--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: was simply this (it needed to be simple…" description: "\"“was simply this (it needed to be simple; the afternoon was too far advanced for complicated rules): someone would say the name of a town and somebody ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/douglas-adams-122_language_was-simply-this-it-needed-to-be-simple-t_1171300.jpg" --- # was simply this (it needed to be simple; the afternoon was… ![“was simply this (it needed to be simple; the afternoon was too far advanced for complicated rules): someone would say the name of a town and somebody else would say what the word meant. You had to be there. We rapidly discovered that there were an awful lot of experiences, ideas, and situations…” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/douglas-adams-122_language_was-simply-this-it-needed-to-be-simple-t_1171300.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/douglas-adams-122_language_was-simply-this-it-needed-to-be-simple-t_1171300.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/douglas-adams-122_language_was-simply-this-it-needed-to-be-simple-t_1171300.jpg) > ““was simply this (it needed to be simple; the afternoon was too far advanced for complicated rules): someone would say the name of a town and somebody else would say what the word meant. You had to be there. We rapidly discovered that there were an awful lot of experiences, ideas, and situations that everybody knew and recognized, but that never got properly identified simply because there wasn’t a word for them. They were all of the “Do you ever have the situation where . . . ,” or “You know what feeling you get when . . . ,” or “You know, I always thought it was just me . . .” kind. All it needs is a word, and the thing is identified. So,”” [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 lack precise words for shared experiences, making them feel isolated until a term labels them. **In simple terms:** Missing words make common feelings seem unique. Key Takeaway Name the feeling to connect with others. Themes communication language psychology social connection Mood reflective empathetic Type observational insightful When to use this quote - team meetings - therapy sessions - online forums - friend conversations - creative writing Key Concepts semantic labeling collective experience emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - What shared experience have you struggled to name? - How does labeling affect your perception? A Different Perspective A single word may oversimplify complex emotions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ## Related quotes > [There's a special place in my heart for queer kids in the Midwest because I know how they're feeling and I know how isolating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chappell-roan/there-s-a-special-place-in-my-heart-for-queer-kids-in-the-midwest/) [Chappell Roan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chappell-roan/) > [“I don't know what this feeling is... I only know that I feel safe in your arms. My heart races every time I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-west/i-don-t-know-what-this-feeling-is-i-only-know-that-i-feel-safe-in/) [Sarah West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-west/) > [You look for the roles where, when you read it, you're just like, "Yes, I know that. I know that feeling. I know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/you-look-for-the-roles-where-when-you-read-it-you-re-just-like-yes-i/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-think-you-ought-to-know-i-m-feeling-very-depressed/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [You will never learn what I am thinking. And those who boast most loudly that they know my thought, to such people I lie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/you-will-never-learn-what-i-am-thinking-and-those-who-boast-most/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [“But what did we really know, even of one another? We never thought of a future. Our small solar system - what was it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/but-what-did-we-really-know-even-of-one-another-we-never-thought-of-a/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [Very often pessimistic people speak against their own desire. They want to undertake some work, and they say, 'I will do this, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazrat-inayat-khan/very-often-pessimistic-people-speak-against-their-own-desire-they/) [Hazrat Inayat Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazrat-inayat-khan/) > [“I know less than you thought, but more than you realize.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-wilmany/i-know-less-than-you-thought-but-more-than-you-realize/) Jasmine Wilmany > [As the biggest library if it is in disorder is not as useful as a small but well-arranged one, so you may accumulate a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/as-the-biggest-library-if-it-is-in-disorder-is-not-as-useful-as-a/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [If you're just a follower, you never know why you are doing something. Then you can't know if something is good or not. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lindbergh/if-you-re-just-a-follower-you-never-know-why-you-are-doing-something/) [Peter Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lindbergh/) > [You never know what you have until you lose it. WRONG. you always know what you have.. but. you never thought that you'd lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megannn/you-never-know-what-you-have-until-you-lose-it-wrong-you-always-know/) Megannn > [“I don't exactly know who I thought I'd be by now, but I know I'm not that person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dewberry/i-don-t-exactly-know-who-i-thought-i-d-be-by-now-but-i-know-i-m-not/) Elizabeth Dewberry > [I heard about the Dalai Lama, you know and I thought to myself, why not me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/i-heard-about-the-dalai-lama-you-know-and-i-thought-to-myself-why-not/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“ 'You know what I thought the first time I saw you?' 'No.' 'Point of no return.' ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/you-know-what-i-thought-the-first-time-i-saw-you-no-point-of-no-return/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [You don't know whether he's thought through how this is going to affect the Middle East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-matthews/you-don-t-know-whether-he-s-thought-through-how-this-is-going-to/) [Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-matthews/) ## 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 Language quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/) [John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/) > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/) TimBur > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Words can kill you trust towards someone, mind you language people, every reaction had its consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-kill-you-trust-towards-someone-mind-you-language-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Finxerunt animi, raro et perpauca loquentis. (To action little, less to words inclinded.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/finxerunt-animi-raro-et-perpauca-loquentis-to-action-little-less-to/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) [Browse all 21,951 Language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“was simply this (it needed to be simple; the afternoon was too far advanced for complicated rules): someone would say the name of a town and somebody else would say what the word meant. You had to be there. We rapidly discovered that there were an awful lot of experiences, ideas, and situations that everybody knew and recognized, but that never got properly identified simply because there wasn’t a word for them. They were all of the “Do you ever have the situation where . . . ,” or “You know what feeling you get when . . . ,” or “You know, I always thought it was just me . . .” kind. All it needs is a word, and the thing is identified. So,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas Adams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/was-simply-this-it-needed-to-be-simple-the-afternoon-was-too-far/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Language" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/was-simply-this-it-needed-to-be-simple-the-afternoon-was-too-far/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/douglas-adams-122_language_was-simply-this-it-needed-to-be-simple-t_1171300.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/douglas-adams-122_language_was-simply-this-it-needed-to-be-simple-t_1171300.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/douglas-adams-122_language_was-simply-this-it-needed-to-be-simple-t_1171300.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“was simply this (it needed to be simple; the afternoon was too far advanced for complicated rules): someone…” — 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": "“was simply this (it needed to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/was-simply-this-it-needed-to-be-simple-the-afternoon-was-too-far/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/was-simply-this-it-needed-to-be-simple-the-afternoon-was-too-far/#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 } } ] } ```