--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know what this great thing I'm…" description: "\"“I don't know what this great thing I'm meant to be doing is, and it looks to me as if I was supposed not to know. And I resent that, right? \"The old m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19d/douglas-adams-122_cared_i-don-t-know-what-this-great-thing-i-m-m_732400.png" --- # I don't know what this great thing I'm meant to be doing… ![“I don't know what this great thing I'm meant to be doing is, and it looks to me as if I was supposed not to know. And I resent that, right? "The old me knew. The old me cared. Fine, so far so good. Except that the old me cared so much that he actually got inside his own brain--my own brain--and…” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19d/douglas-adams-122_cared_i-don-t-know-what-this-great-thing-i-m-m_732400.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19d/douglas-adams-122_cared_i-don-t-know-what-this-great-thing-i-m-m_732400.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19d/douglas-adams-122_cared_i-don-t-know-what-this-great-thing-i-m-m_732400.png) > ““I don't know what this great thing I'm meant to be doing is, and it looks to me as if I was supposed not to know. And I resent that, right? "The old me knew. The old me cared. Fine, so far so good. Except that the old me cared so much that he actually got inside his own brain--my own brain--and locked off the bits that knew and cared, because if I knew and cared I wouldn't be able to do it. \[...\] "But this former self of mine killed himself off, didn't he, by changing my brain? Okay, that was his choice. This new me has its own choices to make, and by a strange coincidence those choices involve not knowing and not caring about this big number, whatever it is. That's what he wanted, that's what he got. "Except this old self of mine tired to leave himself in control, leaving orders for me in the bit of my brain he locked off. Well, I don't want to know, and I don't want to hear them. That's my choice. I'm not going to be anybody's puppet, particularly not my own. \[...\] "The old me is dead! \[...\] Killed himself! The dead shouldn't hang about trying t0 interfere with the living.”” [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. The past self suppresses knowledge to avoid pain; the present self seeks freedom from that control. **In simple terms:** Past self blocks knowledge; present seeks freedom. Key Takeaway Release old narratives to empower your present self. Themes identity self‑determination growth Mood introspective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - creative projects - personal transformation Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What parts of your past still influence you? - How can you honor your past while moving forward? A Different Perspective Old habits may resurface under stress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Old self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-self/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [I miss you. No, let me correct that, I miss the old you. I miss the old you that cared about me and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-miss-you-no-let-me-correct-that-i-miss-the-old-you-i-miss-the-old/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I miss you. No, let me correct myself... I miss the old you. I miss the old you who cared about me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-miss-you-no-let-me-correct-myself-i-miss-the-old-you-i-miss-the-old/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“The old me knew. The old me cared. Fine, so far so good. Except that the old me cared so much that he actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-old-me-knew-the-old-me-cared-fine-so-far-so-good-except-that-the/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I miss you. No, let me correct that, I miss the old you. I miss the old you that cared about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quinton-riley/i-miss-you-no-let-me-correct-that-i-miss-the-old-you-i-miss-the-old-2/) [Quinton Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quinton-riley/) > [I miss you, no let me correct that I miss the old you the one who cared about me and the old you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-miss-you-no-let-me-correct-that-i-miss-the-old-you-the-one-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Through learning we grow, becoming more than we were before, and in that sense learning is unselfish, because it results in the transformation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/through-learning-we-grow-becoming-more-than-we-were-before-and-in/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [“Because if every moment of a life is present in every other, so is every old self you've ever tried to outrun. And then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-risk-hallberg/because-if-every-moment-of-a-life-is-present-in-every-other-so-is/) [Garth Risk Hallberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-risk-hallberg/) > [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, then a full minute—like shadows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too-2/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Good will never be enough as long as great exist. Don't look to do better than anyone else aim to do better than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyconis-d-allison-ty/good-will-never-be-enough-as-long-as-great-exist-don-t-look-to-do/) Tyconis D. Allison Ty > [“Her definition of a stranger: "The person staring back at me in the mirror”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henna-sohail/her-definition-of-a-stranger-the-person-staring-back-at-me-in-the/) [Henna Sohail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henna-sohail/) > [I have moments where I miss my old self. But I think anyone can get caught up in what we used to have. