Prophets Quote by G.K. Chesterton
““And it did certainly appear that the prophets had put the people (engaged in the old game of Cheat the Prophet) in a quite unprecedented difficulty. It seemed really hard to do anything without fulfilling some of their prophecies. But there was, nevertheless, in the eyes of labourers in the streets, of peasants in the fields, of sailors and children, and especially women, a strange look that kept the wise men in a perfect fever of doubt. They could not fathom the motionless mirth in their eyes. They still had something up their sleeve; they were still playing the game of Cheat the Prophet. Then the wise men grew like wild things, and swayed hither and thither, crying, "What can it be? What can it be? What will London be like a century hence? Is there anything we have not thought of? Houses upside down--more hygienic, perhaps? Men walking on hands--make feet flexible, don't you know? Moon ... motor-cars ... no heads…" And so they swayed and wondered until they died and were buried nicely.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Man Who Was Thursday, G.K. Chesterton, 1908
The passage sat how people cling to prophecy, yet ordinary folk imagine absurd futures, exposing the limits of certainty and the humor in speculation.
In simple terms: People cling to prophecy while imagining wild futures.
Question assumptions and stay open to unexpected possibilities.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- urban planning
- technology forecasts
- political predictions
- creative writing
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this say about our reliance on predictions?
- How can humor reveal hidden doubts?
Speculation can become self‑defeating when it ignores practical realities.