---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And then, one Thursday, nearly two…"
description: "\"And then, one Thursday, nearly two thousand years after one man had been nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a c..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/douglas-adams-122_be-nice-to-people_and-then-one-thursday-nearly-two-thousan_650501.png"
---

#  And then, one Thursday, nearly two thousand years after…

![“And then, one Thursday, nearly two thousand years after one man had been nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a change, a girl sitting on her own in a small café in Rickmansworth suddenly realized what it was that had been going wrong all this time, and she…” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/douglas-adams-122_be-nice-to-people_and-then-one-thursday-nearly-two-thousan_650501.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/douglas-adams-122_be-nice-to-people_and-then-one-thursday-nearly-two-thousan_650501.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/douglas-adams-122_be-nice-to-people_and-then-one-thursday-nearly-two-thousan_650501.png)

> “And then, one Thursday, nearly two thousand years after one man had been nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a change, a girl sitting on her own in a small café in Rickmansworth suddenly realized what it was that had been going wrong all this time, and she finally knew how the world could be made a good and happy place. This time it was right, it would work, and no one would have to get nailed to anything.”

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A realization that kindness and simple good deeds can prevent suffering and create a happier world.

**In simple terms:** Kindness can fix big problems.

Key Takeaway

Practice everyday kindness.

Themes

kindness social responsibility humanism

Mood

hopeful reflective

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- community volunteering
- conflict resolution
- education reform
- mental health support

Key Concepts

ethical philosophy social change personal insight

Questions to Reflect On

- How can small acts of kindness lead to broader societal change?
- What obstacles prevent people from acting kindly?

A Different Perspective

May overlook systemic issues that require more than individual kindness.

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[Being nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-nice/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Happy place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-place/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nice people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-change/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) [Thursday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thursday/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [2,000 years ago one man got nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be if everyone was nice to each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/2-000-years-ago-one-man-got-nailed-to-a-tree-for-saying-how-great-it/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [I've always tried to be nice to people, so that sort of translates into popularity, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-richter/i-ve-always-tried-to-be-nice-to-people-so-that-sort-of-translates/)

[Andy Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-richter/)

> [“Be nice to people... maybe it'll be unappreciated, unreciprocated, or ignored, but spread the love anyway. We rise by lifting others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/be-nice-to-people-maybe-it-ll-be-unappreciated-unreciprocated-or/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [It doesn't cost nothing to be nice to people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/it-doesn-t-cost-nothing-to-be-nice-to-people/)

[Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/)

> [I wasn't raised Catholic; I just really like the image of a neutral and benign Mary floating around somewhere, being nice to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-wasn-t-raised-catholic-i-just-really-like-the-image-of-a-neutral/)

[Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/)

> [Just be nice to people and be someone people want to work with because if people don't like working with you it's just not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gigi-hadid/just-be-nice-to-people-and-be-someone-people-want-to-work-with/)

[Gigi Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gigi-hadid/)

> [“Be the girl you want your daughter to be. Be the girl you want your son to date. Be classy, be smart, be real,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/be-the-girl-you-want-your-daughter-to-be-be-the-girl-you-want-your/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [Be nice to people whether you mean it or not. You never know when a kind word can make a difference in another person’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-king/be-nice-to-people-whether-you-mean-it-or-not-you-never-know-when-a/)

[Cassandra King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-king/)

> [I don't have to be nice to people who are causing great damage to the nation...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bainimarama/i-don-t-have-to-be-nice-to-people-who-are-causing-great-damage-to-the/)

Frank Bainimarama

> [I think sometimes people forget how to be nice to people. I try not to let it get to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlyne-yi/i-think-sometimes-people-forget-how-to-be-nice-to-people-i-try-not-to/)

[Charlyne Yi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlyne-yi/)

> [To be nice to people and make them happy - that's my philosophy in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiromi/to-be-nice-to-people-and-make-them-happy-that-s-my-philosophy-in-life/)

[Hiromi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiromi/)

> [You should be nice to people because it's better to be nice to people than mean to people, not because you think there's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it-s-better-to-be-nice-to-people/)

[Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/)

> [Always be nice to people. Whatever, how bad they are to you. To show them you are not like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-tomlinson/always-be-nice-to-people-whatever-how-bad-they-are-to-you-to-show/)

[Louis Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-tomlinson/)

> [Being nice to people is, in fact, one of the incidental tenets of Christianity, as opposed to other religions whose tenets are more along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/being-nice-to-people-is-in-fact-one-of-the-incidental-tenets-of/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [To be loved, you have to be nice to people, everyday. But to be hated, you don't have to do squat!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/to-be-loved-you-have-to-be-nice-to-people-everyday-but-to-be-hated/)

[Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/)

