--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The moment at which two people…" description: "\"The moment at which two people, approaching from opposite ends of a long passageway, recognize each other and immediately pretend they haven t. This is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/douglas-adams-122_corridors_the-moment-at-which-two-people-approachi_1179507.png" --- # The moment at which two people, approaching from opposite… ![“The moment at which two people, approaching from opposite ends of a long passageway, recognize each other and immediately pretend they haven t. This is to avoid the ghastly embarrassment of having to continue recognizing each other the whole length of the corridor.” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/douglas-adams-122_corridors_the-moment-at-which-two-people-approachi_1179507.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/douglas-adams-122_corridors_the-moment-at-which-two-people-approachi_1179507.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/douglas-adams-122_corridors_the-moment-at-which-two-people-approachi_1179507.png) > “The moment at which two people, approaching from opposite ends of a long passageway, recognize each other and immediately pretend they haven t. This is to avoid the ghastly embarrassment of having to continue recognizing each other the whole length of the corridor.” [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. People often avoid awkward social encounters by pretending not to notice each other. **In simple terms:** Avoid awkwardness by ignoring others. Key Takeaway Practice polite acknowledgment in awkward moments. Themes social awkwardness human behavior embarrassment Mood humorous observational Type philosophical satirical When to use this quote - elevator rides - hallway meetings - social events - networking Key Concepts social psychology norms courtesy Questions to Reflect On - When have you pretended not to see someone? - How could a brief greeting change the dynamic? A Different Perspective Ignoring can prolong discomfort and miss connection opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Corridors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corridors/) [Embarrassment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embarrassment/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Ghastly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ghastly/) [Havens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/havens/) [Length](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/length/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long Passageway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-passageway-3453671/) [Moment People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment-people-1358310/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) [Passageway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passageway-2333919/) [Passageway Recognize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passageway-recognize-3453669/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Approaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-approaching-3453670/) [Recognizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognizing/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [“Zaphod marched quickly down the passageway, nervous as hell, but trying to hide it by striding purposefully.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/zaphod-marched-quickly-down-the-passageway-nervous-as-hell-but-trying/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I get more people approaching me about how good I was in 'Napoleon Dynamite' than being in Coldplay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-martin/i-get-more-people-approaching-me-about-how-good-i-was-in-napoleon/) [Chris Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-martin/) > [“This is what writing is: I one language, I another language, and between the two, the line that makes them vibrate; writing forms a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-ne-cixous/this-is-what-writing-is-i-one-language-i-another-language-and-between/) [Hélène Cixous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-ne-cixous/) > [“As Jamie Shreeve of National Geographic describes it, this required going through a passageway known as Superman’s Crawl, which is less than ten inches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-h-cline/as-jamie-shreeve-of-national-geographic-describes-it-this-required/) [Eric H Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-h-cline/) > [“The passageway smelled like decaying bodies and lavender. Her nose found it entertaining. The rocky tunnel ate their footsteps. Camin Barice wanted it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auden-johnson/the-passageway-smelled-like-decaying-bodies-and-lavender-her-nose/) [Auden Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auden-johnson/) > [Writing is the passageway, the entrance, the exit, the dwelling place of the other in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-ne-cixous/writing-is-the-passageway-the-entrance-the-exit-the-dwelling-place-of/) [Helene Cixous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-ne-cixous/) > [“The passageway was still as dark as a bar of extra-dark chocolate sitting in a planetarium covered in a thick, black blanket”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemony-snicket/the-passageway-was-still-as-dark-as-a-bar-of-extra-dark-chocolate/) [Lemony Snicket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemony-snicket/) > [In the world of photography, you get to share a captured moment with other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wilson/in-the-world-of-photography-you-get-to-share-a-captured-moment-with/) [James Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wilson/) > [That awkward moment when people are singing Happy Birthday to you and you have no idea where to look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varsha-sharma/that-awkward-moment-when-people-are-singing-happy-birthday-to-you-and/) [Varsha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varsha-sharma/) > [That awkward moment when people start stuff on your Facebook status and you just don't want to get