/which-pisses-her-off-and-makes-her-scream-and-i-look-around-my-room/) [Angela Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-johnson/) > [“I dont want to be anybody's mother. Im not done being a kid myself.Im way to young and so are you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/i-dont-want-to-be-anybody-s-mother-im-not-done-being-a-kid-myself-im/) [Angela Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-johnson/) > [“My life is like tofu—it's what gets added that makes it interesting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/my-life-is-like-tofu-it-s-what-gets-added-that-makes-it-interesting/) [Angela Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-johnson/) > [“And then I know I'm being a man, not just some kid who's upset and wants it his way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/and-then-i-know-i-m-being-a-man-not-just-some-kid-who-s-upset-and/) [Angela Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-johnson/) > [“All I can think is that I want her more than anything. I want her more than I've ever wanted anything, ever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/all-i-can-think-is-that-i-want-her-more-than-anything-i-want-her-more/) [Angela Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-johnson/) > [“Afterward I always kiss her, my baby, and look into her clear eyes that know everything about me, and want me to be her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/afterward-i-always-kiss-her-my-baby-and-look-into-her-clear-eyes-that/) [Angela Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-johnson/) > [Maybe his heart is searching for and not finding the place it used to live. I understand that because mine is searching and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/maybe-his-heart-is-searching-for-and-not-finding-the-place-it-used-to/) [Angela Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-johnson/) > [You don't have to know everything in the world. We aren't supposed to. It makes you boring in mixed company if you can't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/you-don-t-have-to-know-everything-in-the-world-we-aren-t-supposed-to/) [Angela Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-johnson/) > [“Damn. It's still the Midwest around here, no matter how many open-minded people you surround yourself with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/damn-it-s-still-the-midwest-around-here-no-matter-how-many-open/) [Angela Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-johnson/) [Explore all 10 Angela Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-johnson/) ## More Ends quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The end is nothing; the road is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-end-is-nothing-the-road-is-all/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Dating someone on the opposite end of the happy spectrum teaches you an incredible amount of patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/dating-someone-on-the-opposite-end-of-the-happy-spectrum-teaches-you/) [Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [At the end of night, before you close your eyes, be content with what you've done and be proud of who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/at-the-end-of-night-before-you-close-your-eyes-be-content-with-what/) [Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/) > [it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/it-is-the-brevity-of-life-which-makes-it-tolerable-its-experiences/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/believe-to-the-end-even-if-all-men-went-astray-and-you-were-left-the/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [When the amount of change externally exceeds the amount of change internally, the end is in sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/when-the-amount-of-change-externally-exceeds-the-amount-of-change/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The beginning of love is all about the butterflies, but the end of it is when you can't get out of bed in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/the-beginning-of-love-is-all-about-the-butterflies-but-the-end-of-it/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) Browse all 20,790 Ends quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They'd be all knowing in the beginning and innocent in the end...", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Angela Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/if-the-world-were-really-right-humans-would-live-life-backward-and-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ends" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/if-the-world-were-really-right-humans-would-live-life-backward-and-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2e/angela-johnson-42540_ends_if-the-world-were-really-right-humans-wo_2243219.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2e/angela-johnson-42540_ends_if-the-world-were-really-right-humans-wo_2243219.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2e/angela-johnson-42540_ends_if-the-world-were-really-right-humans-wo_2243219.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They'd be all…” — Angela Johnson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Angela Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If the world were really right,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/if-the-world-were-really-right-humans-would-live-life-backward-and-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-johnson/if-the-world-were-really-right-humans-would-live-life-backward-and-do/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```