--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are the next thing the Time Dragon is…" description: "\"“We are the next thing the Time Dragon is dreaming, and nothing to be done about it.”\" — Gregory Maguire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/gregory-maguire-547_dragon_we-are-the-next-thing-the-time-dragon-is_1773531.png" --- # We are the next thing the Time Dragon is dreaming, and… ![“We are the next thing the Time Dragon is dreaming, and nothing to be done about it.” quote by Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/gregory-maguire-547_dragon_we-are-the-next-thing-the-time-dragon-is_1773531.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/gregory-maguire-547_dragon_we-are-the-next-thing-the-time-dragon-is_1773531.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/gregory-maguire-547_dragon_we-are-the-next-thing-the-time-dragon-is_1773531.png) > ““We are the next thing the Time Dragon is dreaming, and nothing to be done about it.”” [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests humanity is a fleeting, perhaps insignificant, creation within a larger, indifferent cosmic imagination, implying limited agency over destiny. **In simple terms:** Humans are a brief dream of a cosmic force, with little control. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and focus on present actions. Themes existentialism cosmic perspective human agency fate impermanence Mood thoughtful melancholic Type literary philosophical existential When to use this quote - personal reflection - creative writing - philosophical discussion Key Concepts philosophy mythology determinism Practical Applications - Literary analysis - science fiction storytelling Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to be a “dream” of a larger force? - How can we find meaning if we are insignificant? A Different Perspective It may overstate helplessness, ignoring human capacity for change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragon/) [Dragon Dreaming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragon-dreaming-1801036/) [Dreaming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreaming/) [Thing Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-time-284273/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-dragon-1801037/) ## Related quotes > [“If the unlettered farmers of Munchkinland and the factory workers of Gillikin believe that their fate is being determined by how the Time Dragon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/if-the-unlettered-farmers-of-munchkinland-and-the-factory-workers-of/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“Just do the next right thing, one thing at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/just-do-the-next-right-thing-one-thing-at-a-time/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) > [I think humanity can do more than one thing at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyan-slat/i-think-humanity-can-do-more-than-one-thing-at-the-same-time/) [Boyan Slat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyan-slat/) > [Time is so precious, so don't waste any of it, because there's one thing about time, and that is that it eventually runs out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-hope/time-is-so-precious-so-don-t-waste-any-of-it-because-there-s-one/) [Emily Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-hope/) > [“Investment is the best thing to do with time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/investment-is-the-best-thing-to-do-with-time/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The real achiever do one thing at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/the-real-achiever-do-one-thing-at-a-time/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [Never do but one thing at a time, and never put off till to-morrow what you can do today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/never-do-but-one-thing-at-a-time-and-never-put-off-till-to-morrow/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/beauty-is-the-only-thing-that-time-cannot-harm/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Sometimes the best thing to do all the time is take a nap and do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-the-best-thing-to-do-all-the-time-is-take-a-nap-and-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The most precious thing I have to give is my time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvia-hartmann/the-most-precious-thing-i-have-to-give-is-my-time/) [Silvia Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvia-hartmann/) > [You become an actor because you don't want to do the same thing all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-smart/you-become-an-actor-because-you-don-t-want-to-do-the-same-thing-all/) [Jean Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-smart/) > [It's better to do one thing at a time and give your full concentration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-fernandes/it-s-better-to-do-one-thing-at-a-time-and-give-your-full-concentration/) [Erica Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-fernandes/) > [There is this thing about time that you can't see at the time you're at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/there-is-this-thing-about-time-that-you-can-t-see-at-the-time-you-re/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [I'm like a man in that way. I can only do one thing at a time, haha.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-ruiz/i-m-like-a-man-in-that-way-i-can-only-do-one-thing-at-a-time-haha/) [Teresa Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-ruiz/) > [“Time is the thing I am made of. Time is a river that sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/time-is-the-thing-i-am-made-of-time-is-a-river-that-sweeps-me-along/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) ## More by Gregory Maguire > [“By so giving up, of course, it renews itself- that is the secret”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/by-so-giving-up-of-course-it-renews-itself-that-is-the-secret/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Forgive us our trespasses," says Margarethe, "and get out of our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/forgive-us-our-trespasses-says-margarethe-and-get-out-of-our-way/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“There are two kinds of anger: hot and cold. Boys and girls experience both, but as they grow up the anger separates according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/there-are-two-kinds-of-anger-hot-and-cold-boys-and-girls-experience/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“Very few things in the world are certain, but morning is one of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/very-few-things-in-the-world-are-certain-but-morning-is-one-of-them/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [No one survives in times of war unless they make war their home. How did I get so old and wise, but for welcoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/no-one-survives-in-times-of-war-unless-they-make-war-their-home-how/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“I care as much as I can, but I don’t spend energy caring about things I cannot resolve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-care-as-much-as-i-can-but-i-don-t-spend-energy-caring-about-things/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“How many times in a life, he thought, will I lie down in a darkness whose character I cannot