--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Aorist rods were devices used in a now…" description: "\"“Aorist rods were devices used in a now happily abandoned form of energy production. When the hunt for new sources of energy had at one point got parti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/ann-vandermeer-55259_quote_aorist-rods-were-devices-used-in-a-now-h_1468778.jpg" --- # Aorist rods were devices used in a now happily abandoned… ![“Aorist rods were devices used in a now happily abandoned form of energy production. When the hunt for new sources of energy had at one point got particularly frantic, one bright young chap suddenly spotted that one place which had never used up all its available energy was – the past. And with the…” quote by Ann VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/ann-vandermeer-55259_quote_aorist-rods-were-devices-used-in-a-now-h_1468778.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/ann-vandermeer-55259_quote_aorist-rods-were-devices-used-in-a-now-h_1468778.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f0/ann-vandermeer-55259_quote_aorist-rods-were-devices-used-in-a-now-h_1468778.jpg) > ““Aorist rods were devices used in a now happily abandoned form of energy production. When the hunt for new sources of energy had at one point got particularly frantic, one bright young chap suddenly spotted that one place which had never used up all its available energy was – the past. And with the sudden rush of blood to the head that such insights tend to induce, he invented a way of mining it that very same night, and within a year huge tracts of the past were being drained of all their energy and simply wasting away. Those who claimed that the past should be left unspoilt were accused of indulging in an extremely expensive form of sentimentality. The past provided a very cheap, plentiful, and clean source of energy, there could always be a few Natural Past Reserves set up if anyone wanted to pay for their upkeep, and as for the claim that draining the past impoverished the present, well, maybe it did, slightly, but the effects were immeasurable and you really had to keep a sense of proportion. It was only when it was realised that the present really was being impoverished, and that the reason for it was that those selfish plundering wastrel bastards up in the future were doing exactly the same thing, that everyone realised that every single aorist rod, and the terrible secret of how they were made, would have to be utterly and forever destroyed.”” [Ann VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-vandermeer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A society exploits the past as an energy source, ignoring moral costs until future generations repeat the exploitation, leading to a need to destroy the technology. **In simple terms:** People misuse history for profit, causing harm across time. Key Takeaway Consider long‑term impacts before exploiting resources. Themes ethics resource exploitation time environment technology Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical warning When to use this quote - energy policy - corporate decision - historical preservation - future planning Key Concepts sustainability intergenerational justice historical memory Questions to Reflect On - What are the hidden costs of using past resources? - How can we balance progress with preservation? A Different Perspective The solution may be impractical without societal change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“When the hunt for new sources of energy had at one point got particularly frantic, one bright young chap suddenly spotted that one place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/when-the-hunt-for-new-sources-of-energy-had-at-one-point-got/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [The past is the past. We're not going to spend energy on the past, because it's going to detract from us going forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-glazer/the-past-is-the-past-we-re-not-going-to-spend-energy-on-the-past/) [Joel Glazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-glazer/) > [Obama is a clown. 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If you grasp a fisherman at the thick end, you may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-zern/most-fishing-rods-work-better-if-you-grasp-them-at-the-thick-end-if/) [Ed Zern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-zern/) > [I built a lot of hot rods and stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-braidwood/i-built-a-lot-of-hot-rods-and-stuff/) Tom Braidwood ## More by Ann VanderMeer > [“There is no “makes sense” in the universal sense – that is to say, criticizing a time travel story because its rules do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-vandermeer/there-is-no-makes-sense-in-the-universal-sense-that-is-to-say/) [Ann VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-vandermeer/) > [“Because the truth is, fiction is one of the most effective time travel machines in the universe and always has been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-vandermeer/because-the-truth-is-fiction-is-one-of-the-most-effective-time-travel/) [Ann VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-vandermeer/) > [“When we’re talking about whether or not a story’s “time travel logic” makes sense, it is important to remember that every story builds its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-vandermeer/when-we-re-talking-about-whether-or-not-a-story-s-time-travel-logic/) [Ann VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-vandermeer/) > [“Story is our only boat for sailing on the river of time, but in the great rapids and the winding shallows, no boat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-vandermeer/story-is-our-only-boat-for-sailing-on-the-river-of-time-but-in-the/) [Ann VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-vandermeer/) > [“Because there was only one thing worse than dying. 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And with the sudden rush of blood to the head that such insights tend to induce, he invented a way of mining it that very same night, and within a year huge tracts of the past were being drained of all their energy and simply wasting away. Those who claimed that the past should be left unspoilt were accused of indulging in an extremely expensive form of sentimentality. The past provided a very cheap, plentiful, and clean source of energy, there could always be a few Natural Past Reserves set up if anyone wanted to pay for their upkeep, and as for the claim that draining the past impoverished the present, well, maybe it did, slightly, but the effects were immeasurable and you really had to keep a sense of proportion. 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