## More by Douglas Adams

> [2,000 years ago one man got nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be if everyone was nice to each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/2-000-years-ago-one-man-got-nailed-to-a-tree-for-saying-how-great-it/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [What a wonderfully exciting cough,' said the little man, quite startled by it, 'do you mind if I join you?' And with that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-a-wonderfully-exciting-cough-said-the-little-man-quite-startled/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [The technology involved in making anything invisible is so infinitely complex that nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-technology-involved-in-making-anything-invisible-is-so-infinitely/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [One is never alone with a rubber duck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/one-is-never-alone-with-a-rubber-duck/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/this-must-be-thursday-i-never-could-get-the-hang-of-thursdays/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [There are some oddities in the perspective with which we see the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/there-are-some-oddities-in-the-perspective-with-which-we-see-the-world/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“Eight hours West sat a man alone on a beach mourning an inexplicable loss. He could only think of his loss in little packets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/eight-hours-west-sat-a-man-alone-on-a-beach-mourning-an-inexplicable/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“The Universe, the whole infinite Universe. The infinite suns, the infinite distances between them, and yourself an invisible dot on an invisible dot, infinitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-universe-the-whole-infinite-universe-the-infinite-suns-the/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [People always make this totally artificial distinction between what is commercial and what is good. They quote that maxim "Nobody ever lost money underestimating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/people-always-make-this-totally-artificial-distinction-between-what/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [Any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/any-man-who-can-hitch-the-length-and-breadth-of-the-galaxy-rough-it/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [ Does God know he \[exists\]?" "Of course he does. Otherwise, you could not have asked the question, and I could not have answered. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/does-god-know-he-exists-of-course-he-does-otherwise-you-could-not/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“When we told our guide that we didn't want to go to all the tourist places he took us instead to the places where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/when-we-told-our-guide-that-we-didn-t-want-to-go-to-all-the-tourist/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“But Douglas was a genius, because he saw the world differently, and more importantly, he could communicate the world he saw.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/but-douglas-was-a-genius-because-he-saw-the-world-differently-and/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“The bits which did mean anything were often so wonderfully buried that no one could ever spot them slipping past in the avalanche of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-bits-which-did-mean-anything-were-often-so-wonderfully-buried/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [You come to me for advice, but you can't cope with anything you don't recognize. Hmmm. So we'll have to tell you something you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-come-to-me-for-advice-but-you-can-t-cope-with-anything-you-don-t/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

[Explore all 1,168 Douglas Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

## More Be nice to people quotes

> [Being nice to people is, in fact, one of the incidental tenets of Christianity, as opposed to other religions whose tenets are more along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/being-nice-to-people-is-in-fact-one-of-the-incidental-tenets-of/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [Always be nice to people. Whatever, how bad they are to you. To show them you are not like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-tomlinson/always-be-nice-to-people-whatever-how-bad-they-are-to-you-to-show/)

[Louis Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-tomlinson/)

> [You should be nice to people because it's better to be nice to people than mean to people, not because you think there's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schur/you-should-be-nice-to-people-because-it-s-better-to-be-nice-to-people/)

[Michael Schur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schur/)

> [In Texas, you just learn just be nice to people and respect them, and respect where they're coming from. And understand people have different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-spieth/in-texas-you-just-learn-just-be-nice-to-people-and-respect-them-and/)

[Jordan Spieth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-spieth/)

> [I'm so sick of immaturity, of name-calling, of labels, of gossip, of high school. It doesn't make sense anymore, and I find myself being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-chanel/i-m-so-sick-of-immaturity-of-name-calling-of-labels-of-gossip-of-high/)

[Coco Chanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-chanel/)

> [To be nice to people and make them happy - that's my philosophy in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiromi/to-be-nice-to-people-and-make-them-happy-that-s-my-philosophy-in-life/)

[Hiromi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiromi/)

> [I think sometimes people forget how to be nice to people. I try not to let it get to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlyne-yi/i-think-sometimes-people-forget-how-to-be-nice-to-people-i-try-not-to/)

[Charlyne Yi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlyne-yi/)

> [I don't have to be nice to people who are causing great damage to the nation...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bainimarama/i-don-t-have-to-be-nice-to-people-who-are-causing-great-damage-to-the/)

Frank Bainimarama

> [She was plain and far from skinny or petite. As for parties...she'd rather be alone in a corner somewhere reading. She hated being nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/she-was-plain-and-far-from-skinny-or-petite-as-for-parties-she-d/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [Be nice to people whether you mean it or not. You never know when a kind word can make a difference in another person’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-king/be-nice-to-people-whether-you-mean-it-or-not-you-never-know-when-a/)

[Cassandra King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-king/)

> [“The most attractive thing about you should have less to do with your face or body and more to do with your attitude and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/the-most-attractive-thing-about-you-should-have-less-to-do-with-your/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [I learned that you should breath it in, breath your life in and enjoy it. Always be optimistic and be nice to people, open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stana-katic/i-learned-that-you-should-breath-it-in-breath-your-life-in-and-enjoy/)

[Stana Katic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stana-katic/)

> [“Be the girl you want your daughter to be. Be the girl you want your son to date. Be classy, be smart, be real,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/be-the-girl-you-want-your-daughter-to-be-be-the-girl-you-want-your/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [Just be nice to people and be someone people want to work with because if people don't like working with you it's just not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gigi-hadid/just-be-nice-to-people-and-be-someone-people-want-to-work-with/)

[Gigi Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gigi-hadid/)

> [I wasn't raised Catholic; I just really like the image of a neutral and benign Mary floating around somewhere, being nice to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-wasn-t-raised-catholic-i-just-really-like-the-image-of-a-neutral/)

[Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/)

Browse all 28 Be nice to people quotes

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