--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know what cancer was. How is it like…" description: "\"I know what cancer was. How is it like humankind?\" Sek Hardeen's perfectly modulated, softly accented tones showed a hint of agitation. \"We have spread..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/dan-simmons-968_agitation_i-know-what-cancer-was-how-is-it-like-hu_1670752.jpg" --- # I know what cancer was. How is it like humankind?" Sek… ![“I know what cancer was. How is it like humankind?" Sek Hardeen's perfectly modulated, softly accented tones showed a hint of agitation. "We have spread out through the galaxy like cancer cells through a living body, Duré. We multiply without thought to the countless life forms that must die or be…” quote by Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/dan-simmons-968_agitation_i-know-what-cancer-was-how-is-it-like-hu_1670752.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/dan-simmons-968_agitation_i-know-what-cancer-was-how-is-it-like-hu_1670752.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/dan-simmons-968_agitation_i-know-what-cancer-was-how-is-it-like-hu_1670752.jpg) > “I know what cancer was. How is it like humankind?" Sek Hardeen's perfectly modulated, softly accented tones showed a hint of agitation. "We have spread out through the galaxy like cancer cells through a living body, Duré. We multiply without thought to the countless life forms that must die or be pushed aside so that we may breed and flourish. We eradicate competing forms of intelligent life.” [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humanity spreads through the galaxy unchecked, likened to cancer that consumes and eliminates other life forms to ensure its own survival. **In simple terms:** Human expansion is ruthless and destructive. Key Takeaway Consider ethical limits of expansion. Themes expansion ethics survival conflict Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical speculative When to use this quote - space colonization - environmental policy - technological growth Key Concepts colonialism ecological impact Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities accompany progress? - Can growth be sustainable? A Different Perspective Assumes all expansion is harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agitation/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Cancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer/) [Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) [Galaxy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/galaxy/) [Humankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humankind/) [Intelligent life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligent-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Superiority complex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superiority-complex/) [Tone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tone/) ## Related quotes > [Depression is such a cruel punishment. There are no fevers, no rashes, no blood tests to send people scurrying in concern. Just the slow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-manning/depression-is-such-a-cruel-punishment-there-are-no-fevers-no-rashes/) [Martha Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-manning/) > [The Bucket List is a movie about two old codgers who are nothing like people, both suffering from cancer that is nothing like cancer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/the-bucket-list-is-a-movie-about-two-old-codgers-who-are-nothing-like/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Oh, I don't know. I might grow on you." She furrowed her pretty eyebrows. "Like a cancer?" "Like a favorite vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/oh-i-don-t-know-i-might-grow-on-you-she-furrowed-her-pretty-eyebrows/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [A society that destroys the environment that supports it, I would not consider to be intelligent life. It's like the cancer that ultimately kills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-society-that-destroys-the-environment-that-supports-it-i-would-not/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [One of the pitfalls about writing about illness is that it is very easy to imagine people with cancer as either these wise-beyond-their-years creatures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/one-of-the-pitfalls-about-writing-about-illness-is-that-it-is-very/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Be big enough to offer the truth to people and if it short circuits them I think that's tragic. I think that's sad but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/be-big-enough-to-offer-the-truth-to-people-and-if-it-short-circuits/) [Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/) > [Cancer is like the common cold; there are so many different types. In the future we'll still have cancer, but we'll detect it very,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/cancer-is-like-the-common-cold-there-are-so-many-different-types-in/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [Cancer's like the ultimate excuse. Who's gonna say, 'Oh, no, you have to show up for this one?' 'Hey, I got cancer. I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-etheridge/cancer-s-like-the-ultimate-excuse-who-s-gonna-say-oh-no-you-have-to/) [Melissa Etheridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-etheridge/) > [“Cancer will be like that, I tell Marla. There will be mistakes, and maybe the point is not to forget the rest of yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/cancer-will-be-like-that-i-tell-marla-there-will-be-mistakes-and/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [One of the pitfalls of writing about illness is that it is very easy to imagine people with cancer as either these wise, beyond-their-years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/one-of-the-pitfalls-of-writing-about-illness-is-that-it-is-very-easy/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I took on cancer like I take on everything - like a mission and a job to accomplish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-taylor-wood/i-took-on-cancer-like-i-take-on-everything-like-a-mission-and-a-job/) [Sam Taylor-Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-taylor-wood/) > [Breast cancer, whether I like it or not, is part of my family's story. That's why I am so passionate about raising awareness, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deangelo-williams/breast-cancer-whether-i-like-it-or-not-is-part-of-my-family-s-story/) [DeAngelo Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deangelo-williams/) > [You hear about people your whole life, 'So-and-so has cancer,' and you're like, 'Wow, that's too bad,' and then most people tend to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-owen/you-hear-about-people-your-whole-life-so-and-so-has-cancer-and-you-re/) [Jake Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-owen/) > [I've worked since I was 11 years old, playing music and following the dream, and shaking and moving and doing it. And then, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-etheridge/i-ve-worked-since-i-was-11-years-old-playing-music-and-following-the/) [Melissa Etheridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-etheridge/) > [“Instantly, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I didn't know exactly what I was feeling, but my buddy JD - my best man, whom I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-bishop/instantly-i-was-overwhelmed-with-gratitude-i-didn-t-know-exactly-what/) [Bryan Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-bishop/) ## More by Dan Simmons > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“The Song of Kali is with us. It has been with us for a very long time. Its chorus grows and grows and grows.