--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know,\" said Arthur, \"it's at times…" description: "\"You know,\" said Arthur, \"it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/626/douglas-adams-122_arthur_you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like_529201.png" --- # You know," said Arthur, "it's at times like this, when I'm… ![“You know," said Arthur, "it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young." "Why, what did she tell you?" "I don't know, I didn't listen.” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/626/douglas-adams-122_arthur_you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like_529201.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/626/douglas-adams-122_arthur_you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like_529201.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/626/douglas-adams-122_arthur_you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like_529201.png) > “You know," said Arthur, "it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young." "Why, what did she tell you?" "I don't know, I didn't listen.” [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 speaker reflects on regret, realizing that ignoring parental advice may lead to dire consequences in extreme situations. **In simple terms:** Regret over not listening to mother’s advice in a crisis. Key Takeaway Heed wise counsel early. Themes regret advice family Mood reflective humorous Type philosophical narrative When to use this quote - space travel - emergency preparedness - personal decision making Key Concepts life lessons humor science fiction Questions to Reflect On - What advice have you ignored that you now regret? - How can you better integrate advice into actions? A Different Perspective Humor masks the seriousness of regret. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arthur dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arthur-dent/) [Asphyxiation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asphyxiation/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [“I see", said Arthur Dent. He didn't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-see-said-arthur-dent-he-didn-t/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Why,” said Arthur Dent, “isn’t anyone ever pleased to see us?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/why-said-arthur-dent-isn-t-anyone-ever-pleased-to-see-us/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“It comes from a very ancient democracy, you see..." "You mean, it comes from a world of lizards?" "No," said Ford, who by this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/it-comes-from-a-very-ancient-democracy-you-see-you-mean-it-comes-from/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Ford!" he said, "there's an infinite number of monkeys outside who want to talk to us about this script for Hamlet they've worked out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/ford-he-said-there-s-an-infinite-number-of-monkeys-outside-who-want/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“I wonder who this ship belongs to anyway," said Arthur. "Me," said Zaphod. "No. Who it really belongs to." "Really me," insisted Zaphod. "Look,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-wonder-who-this-ship-belongs-to-anyway-said-arthur-me-said-zaphod/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [But the plans were on display…” “On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them.” “That’s the display department.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/but-the-plans-were-on-display-on-display-i-eventually-had-to-go-down/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Arthur Dent: What happens if I press this button? Ford Prefect: I wouldn't- Arthur Dent: Oh. Ford Prefect: What happened? Arthur Dent: A sign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/arthur-dent-what-happens-if-i-press-this-button-ford-prefect-i-wouldn/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Marvin trudged on down the corridor, still moaning. "...and then of course I've got this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/marvin-trudged-on-down-the-corridor-still-moaning-and-then-of-course/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Time is the worst place, so to speak, to get lost in, as Arthur Dent could testify, having been lost in both time and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/time-is-the-worst-place-so-to-speak-to-get-lost-in-as-arthur-dent/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“What have you done to it, Monkeyman? - he breathed. - Well, - said Arthur, - nothing in fact. It's just that I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-have-you-done-to-it-monkeyman-he-breathed-well-said-arthur/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Arthur felt happy. He was terribly pleased that the day was for once working out so much according to plan. Only twenty minutes ago…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/arthur-felt-happy-he-was-terribly-pleased-that-the-day-was-for-once/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“All right," said Ford. "How would you react if I said that I'm not from Guildford at all, but from a small planet somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/all-right-said-ford-how-would-you-react-if-i-said-that-i-m-not-from/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“When you’re young, and just emerging from the four walls of home into the wide world outside, that’s exactly when you feel so small,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/when-you-re-young-and-just-emerging-from-the-four-walls-of-home-into/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [The only person for whom the house was in any way special was Arthur Dent, and that was only because it happened to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-only-person-for-whom-the-house-was-in-any-way-special-was-arthur/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“At that moment the dull sound of a rumbling crash from outside filtered through the low murmur of the pub, through the sound of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/at-that-moment-the-dull-sound-of-a-rumbling-crash-from-outside/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) ## 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 Arthur quotes > [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Merlin' was awesome, but the costumes would drive you insane. Every day, you'd get into chain mail and wear 30 pounds of that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/merlin-was-awesome-but-the-costumes-would-drive-you-insane-every-day/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [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/) > [A guy called Arthur Brown... was a big influence of mine... and also Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/a-guy-called-arthur-brown-was-a-big-influence-of-mine-and-also-ian/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [I have a sense of them being Easter religions, for some reason. Christianity, of course, is a mystery religion, too, and I believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-s-crisp/i-have-a-sense-of-them-being-easter-religions-for-some-reason/) [Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-s-crisp/) > [And then, all of a sudden, you're like, all that's great and fun, but Arthur Miller's in my dressing room. This is the third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-krause/and-then-all-of-a-sudden-you-re-like-all-that-s-great-and-fun-but/) [Peter Krause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-krause/) > [For five hundred dollars, I'll name a subatomic particle after you. Some of my satisfied customers include Arthur C. Quark and George Meson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/for-five-hundred-dollars-i-ll-name-a-subatomic-particle-after-you/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [Arthur Conan Doyle was entranced by the notion of a brilliant detective who can deduce everything a stranger has been up to from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-yglesias/arthur-conan-doyle-was-entranced-by-the-notion-of-a-brilliant/) [Rafael Yglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-yglesias/) > [“That boy had wanted to be Ser Arthur Dayne, but someplace along the way he had become the Smiling Knight instead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/that-boy-had-wanted-to-be-ser-arthur-dayne-but-someplace-along-the/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [The book that really, really shaped my politics and has forever is Arthur Koestler's "Darkness at Noon," which is a novel based on terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/the-book-that-really-really-shaped-my-politics-and-has-forever-is/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [Since I came here I have learned that Chester A. Arthur is one man and the President of the United States is another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-a-arthur/since-i-came-here-i-have-learned-that-chester-a-arthur-is-one-man-and/) [Chester A. Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-a-arthur/) > [“In the energies of the Green Knight, we have an Elder who comes to the entire court of Arthur to challenge and "open a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-chandler/in-the-energies-of-the-green-knight-we-have-an-elder-who-comes-to-the/) [Virginia Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-chandler/) > [“AT&T developed cross-country systems of microwave relay towers, which marched across the countryside from coast to coast and border to border, every 20 to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-t-developed-cross-country-systems-of-microwave-relay-towers-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Now that Marilyn Monroe is kosher, Arthur Miller can eat her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-levant/now-that-marilyn-monroe-is-kosher-arthur-miller-can-eat-her/) [Oscar Levant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-levant/) > [You don't have to believe that there was a King Arthur to get the significance of those stories, but Christians say we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/you-don-t-have-to-believe-that-there-was-a-king-arthur-to-get-the/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) Browse all 340 Arthur quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You know,\" said Arthur, \"it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young.\" \"Why, what did she tell you?\" \"I don't know, I didn't listen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas Adams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like-this-when-i-m-trapped-in-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arthur" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like-this-when-i-m-trapped-in-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/626/douglas-adams-122_arthur_you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like_529201.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/626/douglas-adams-122_arthur_you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like_529201.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/626/douglas-adams-122_arthur_you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like_529201.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You know,\" said Arthur, \"it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from…” — 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": "You know,\" said Arthur, \"it's at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like-this-when-i-m-trapped-in-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like-this-when-i-m-trapped-in-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 } } ] } ```