--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: we were all going direct to Heaven, we…" description: "\"“we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way— in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/charles-dickens-34_heaven_we-were-all-going-direct-to-heaven-we-we_596082.jpg" --- # we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going… ![“we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way— in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/charles-dickens-34_heaven_we-were-all-going-direct-to-heaven-we-we_596082.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/charles-dickens-34_heaven_we-were-all-going-direct-to-heaven-we-we_596082.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/charles-dickens-34_heaven_we-were-all-going-direct-to-heaven-we-we_596082.jpg) > ““we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way— in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”” [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dickens compares his era’s moral extremes to the present, noting that both extremes are often exaggerated by authoritative voices. **In simple terms:** Past and present share exaggerated moral judgments. Key Takeaway Recognize nuanced truths beyond extremes. Themes history morality exaggeration authority comparison Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - political discourse - media analysis - education - personal reflection Key Concepts Historical relativism social critique Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance moral judgments? - What role do authorities play in shaping perception? A Different Perspective Exaggerated claims can obscure genuine issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Throne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/throne/) ## Related quotes > [“us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way— in short, the period was so far like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/us-we-were-all-going-direct-to-heaven-we-were-all-going-direct-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“were all going direct the other way— in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/were-all-going-direct-the-other-way-in-short-the-period-was-so-far/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I'm going to be direct with the players. If they don't like it, then I'm sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-moyes/i-m-going-to-be-direct-with-the-players-if-they-don-t-like-it-then-i/) [David Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-moyes/) > [I don't want to say I'm never going to direct again, but directing's hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-chandler/i-don-t-want-to-say-i-m-never-going-to-direct-again-but-directing-s/) [Kyle Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-chandler/) > [I'm kind of an all-in person. If I'm going to direct I'm going to take the challenge on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mastras/i-m-kind-of-an-all-in-person-if-i-m-going-to-direct-i-m-going-to-take/) George Mastras > [This is where the world is going: direct access from anywhere to any type of data, whether it's a small piece of data or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasso-plattner/this-is-where-the-world-is-going-direct-access-from-anywhere-to-any/) [Hasso Plattner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasso-plattner/) > [I was always going to direct. I wasn't going to hand my characters over to anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/i-was-always-going-to-direct-i-wasn-t-going-to-hand-my-characters/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [I like to direct the same way that I like to be directed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/i-like-to-direct-the-same-way-that-i-like-to-be-directed/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [God will direct your way even when you may think there is no way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/god-will-direct-your-way-even-when-you-may-think-there-is-no-way/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A man should first direct himself in the way he should go. Only then should he instruct others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-should-first-direct-himself-in-the-way-he-should-go-only-then/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Writing is always personal in some way but not always in a direct way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-vega/writing-is-always-personal-in-some-way-but-not-always-in-a-direct-way/) [Suzanne Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-vega/) > [I think the most clear, direct way to empowerment is to really know yourself and to really use your voice and to not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-think-the-most-clear-direct-way-to-empowerment-is-to-really-know/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [“For political and social as well as for military reasons the preferred way of bringing about victory was the shortest, most direct way, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/for-political-and-social-as-well-as-for-military-reasons-the/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [I have to come out of the closet of the third person and speak in a more direct way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/i-have-to-come-out-of-the-closet-of-the-third-person-and-speak-in-a/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [“A Spiritual Warrior looks for the most efficient and effective way to accomplish something -- the most direct way is a living truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roger/a-spiritual-warrior-looks-for-the-most-efficient-and-effective-way-to/) John-Roger ## More by Charles Dickens > [“All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself. Surely a curious thing. That I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/all-other-swindlers-upon-earth-are-nothing-to-the-self-swindlers-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-can-be-no-disparity-in-marriage-like-unsuitability-of-mind-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [A new heart for a New Year, always!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-new-heart-for-a-new-year-always/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mrs-joe-was-a-very-clean-housekeeper-but-had-an-exquisite-art-of/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-seems-a-magic-in-the-very-name-of-christmas/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“evening, they began to think that although he could never hope to be an Englishman, still it would be hard to visit that affliction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/evening-they-began-to-think-that-although-he-could-never-hope-to-be/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Besides which, all that I could have said of the Story to any purpose, I had endeavoured to say in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/besides-which-all-that-i-could-have-said-of-the-story-to-any-purpose/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The wheels rolled on, and rolled down by the Monument, and by the Tower; and by the Docks; down by Ratcliffe, and by Rotherhithe;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-wheels-rolled-on-and-rolled-down-by-the-monument-and-by-the-tower/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The three customers pulled off their hats to Madame Defarge, with three flourishes. She acknowledged their homage by bending her head, and giving them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-three-customers-pulled-off-their-hats-to-madame-defarge-with/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mr. Pickwick was a philosopher, but philosophers are only men in armour, after all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mr-pickwick-was-a-philosopher-but-philosophers-are-only-men-in-armour/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) [Explore all 2,309 Charles Dickens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## More Heaven quotes > [Heaven lies around us in our infancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/heaven-lies-around-us-in-our-infancy/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe that on any trip to heaven, there are always detours through hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-finney/i-believe-that-on-any-trip-to-heaven-there-are-always-detours-through/) [Richard Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-finney/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/every-saved-person-this-side-of-heaven-owes-the-gospel-to-every-lost/) [David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/) > [When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the path way to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-you-have-accomplished-your-goal-simply-walk-away-this-is-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [By the time you have no difficulties in your life, you have achieved Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brown/by-the-time-you-have-no-difficulties-in-your-life-you-have-achieved/) [Charles Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brown/) > [I'm what is known as gradually disintegrating. I don't fear the next world, or anything. I don't fear hell, and I don't look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/i-m-what-is-known-as-gradually-disintegrating-i-don-t-fear-the-next/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I do not want a kingdom, or heaven; what I want is to remove the trouble of the oppressed, the poor, and the needy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-a-kingdom-or-heaven-what-i-want-is-to-remove-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“God is the highest good of the reasonable creature, and the enjoyment of him is the only happiness with which our souls can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/god-is-the-highest-good-of-the-reasonable-creature-and-the-enjoyment/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [“The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. Behind him stretched the illimitable continent of heaven, steeped in a glory of light and color; before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-creator-sat-upon-the-throne-thinking-behind-him-stretched-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) [Browse all 9,540 Heaven quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way— in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Dickens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/we-were-all-going-direct-to-heaven-we-were-all-going-direct-the-other/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Heaven" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/we-were-all-going-direct-to-heaven-we-were-all-going-direct-the-other/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/charles-dickens-34_heaven_we-were-all-going-direct-to-heaven-we-we_596082.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/charles-dickens-34_heaven_we-were-all-going-direct-to-heaven-we-we_596082.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/charles-dickens-34_heaven_we-were-all-going-direct-to-heaven-we-we_596082.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way— in short, the period was so far…” — Charles Dickens", "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": "Charles Dickens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“we were all going direct to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/we-were-all-going-direct-to-heaven-we-were-all-going-direct-the-other/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/we-were-all-going-direct-to-heaven-we-were-all-going-direct-the-other/#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 } } ] } ```