Centre Quote by Douglas Adams
![“It takes a long time before we really get to grips with this [Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species'] and begin to understand it, because not only does it seem incredible and thoroughly demeaning to us, but it's yet another shock to our system to discover that not only are we not the centre of the…” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/32b/douglas-adams-122_centre_it-takes-a-long-time-before-we-really-ge_1508473.jpg)
“It takes a long time before we really get to grips with this [Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species'] and begin to understand it, because not only does it seem incredible and thoroughly demeaning to us, but it's yet another shock to our system to discover that not only are we not the centre of the Universe and we're not made by anything, but we started out as some kind of slime and got to where we are via being a monkey. It just doesn't read well.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Radio Interview, 1995
Understanding evolution challenges human ego, revealing we are not central or purposefully created, but emerged from simple origins, which can feel unsettling.
In simple terms: Evolution shows we’re not the universe’s focus, but evolved from simple life.
Key Takeaway
Accept humility and scientific truth.
Themes
science
humility
existence
Mood
thoughtful
introspective
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- education
- personal worldview
- science communication
Key Concepts
evolution
anthropic principle
cosmic perspective
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this perspective change your view of humanity?
- What emotional response does this provoke?
A Different Perspective
The complexity of evolutionary theory can be hard to grasp for many.
![“I expect to think that I would rather be author of your book [The Origin of Species] than of any other on Nat. Hist. Science. [Letter to Charles Darwin 12 Dec 1859]” quote by Joseph Dalton Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c5d/joseph-dalton-hooker-39139_author_i-expect-to-think-that-i-would-rather-be_3090262.jpg)
![“Does God know he [exists]?" "Of course he does. Otherwise, you could not have asked the question, and I could not have answered.” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a21/douglas-adams-122_courses_does-god-know-he-exists-of-course-he-doe_26187.jpg)
![“[The Utopia of Rules] should offer a challenge to us all. Should we just accept this bureaucracy as inevitable? Or is there a way to get rid of all those hours spent listening to bad call-centre music? Do policemen, academics, teachers and doctors really need to spend half their time filling in…” quote by Gillian Tett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/223/gillian-tett-57286_accepting_the-utopia-of-rules-should-offer-a-chall_39418.jpg)