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-gleason/i-have-moments-where-i-miss-my-old-self-but-i-think-anyone-can-get/) [Steve Gleason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-gleason/) > [“Marcus's fear that his wife might succumb to childbed fever receded day by day as Lillian returned to her old self, healthy and slender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/marcus-s-fear-that-his-wife-might-succumb-to-childbed-fever-receded/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“My Dear Mrs Winter. (I had half a mind when I dipped my pen in the ink, to address you by your old natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/my-dear-mrs-winter-i-had-half-a-mind-when-i-dipped-my-pen-in-the-ink/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Paradoxically, we achieve true wholeness only by embracing our fragility and sometimes, our brokenness. Wholeness is a natural radiance of Love, and Love demands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jalaja-bonheim/paradoxically-we-achieve-true-wholeness-only-by-embracing-our/) [Jalaja Bonheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jalaja-bonheim/) > [So the secret is just to say 'Yes!' and jump off from here. Then there is no problem. It means to be yourself, always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/so-the-secret-is-just-to-say-yes-and-jump-off-from-here-then-there-is/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) ## 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 Cared quotes > [I never cared a lot for school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-lutke/i-never-cared-a-lot-for-school/) [Tobias Lutke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-lutke/) > [The only person I truly cared for left me with a broken heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keys/the-only-person-i-truly-cared-for-left-me-with-a-broken-heart/) [Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keys/) > [You know what would be nice? If you actually cared about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-what-would-be-nice-if-you-actually-cared-about-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's funny, I used to say on 'That 70's Show', you could really put us in any decade, and it was about the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-prepon/it-s-funny-i-used-to-say-on-that-70-s-show-you-could-really-put-us-in/) [Laura Prepon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-prepon/) > [No one cared what she wanted. No one had ever cared. And perhaps, worst of all, no one ever would care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-one-cared-what-she-wanted-no-one-had-ever-cared-and-perhaps-worst/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her underwear, her jeans, the comforter, my corduroys and my boxers between us, I thought. Five layers, and yet I felt it, the nervous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/her-underwear-her-jeans-the-comforter-my-corduroys-and-my-boxers/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [If he really cared..he would go out his way to make you happy <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-he-really-cared-he-would-go-out-his-way-to-make-you-happy-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Did that mean she had not cared deeply for any of her husbands? I wondered. Or only that she was a woman of great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/did-that-mean-she-had-not-cared-deeply-for-any-of-her-husbands-i/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [You make me laugh, mad, happy, excited, sad, jumpy, careless, most of all you make me..well me. your my best friend, you were there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany/you-make-me-laugh-mad-happy-excited-sad-jumpy-careless-most-of-all/) [Tiffany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany/) > [I'd occasionally do some exercises at home, but I never cared for gyms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-moore/i-d-occasionally-do-some-exercises-at-home-but-i-never-cared-for-gyms/) [Roger Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-moore/) > [“Nobody cared if you plagiarized in the third grade. All”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-janz/nobody-cared-if-you-plagiarized-in-the-third-grade-all/) Jonathan Janz > [He loved them and cared for them, and you don't kill kids that you love and care for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-griffith/he-loved-them-and-cared-for-them-and-you-don-t-kill-kids-that-you/) [Thomas Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-griffith/) > [I was always hurting to some extent, but never really cared about it. Now, I do care, because I have a reason to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-michaels/i-was-always-hurting-to-some-extent-but-never-really-cared-about-it/) [Shawn Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-michaels/) > [“That’s all she cared about—protecting her brother, who was probably some fop with a lame sword hand and a fear of pistols!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/that-s-all-she-cared-about-protecting-her-brother-who-was-probably/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [I don't give a shit anymore, think what you think, believe what you want, but remember I cared when no one else did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-don-t-give-a-shit-anymore-think-what-you-think-believe-what-you/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) Browse all 487 Cared quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I don't know what this great thing I'm meant to be doing is, and it looks to me as if I was supposed not to know. 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