--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anticipating the end of the world is…" description: "\"Anticipating the end of the world is humanity's oldest passtime\" — David Mitchell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0e/david-mitchell-264_apocalypse_anticipating-the-end-of-the-world-is-hum_285924.jpg" --- # Anticipating the end of the world is humanity's oldest… ![“Anticipating the end of the world is humanity's oldest passtime” quote by David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0e/david-mitchell-264_apocalypse_anticipating-the-end-of-the-world-is-hum_285924.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0e/david-mitchell-264_apocalypse_anticipating-the-end-of-the-world-is-hum_285924.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0e/david-mitchell-264_apocalypse_anticipating-the-end-of-the-world-is-hum_285924.jpg) > “Anticipating the end of the world is humanity's oldest passtime” [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humanity has long been fascinated with apocalyptic scenarios, reflecting both fear and curiosity about our future. **In simple terms:** People are obsessed with end‑of‑world ideas. Key Takeaway Consider how this fascination shapes our choices. Themes existential future culture fear curiosity Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - media analysis - philosophical discussions - creative writing Key Concepts apocalypse myth psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does this obsession reveal about our values? - How might it influence policy? A Different Perspective It can distract from addressing present challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anticipating End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anticipating-end-2762813/) [Apocalypse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apocalypse/) [End of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-the-world/) [End World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-world-244230/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humanity Oldest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity-oldest-2762811/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Oldest Passtime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oldest-passtime-2762812/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Anticipating the end of the world is humanity's oldest pastime”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/anticipating-the-end-of-the-world-is-humanity-s-oldest-pastime/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [It does sound like a science fiction story and I may sound like one of these guys who walks up and down with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lembit-pik/it-does-sound-like-a-science-fiction-story-and-i-may-sound-like-one/) [Lembit Opik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lembit-pik/) > [until the end of the world,all whys will be answered,but now,you can only ask!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/until-the-end-of-the-world-all-whys-will-be-answered-but-now-you-can/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) > [One Whitman is miracle enough, and when he comes again it will be the end of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/one-whitman-is-miracle-enough-and-when-he-comes-again-it-will-be-the/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [You may miss the end of the world, but you definitely are going to have a front row seat for the end of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/you-may-miss-the-end-of-the-world-but-you-definitely-are-going-to/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [P-b-b-b-blease! Don't get bent out of shape! It's not like it's the end of the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rabbit/p-b-b-b-blease-don-t-get-bent-out-of-shape-it-s-not-like-it-s-the-end/) [Roger Rabbit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rabbit/) > [“This is what the beginning of the end of the world will look like”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/this-is-what-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-world-will-look-like/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [The book I'm looking for,' says the blurred figure, who holds out a volume similar to yours, 'is the one that gives the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/the-book-i-m-looking-for-says-the-blurred-figure-who-holds-out-a/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“Cock of the Rock: so what if i don’t know what apocalypse means!!! it’s not like it’s the end of the world! Tsukishima: i…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/powerhh/cock-of-the-rock-so-what-if-i-don-t-know-what-apocalypse-means-it-s/) [Powerhh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/powerhh/) > [Do not expect too much of the end of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/do-not-expect-too-much-of-the-end-of-the-world/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [“That’s the thing about the End of the World. It doesn’t send out Save the Date cards before it destroys everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-meyers/that-s-the-thing-about-the-end-of-the-world-it-doesn-t-send-out-save/) [Jessica Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-meyers/) > [The awkward moment when you predict the end of the world and nothing happens :P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-awkward-moment-when-you-predict-the-end-of-the-world-and-nothing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“People have always been good at imagining the end of the world, which is much easier to picture than the strange sidelong paths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/people-have-always-been-good-at-imagining-the-end-of-the-world-which/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Funerals and weddings were commonplace, and nothing could have been so interesting to them as the coming of the end of the world ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-eggleston/funerals-and-weddings-were-commonplace-and-nothing-could-have-been-so/) [Edward Eggleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-eggleston/) > [The end of the world begins the moment you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/the-end-of-the-world-begins-the-moment-you-die/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) ## More by David Mitchell > [“In the next room a freckly girl Julia's age sat in a wheelchair. One of her legs wasn't there. She'd probably love to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/in-the-next-room-a-freckly-girl-julia-s-age-sat-in-a-wheelchair-one/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“I envied my uncritical, unthinking sisters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/i-envied-my-uncritical-unthinking-sisters/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“... Ethical cyberexplorers are responsible, yeah? We are friendly ghosts in the machine, not poltergeists or hooligans. We are a growing breed. Over sixty-five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/ethical-cyberexplorers-are-responsible-yeah-we-are-friendly-ghosts-in/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“I succumbed. Late-fifteenth-century verb, Old French succomber or Latin succumbere, but a basic necessity of the human condition, especially mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/i-succumbed-late-fifteenth-century-verb-old-french-succomber-or-latin/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [Your environment affects you wherever you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/your-environment-affects-you-wherever-you-are/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“The second tunnel’s a Ministry of Defence tunnel...dug for a nuclear bomb shelter. 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That's trombonists for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/only-the-trombonist-played-on-that-s-trombonists-for-you/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [War's an auction where whoever can pay the most in damage and still be standing wins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/war-s-an-auction-where-whoever-can-pay-the-most-in-damage-and-still/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [The human world is made of stories, not people. The people the stories use to tell themselves are not to be blamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/the-human-world-is-made-of-stories-not-people-the-people-the-stories/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [So little is actually worthy of belief or disbelief. Better to strive to coexist than seek to disapprove . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/so-little-is-actually-worthy-of-belief-or-disbelief-better-to-strive/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [I elbowed my way into the grubby café, bought a pie that tasted of shoe polish and a pot of tea with cork crumbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/i-elbowed-my-way-into-the-grubby-caf-bought-a-pie-that-tasted-of-shoe/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“A classical LP was playing... ... Jealous and sweet, this music was, sobbing and gorgeous, muddy and crystal. 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There is hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/if-it-makes-you-feel-any-better-this-isn-t-my-first-apocalypse-there/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Funerals and weddings were commonplace, and nothing could have been so interesting to them as the coming of the end of the world ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-eggleston/funerals-and-weddings-were-commonplace-and-nothing-could-have-been-so/) [Edward Eggleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-eggleston/) > [“The world did not end with a bang, nor did it end with a whimper. It was more of a chomp. And a slurp.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-rudolph/the-world-did-not-end-with-a-bang-nor-did-it-end-with-a-whimper-it/) [J. Rudolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-rudolph/) > [Nuclear apocalypse-who do you need? Actors are probably not top of the list. What can I do for you? I can pretend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-bale/nuclear-apocalypse-who-do-you-need-actors-are-probably-not-top-of-the/) [Christian Bale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-bale/) > [“It was a comfortable, familiar apocalypse,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-barnes/it-was-a-comfortable-familiar-apocalypse/) [Adrian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-barnes/) > [In the New Testament alone there are Gospels, acts, epistles, and an apocalypse. Gospels contain literary forms like miracles, parables, pronouncements, proverbs, farewell discourses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-blomberg/in-the-new-testament-alone-there-are-gospels-acts-epistles-and-an/) [Craig Blomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-blomberg/) > [The day came. The wrath descended. Sin, guilt, and retribution? 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