--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Come on,” he droned, “I’ve been ordered…" description: "\"Come on,” he droned, “I’ve been ordered to take you down to the bridge. Here I am, brain the size of a planet and they ask me to take you down to the b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/douglas-adams-122_air_come-on-he-droned-i-ve-been-ordered-to-t_813526.png" --- # Come on,” he droned, “I’ve been ordered to take you down… ![“Come on,” he droned, “I’ve been ordered to take you down to the bridge. Here I am, brain the size of a planet and they ask me to take you down to the bridge. Call that job satisfaction? ’Cos I don’t.” He turned and walked back to the hated door. “Er, excuse me,” said Ford following after him…” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/douglas-adams-122_air_come-on-he-droned-i-ve-been-ordered-to-t_813526.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/douglas-adams-122_air_come-on-he-droned-i-ve-been-ordered-to-t_813526.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/douglas-adams-122_air_come-on-he-droned-i-ve-been-ordered-to-t_813526.png) > “Come on,” he droned, “I’ve been ordered to take you down to the bridge. Here I am, brain the size of a planet and they ask me to take you down to the bridge. Call that job satisfaction? ’Cos I don’t.” He turned and walked back to the hated door. “Er, excuse me,” said Ford following after him, “which government owns this ship?” Marvin ignored him. “You watch this door,” he muttered, “it’s about to open again. I can tell by the intolerable air of smugness it suddenly generates.” [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 bureaucratic, absurd task highlights the absurdity of assigning meaning to meaningless duties. **In simple terms:** Even grand tasks can be absurd and pointless. Key Takeaway Question the purpose behind assigned duties. Themes absurdity bureaucracy meaninglessness Mood wry thoughtful Type satirical literary When to use this quote - workplace - government - personal goals - creative projects Key Concepts existentialism satire authority critique Questions to Reflect On - Why do we accept absurd tasks? - How can you find meaning in absurdity? A Different Perspective The humor may downplay real frustration with meaningless work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Air](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air/) [Ask me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-me/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridges/) [Door Muttered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/door-muttered-288346/) [Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors/) [Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) [Excuse me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse-me/) [Following](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/following/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Hated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hated/) [Hated Door](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hated-door-288347/) [Ignored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignored/) [Job satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job-satisfaction/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marvin/) [Marvin Ignored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marvin-ignored-288350/) [Planets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planets/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction/) [Ship Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ship-marvin-288349/) [Ships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ships/) [Size](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/size/) [Smugness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smugness/) [Walked Hated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walked-hated-288348/) [Watches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watches/) ## Related quotes > [“for those organizations that provided a stock ticker symbol, we found that high performers had 50% higher market capitalization growth over three years. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-kim/for-those-organizations-that-provided-a-stock-ticker-symbol-we-found/) [Gene Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-kim/) > [I can't see myself leaving the club I grew up supporting... it's one of those things, the money's great but I still get paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-brown/i-can-t-see-myself-leaving-the-club-i-grew-up-supporting-it-s-one-of/) [Jonathan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-brown/) > [“Follow Your Passion” Is Terrible Advice “I think it misconstrues the nature of finding a satisfying career and satisfying job, where the biggest predictor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/follow-your-passion-is-terrible-advice-i-think-it-misconstrues-the/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“And then, anger gave way to pure and simple job satisfaction. I mean, when I looked at a dead zombie head on a spike,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-petersen/and-then-anger-gave-way-to-pure-and-simple-job-satisfaction-i-mean/) [Jesse Petersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-petersen/) > [“Picture the athlete at the starting line of a race—adrenaline pumping, energy flowing, muscles tightening, skin aglow with anticipatory perspiration, heart beating faster and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/picture-the-athlete-at-the-starting-line-of-a-race-adrenaline-pumping/) [Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/) > [“It’s like being a house-elf,” complained Ron in an undertone, still massaging his head as he and Harry followed. “Except without the job satisfaction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/it-s-like-being-a-house-elf-complained-ron-in-an-undertone-still/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [“Ohmigod! This place is so cool!” This was Tracy, who was sashaying into the warehouse looking around like she just hit the candy garden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/ohmigod-this-place-is-so-cool-this-was-tracy-who-was-sashaying-into/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“A study of workers in various industries showed that their job satisfaction was less tied to their salaries than to how their salaries compared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/a-study-of-workers-in-various-industries-showed-that-their-job/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“One third of managers are victims of "Information Fatigue Syndrome." 