involved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-awkward-moment-when-people-start-stuff-on-your-facebook-status/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't think that one moment in people's life should define them. Within reason: I emphasise that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/i-don-t-think-that-one-moment-in-people-s-life-should-define-them/) [Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/) > [The moment people come to know love, they run the risk of carrying hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masashi-kishimoto/the-moment-people-come-to-know-love-they-run-the-risk-of-carrying-hate/) [Masashi Kishimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masashi-kishimoto/) > [“Just another stupid moment people have to make last forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/just-another-stupid-moment-people-have-to-make-last-forever/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I think it is such an amazing moment when people realize what they are and what they can be, and they start putting themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-peyton/i-think-it-is-such-an-amazing-moment-when-people-realize-what-they/) [Elizabeth Peyton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-peyton/) > [Listen to the Music of the Moment, people…Dance and Sing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/listen-to-the-music-of-the-moment-people-dance-and-sing/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) ## 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 Corridors quotes > [I think continually of those who were truly great . Who, from the womb, remembered the soul 's history Through corridors of light where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-spender/i-think-continually-of-those-who-were-truly-great-who-from-the-womb/) [Stephen Spender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-spender/) > [The certain pathway to all things that you want is through the corridor of joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/the-certain-pathway-to-all-things-that-you-want-is-through-the/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Success will smile at the man who refuses to lie down at the corridor of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-murdock/success-will-smile-at-the-man-who-refuses-to-lie-down-at-the-corridor/) [Mike Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-murdock/) > [After such knowledge, what forgiveness?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/after-such-knowledge-what-forgiveness/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [Across the gulf of centuries, the blind smile of Homer is turned upon our age. Along the echoing corridors of time, the roar of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/across-the-gulf-of-centuries-the-blind-smile-of-homer-is-turned-upon/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [I hear the wind blowing across the desert and I see the moons of a winter night rising like great ships in the void.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/i-hear-the-wind-blowing-across-the-desert-and-i-see-the-moons-of-a/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [I agree about Shaw - he is haunted by the mystery he flouts. He is an atheist who trembles in the haunted corridor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-agree-about-shaw-he-is-haunted-by-the-mystery-he-flouts-he-is-an/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [The reason why so many of my photographs in the book were taken in stairwells and corridors was that that was the only bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-ridgers/the-reason-why-so-many-of-my-photographs-in-the-book-were-taken-in/) [Derek Ridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-ridgers/) > [In the chummy corridors of the liberal media establishment, no self-satisfying myth is more prevalent than the notion that there are two types of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-brent-bozell-iii/in-the-chummy-corridors-of-the-liberal-media-establishment-no-self/) [L. Brent Bozell III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-brent-bozell-iii/) > [A man who can be happy with the crumbs of light in the dark corridors of life infinitely deserves the brightest Sun!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/a-man-who-can-be-happy-with-the-crumbs-of-light-in-the-dark-corridors/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Words, living and ghostly, the quick and the dead, crowd and jostle the otherwise too empty corridors of my mind ... To move among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/words-living-and-ghostly-the-quick-and-the-dead-crowd-and-jostle-the/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [In the home we make certain distinctions about functions of rooms and corridors; we do not deliver the groceries straight into the baby's crib.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ward-baroness-jackson-of-lodsworth/in-the-home-we-make-certain-distinctions-about-functions-of-rooms-and/) [Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ward-baroness-jackson-of-lodsworth/) > [The corridor couldn't have smelled more strongly of fish guts if we had actually been inside a fish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/the-corridor-couldn-t-have-smelled-more-strongly-of-fish-guts-if-we/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [I think continually of those who were truly great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-spender/i-think-continually-of-those-who-were-truly-great/) [Stephen Spender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-spender/) > [Journeying through secret doors, curving corridors, and connecting rooms into the mountain was like being digested by the different organs of a deity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-grey/journeying-through-secret-doors-curving-corridors-and-connecting/) [Alex Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-grey/) [Browse all 80 Corridors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corridors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The moment at which two people, approaching from opposite ends of a long passageway, recognize each other and immediately pretend they haven t. 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