--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know,” said Arthur thoughtfully, “all…" description: "\"“You know,” said Arthur thoughtfully, “all this explains a lot of things. All through my life I’ve had this strange unaccountable feeling that somethin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/douglas-adams-122_old-man_you-know-said-arthur-thoughtfully-all-th_2922837.png" --- # You know,” said Arthur thoughtfully, “all this explains a… ![“You know,” said Arthur thoughtfully, “all this explains a lot of things. All through my life I’ve had this strange unaccountable feeling that something was going on in the world, something big, even sinister, and no one would tell me what it was.” “No,” said the old man, “that’s just perfectly…” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/douglas-adams-122_old-man_you-know-said-arthur-thoughtfully-all-th_2922837.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/douglas-adams-122_old-man_you-know-said-arthur-thoughtfully-all-th_2922837.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/douglas-adams-122_old-man_you-know-said-arthur-thoughtfully-all-th_2922837.png) > ““You know,” said Arthur thoughtfully, “all this explains a lot of things. All through my life I’ve had this strange unaccountable feeling that something was going on in the world, something big, even sinister, and no one would tell me what it was.” “No,” said the old man, “that’s just perfectly normal paranoia. Everyone in the Universe has that.”” [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. Feeling that hidden forces shape reality is common and can be unsettling. **In simple terms:** Hidden forces feel unsettling. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about unseen influences. Themes paranoia awareness universal truth Mood curious thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - daily life - creative work - decision making Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports your feeling of hidden forces? - How do you differentiate intuition from paranoia? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on paranoia can cause unnecessary fear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arthur Thoughtfully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arthur-thoughtfully-4267282/) [Normal Paranoia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-paranoia-4267280/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Paranoia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paranoia/) [Paranoia Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paranoia-universe-4267281/) [Said Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-arthur-337013/) ## Related quotes > [All through my life I've had this strange unaccountable feeling that something was going on in the world, something big, even sinister, and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/all-through-my-life-i-ve-had-this-strange-unaccountable-feeling-that-2/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“All through my life I've had this strange unaccountable feeling that something was going on in the world, something big, even sinister, and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/all-through-my-life-i-ve-had-this-strange-unaccountable-feeling-that/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [So this is it," said Arthur, "We are going to die." "Yes," said Ford, "except... no! Wait a minute!" He suddenly lunged across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/so-this-is-it-said-arthur-we-are-going-to-die-yes-said-ford-except-no/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Good,” said Arthur. “See?” said Ford. “No,” said Arthur.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/good-said-arthur-see-said-ford-no-said-arthur/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [How do you feel?" he asked him. "Like a military academy," said Arthur. "Bits of me keep on passing out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/how-do-you-feel-he-asked-him-like-a-military-academy-said-arthur-bits/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“And what’s happened to the Earth?” “Ah. It’s been demolished.” “Has it,” said Arthur levelly. “Yes. It just boiled away into space.” “Look,” said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/and-what-s-happened-to-the-earth-ah-it-s-been-demolished-has-it-said/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Time,” said Arthur weakly, “is not currently one of my problems.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/time-said-arthur-weakly-is-not-currently-one-of-my-problems/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“It's not so much an afterlife' Said Arthur, 'more a sort of apres vie”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/it-s-not-so-much-an-afterlife-said-arthur-more-a-sort-of-apres-vie/) [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/) > [“Some factual information for you. Have you any idea how much damage that bulldozer would suffer if I just let it roll straight over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/some-factual-information-for-you-have-you-any-idea-how-much-damage/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [You cannot see what I see because you see what you see. You cannot know what I know because you know what you know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-cannot-see-what-i-see-because-you-see-what-you-see-you-cannot/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Hey, this is terrific!" he said. "Someone down there is trying to kill us!" "Terrific," said Arthur. "But don't you see what this means?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/hey-this-is-terrific-he-said-someone-down-there-is-trying-to-kill-us/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-know-said-arthur-it-s-at-times-like-this-when-i-m-trapped-in-a/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“I haven’t seen anyone for years,” he said, “not anyone. I can hardly remember how to speak. I keep forgetting words. I practise, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-haven-t-seen-anyone-for-years-he-said-not-anyone-i-can-hardly/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Ford and Arthur talking: "This is very, very serious indeed. The Guide has been taken over. It's been bought out." Arthur leapt up. "Oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/ford-and-arthur-talking-this-is-very-very-serious-indeed-the-guide/) [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 Old man quotes > [“You’d better keep her tied.” “Why?” A yawn stretched Hunter’s dark face. “Because she’s looking skittish.” “She’s naked.” Sheathing his knife, Hunter flopped on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/you-d-better-keep-her-tied-why-a-yawn-stretched-hunter-s-dark-face/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. 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He terrorised us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/my-old-man-was-ruthless-he-terrorised-us/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) > [There was an Old Man of Messina, Whose daughter was named Opsibeena; She wore a small wig, and rode out on a pig, To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/there-was-an-old-man-of-messina-whose-daughter-was-named-opsibeena/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“You think people was meaner then than they are now? the deputy said. The old man was looking out at the flooded town. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-think-people-was-meaner-then-than-they-are-now-the-deputy-said/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“IN the year 1888 Herr von Pasenow was seventy, and there were people who felt an extraordinary and inexplicable repulsion when they saw him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-broch/in-the-year-1888-herr-von-pasenow-was-seventy-and-there-were-people/) [Hermann Broch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-broch/) > [“He wants to dream like a young man with the wisdom of a old man, he wants his home and securities, he wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/he-wants-to-dream-like-a-young-man-with-the-wisdom-of-a-old-man-he/) [Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/) > [The true love suddenly broken, not only but like the old man who has lost the stick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-true-love-suddenly-broken-not-only-but-like-the-old-man-who-has/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I’m 59 and people call me middle aged. 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