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/the-song-of-kali-is-with-us-it-has-been-with-us-for-a-very-long-time/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In the end, thought Sol, past logic and hope, it is dreams and the love of those dearest to us that form Abraham’s answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/in-the-end-thought-sol-past-logic-and-hope-it-is-dreams-and-the-love/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“After seven centuries of existence and at least four centuries where few citizens existed without it, the datasphere – including the All Thing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/after-seven-centuries-of-existence-and-at-least-four-centuries-where/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Context is to data what water is to a dolphin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/context-is-to-data-what-water-is-to-a-dolphin/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Pain is an interesting and off-putting thing. Few if any things in life concentrate our attention so completely and terribly, and few things are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/pain-is-an-interesting-and-off-putting-thing-few-if-any-things-in/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Luckily, even as a young man not yet become himself, John Bridgens had two things besides indecision that kept him from self-destruction - books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/luckily-even-as-a-young-man-not-yet-become-himself-john-bridgens-had/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“To be a poet, I realized, a true poet, was to become the Avatar of humanity incarnate; to accept the mantle of poet is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/to-be-a-poet-i-realized-a-true-poet-was-to-become-the-avatar-of/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Those who ignore history's lessons in the ultimate folly of war are forced to do more than relive them ... they may be forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/those-who-ignore-history-s-lessons-in-the-ultimate-folly-of-war-are/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“The day before the Queen's Ball, Father had a visitor--a very young girl with literary aspirations, someone Lord Lytton had recommended visit Father and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/the-day-before-the-queen-s-ball-father-had-a-visitor-a-very-young/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [You've probably heard about the theory of steam-engine time - that even after the steam engine had been invented, it had to wait until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/you-ve-probably-heard-about-the-theory-of-steam-engine-time-that-even/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER MISUSE OF THIS CHANNEL. YOU ARE DISTURBING OTHERS WHO ARE USING IT TO SERIOUS PURPOSE. ACCESS WILL BE RESTORED…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/there-will-be-no-further-misuse-of-this-channel-you-are-disturbing/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“I know the fucking Bible, and there ain't no fucking Book of Leviathan.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/i-know-the-fucking-bible-and-there-ain-t-no-fucking-book-of-leviathan/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [I loved you backward and forward in time. I loved you beyond boundaries of time and space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/i-loved-you-backward-and-forward-in-time-i-loved-you-beyond/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [ “Men who read a lot have a more sensitive disposition, added Fowler. \[...\] I did not know what to say to this. Maybe reading… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/men-who-read-a-lot-have-a-more-sensitive-disposition-added-fowler-i/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) [Explore all 307 Dan Simmons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) ## More Agitation quotes > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Indifference is harder to fight than hostility, and there is nothing that kills an agitation like having everybody admit that it is fundamentally right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-eastman/indifference-is-harder-to-fight-than-hostility-and-there-is-nothing/) [Crystal Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-eastman/) > [...the Government must not think that they can stop this agitation. It will go on...We are here not because we are law-breakers; we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmeline-pankhurst/the-government-must-not-think-that-they-can-stop-this-agitation-it/) [Emmeline Pankhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmeline-pankhurst/) > [This position is untenable, and there can be no pause in the agitation for full political power and responsibility until these are granted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-kelley/this-position-is-untenable-and-there-can-be-no-pause-in-the-agitation/) [Florence Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-kelley/) > [“It is unworthy of great spirits to spread abroad the agitation they feel”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-unworthy-of-great-spirits-to-spread-abroad-the-agitation-they/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“If lies comfort, and truth disturbs - self is being agitated as a result of prideful living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-f-hodge/if-lies-comfort-and-truth-disturbs-self-is-being-agitated-as-a-result/) [T.F. Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-f-hodge/) > [We too are called to withdraw at certain intervals into deeper silence and aloneness with God, together as a community as well as personally;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/we-too-are-called-to-withdraw-at-certain-intervals-into-deeper/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [The wisest among my race understand that agitations of social equality is the extremist folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all privileges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/the-wisest-among-my-race-understand-that-agitations-of-social/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [“Mirabeau: “If you have been told to clear us from this hall, you must ask for orders to use force. We shall leave our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/mirabeau-if-you-have-been-told-to-clear-us-from-this-hall-you-must/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [Agitation is that part of our intellectual life where vitality results; there ideas are born, breed and bring forth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-edward-woodberry/agitation-is-that-part-of-our-intellectual-life-where-vitality/) [George Edward Woodberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-edward-woodberry/) > [It is not proper to project our feelings onto things or to attribute our own sensations and passions to them. Can it also be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/it-is-not-proper-to-project-our-feelings-onto-things-or-to-attribute/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Agitation is all about poetry, governance is all about prose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jairam-ramesh/agitation-is-all-about-poetry-governance-is-all-about-prose/) [Jairam Ramesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jairam-ramesh/) > [Wherever capitalism appears, in pursuit of its mission of exploitation, there will Socialism, fertilized by misery, watered by tears, and vitalized by agitation be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-debs/wherever-capitalism-appears-in-pursuit-of-its-mission-of-exploitation/) [Eugene V. Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-debs/) > [Patience takes courage. It is not an ideal state of calm. In fact, when we practice patience we will see our agitation far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/patience-takes-courage-it-is-not-an-ideal-state-of-calm-in-fact-when/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [Every day I observe more and more the folly of judging of others by ourselves; and I have so much trouble with myself, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/every-day-i-observe-more-and-more-the-folly-of-judging-of-others-by/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) [Browse all 173 Agitation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agitation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know what cancer was. How is it like humankind?\" Sek Hardeen's perfectly modulated, softly accented tones showed a hint of agitation. \"We have spread out through the galaxy like cancer cells through a living body, Duré. 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