---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Electric Monk was a labour-saving…"
description: "\"The Electric Monk was a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder... Electric Monks believed things for you, thus saving you what was..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/douglas-adams-122_becoming_the-electric-monk-was-a-labour-saving-de_2529256.jpg"
---

#  The Electric Monk was a labour-saving device, like a…

![“The Electric Monk was a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder... Electric Monks believed things for you, thus saving you what was becoming an increasingly onerous task, that of believing all the things the world expected you to believe.” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/douglas-adams-122_becoming_the-electric-monk-was-a-labour-saving-de_2529256.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/douglas-adams-122_becoming_the-electric-monk-was-a-labour-saving-de_2529256.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/douglas-adams-122_becoming_the-electric-monk-was-a-labour-saving-de_2529256.jpg)

> “The Electric Monk was a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder... Electric Monks believed things for you, thus saving you what was becoming an increasingly onerous task, that of believing all the things the world expected you to believe.”

[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 Electric Monk satirically shows how technology can outsource even the act of believing, turning faith into a convenience.

**In simple terms:** Tech can replace belief, making faith a gadget.

Key Takeaway

Question the role of technology in shaping belief.

Themes

technology satire faith convenience

Mood

ironic critical thought‑provoking

Type

satirical philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal decision making
- media consumption
- religious practice
- critical thinking

Key Concepts

automation belief outsourcing social critique

Questions to Reflect On

- How does delegating belief affect authenticity?
- Can convenience replace conviction?

A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex belief systems and reduce personal responsibility.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Labour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labour/) [Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monk/) [Saving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving/) [Video](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [“The Electric Monk was a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder. Dishwashers washed tedious dishes for you, thus saving you the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-electric-monk-was-a-labour-saving-device-like-a-dishwasher-or-a-2/)

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

> [“Electric monks believed things for you, thus saving you what was becoming an increasingly onerous task, that of believing all the things the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/electric-monks-believed-things-for-you-thus-saving-you-what-was/)

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

> [Unfortunately this Electric Monk had developed a fault, and had started to believe all kinds of things, more or less at random. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/unfortunately-this-electric-monk-had-developed-a-fault-and-had/)

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

> [High on a rocky promontory sat an Electric Monk on a bored horse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/high-on-a-rocky-promontory-sat-an-electric-monk-on-a-bored-horse/)

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

> [I think what attracts me about the Electric Monk is that it's such an eloquent example of the futility of belief for belief's sake.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-think-what-attracts-me-about-the-electric-monk-is-that-it-s-such-an/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [I worked at car washes - two or three different car washes. I worked at McDonald's and Wendy's, I worked as a dishwasher and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruce/i-worked-at-car-washes-two-or-three-different-car-washes-i-worked-at/)

[Joseph Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruce/)

> [We all use dishwashers every day and yet none of us would say that we're experts on dishwashers, but somehow we all think we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lindstrom/we-all-use-dishwashers-every-day-and-yet-none-of-us-would-say-that-we/)

[Brian Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lindstrom/)

> [Water doesn't hurt a vinyl record. Put it into a dishwasher and you're fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-gibbons/water-doesn-t-hurt-a-vinyl-record-put-it-into-a-dishwasher-and-you-re/)

[Billy Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-gibbons/)

> [Does anyone really imagine for a moment that my wife gives two stuffs about global warming? She certainly did not appear to be all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-clarkson/does-anyone-really-imagine-for-a-moment-that-my-wife-gives-two-stuffs/)

[Jeremy Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-clarkson/)

> [My husband is old-fashioned and kind, he does the greatest Sinatra impression, and I'd never have written anything if he hadn't read all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-pearson/my-husband-is-old-fashioned-and-kind-he-does-the-greatest-sinatra/)

[Allison Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-pearson/)

> [But most men regard their life as a poem that women threaten. They may not have two spondees to rub together but they still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/but-most-men-regard-their-life-as-a-poem-that-women-threaten-they-may/)

[Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/)

> [If you want a reliable tip, drive into a town, go to the nearest appliance store and seek out the dishwasher repair man. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-q-miller/if-you-want-a-reliable-tip-drive-into-a-town-go-to-the-nearest/)

Bryan Q. Miller

> [Once you get yourself on that path where you're willing to find something delightful in laundry and in dishwashers, it means that you train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bogost/once-you-get-yourself-on-that-path-where-you-re-willing-to-find/)

[Ian Bogost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bogost/)

> [Everything important I learned, I learned as a dishwasher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/everything-important-i-learned-i-learned-as-a-dishwasher/)

[Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/)

> [ Music \[is\] the third rail of life. You grabbed it to shock yourself out of the dull drag of hours. To feel something. To… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/music-is-the-third-rail-of-life-you-grabbed-it-to-shock-yourself-out/)

[Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/)

## 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 Becoming quotes

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

> [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [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/)

> [The path I choose through the maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being--one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-path-i-choose-through-the-maze-makes-me-what-i-am-i-am-not-only-a/)

[Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/)

> [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/)

[Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/)

> [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/)

[Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/)

> [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/)

[Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/)

> [I'm getting to a point where everything is becoming streamlined in my life. I'm learning how to stand onstage for two hours and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-everything-is-becoming-streamlined-in-my/)

[John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/)

> [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/)

Christopher Wood

> [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/)

[Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/)

> [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/)

[Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/)

> [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

Browse all 4,715 Becoming quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The Electric Monk was a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder... Electric Monks believed things for you, thus saving you what was becoming an increasingly onerous task, that of believing all the things the world expected you to believe.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Douglas Adams"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-electric-monk-was-a-labour-saving-device-like-a-dishwasher-or-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Becoming"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-electric-monk-was-a-labour-saving-device-like-a-dishwasher-or-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/douglas-adams-122_becoming_the-electric-monk-was-a-labour-saving-de_2529256.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/douglas-adams-122_becoming_the-electric-monk-was-a-labour-saving-de_2529256.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/douglas-adams-122_becoming_the-electric-monk-was-a-labour-saving-de_2529256.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The Electric Monk was a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder... Electric Monks…” — 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": "The Electric Monk was a labour-saving...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-electric-monk-was-a-labour-saving-device-like-a-dishwasher-or-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-electric-monk-was-a-labour-saving-device-like-a-dishwasher-or-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