49 percent said they are unable to handle the vast amounts of information received.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/one-third-of-managers-are-victims-of-information-fatigue-syndrome-49/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [The status of women in the workplace has improved dramatically since 1972. More women today have good jobs, the gap between the incomes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-o-toole/the-status-of-women-in-the-workplace-has-improved-dramatically-since/) [James O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-o-toole/) > [If you refuse to change your job (if you don't like it), the only sensible thing you can do is practice loving it every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/if-you-refuse-to-change-your-job-if-you-don-t-like-it-the-only/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Each and every component that makes up your life experience is drawn to you by the powerful Law of Attraction's response to the thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/each-and-every-component-that-makes-up-your-life-experience-is-drawn/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [True motivation comes from achievement, personal development, job satisfaction, and recognition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-herzberg/true-motivation-comes-from-achievement-personal-development-job/) [Frederick Herzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-herzberg/) > [“I think I’m gonna have to catch her when she collapses against me, face pressed into my chest, but I don’t. She’s just tired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callie-hart/i-think-i-m-gonna-have-to-catch-her-when-she-collapses-against-me/) [Callie Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callie-hart/) > [The job satisfaction that an opener gets no other batsman gets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shastri/the-job-satisfaction-that-an-opener-gets-no-other-batsman-gets/) [Ravi Shastri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shastri/) ## 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 Air quotes > [I will be a tireless advocate for our District's defense priorities including Sheppard Air Force Base, Pantex, Bell Helicopter, universities conducting important research, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-will-be-a-tireless-advocate-for-our-district-s-defense-priorities/) [Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [I'm a candle flame that sways in currents of air you can't see. You need to be the one who steadies me to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-m-a-candle-flame-that-sways-in-currents-of-air-you-can-t-see-you/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [There was a little nook on Air Force Two that contained the vice presidential seal, and I would sort of wedge myself in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/there-was-a-little-nook-on-air-force-two-that-contained-the-vice/) [Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/) > [Words are substance strange. Speak one and the air ripples into another's ears. Write one and the eye laps it up. But the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-beachy-quick/words-are-substance-strange-speak-one-and-the-air-ripples-into/) [Dan Beachy-Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-beachy-quick/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [“It is unnatural to fear something natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/it-is-unnatural-to-fear-something-natural/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) [Browse all 6,278 Air quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Come on,” he droned, “I’ve been ordered to take you down to the bridge. Here I am, brain the size of a planet and they ask me to take you down to the bridge. Call that job satisfaction? ’Cos I don’t.” He turned and walked back to the hated door. “Er, excuse me,” said Ford following after him, “which government owns this ship?” Marvin ignored him. “You watch this door,” he muttered, “it’s about to open again. I can tell by the intolerable air of smugness it suddenly generates.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas Adams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/come-on-he-droned-i-ve-been-ordered-to-take-you-down-to-the-bridge/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Air" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/come-on-he-droned-i-ve-been-ordered-to-take-you-down-to-the-bridge/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/douglas-adams-122_air_come-on-he-droned-i-ve-been-ordered-to-t_813526.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/douglas-adams-122_air_come-on-he-droned-i-ve-been-ordered-to-t_813526.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/douglas-adams-122_air_come-on-he-droned-i-ve-been-ordered-to-t_813526.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Come on,” he droned, “I’ve been ordered to take you down to the bridge. Here I am, brain the size of a…” — Douglas Adams", "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": "Douglas Adams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Come on,” he droned, “I’ve been...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/come-on-he-droned-i-ve-been-ordered-to-take-you-down-to-the-bridge/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/come-on-he-droned-i-ve-been-ordered-to-take-you-down-to-the-bridge/#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 } } ] } ```