imagine, to see what daybreak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/how-many-times-in-a-life-he-thought-will-i-lie-down-in-a-darkness/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Old Flossie settle down on the other side of What-the-Dickens and dragged some handiwork out of a sack. She armed herself with two thorns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/old-flossie-settle-down-on-the-other-side-of-what-the-dickens-and/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [I shall pray for your soul,' promised Nessarose. I shall wait for your shoes,' Elphie answered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-shall-pray-for-your-soul-promised-nessarose-i-shall-wait-for-your/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [My first job was scooping ice cream at Friendly's in Albany, New York. I hated the work, most of my colleagues, and the uniform,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/my-first-job-was-scooping-ice-cream-at-friendly-s-in-albany-new-york/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“At its most elemental, a spell is no more than a recipe for change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/at-its-most-elemental-a-spell-is-no-more-than-a-recipe-for-change/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [I write because I admire the act of rationalization, of seeking clarity in one's understanding of the complexities of life, and I'm bad at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-write-because-i-admire-the-act-of-rationalization-of-seeking/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“Do good though, will you?" She blinked brightly at the green girl. "If not for your parents or your grandmother, then for me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/do-good-though-will-you-she-blinked-brightly-at-the-green-girl-if-not/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“You always had an eye for the fellow with a decent helping of sausage and hard-boiled eggs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/you-always-had-an-eye-for-the-fellow-with-a-decent-helping-of-sausage/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“You need my help? What for? Bread, cash, a fake identity to help you slip sideways through the cracks? Tell me what you need,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/you-need-my-help-what-for-bread-cash-a-fake-identity-to-help-you-slip/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) [Explore all 470 Gregory Maguire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) ## More Dragon quotes > [ “Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus \[ never tickle a sleeping dragon \]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/draco-dormiens-nunquam-titillandus-never-tickle-a-sleeping-dragon/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [Arouse a bee and it will come at you with the force of a dragon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takeda-shingen/arouse-a-bee-and-it-will-come-at-you-with-the-force-of-a-dragon/) [Takeda Shingen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takeda-shingen/) > [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“If you banish the dragons, you banish the heroes...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/if-you-banish-the-dragons-you-banish-the-heroes/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [I especially like the songs Hurry Up and The Curse Of Castle Dragon, and I often include them in my live show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gilbert/i-especially-like-the-songs-hurry-up-and-the-curse-of-castle-dragon/) [Paul Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gilbert/) > [“You must see her pucker when she’s a dragon.” “This pucker can light your ass on fire, missy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-woods/you-must-see-her-pucker-when-she-s-a-dragon-this-pucker-can-light/) [Adrienne Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-woods/) > [“I will always be within reach if you need me, little one...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-von/i-will-always-be-within-reach-if-you-need-me-little-one/) [A.R. Von](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-von/) > [“Unable to help herself, she traced the tat, startled by the black and red ink mixed together. But it was the dragon design itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-grant/unable-to-help-herself-she-traced-the-tat-startled-by-the-black-and/) [Donna Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-grant/) > [The Soyuz is probably only slightly smaller than the Dragon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-walker/the-soyuz-is-probably-only-slightly-smaller-than-the-dragon/) [Shannon Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-walker/) > [Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fairy-tales-are-more-than-true-not-because-they-tell-us-that-dragons/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In the alchemy of man's soul almost all noble attributes--courage, honor, love, hope, faith, duty, loyalty, etc.--can be transmuted into ruthlessness. Compassion alone stands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/in-the-alchemy-of-man-s-soul-almost-all-noble-attributes-courage/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [To have dragons one must have change; that is the first principle of dragon lore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/to-have-dragons-one-must-have-change-that-is-the-first-principle-of/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [I know how the birds fly, how the fishes swim, how animals run. But there is the Dragon. I cannot tell how it mounts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/i-know-how-the-birds-fly-how-the-fishes-swim-how-animals-run-but/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [It was always that detail that drove me. Ever since I was a little kid, I used to get into the nitty gritty... when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-base/it-was-always-that-detail-that-drove-me-ever-since-i-was-a-little-kid/) [Graeme Base](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-base/) > [Holly is alive,' thought Foaly 'My princess lives,'exulted Orion. 'And we're chasing a dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/holly-is-alive-thought-foaly-my-princess-lives-exulted-orion-and-we/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) [Browse all 704 Dragon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragon/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We are the next thing the Time Dragon is dreaming, and nothing to be done about it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gregory Maguire" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/we-are-the-next-thing-the-time-dragon-is-dreaming-and-nothing-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dragon" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/we-are-the-next-thing-the-time-dragon-is-dreaming-and-nothing-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/gregory-maguire-547_dragon_we-are-the-next-thing-the-time-dragon-is_1773531.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/gregory-maguire-547_dragon_we-are-the-next-thing-the-time-dragon-is_1773531.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/gregory-maguire-547_dragon_we-are-the-next-thing-the-time-dragon-is_1773531.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are the next thing the Time Dragon is dreaming, and nothing to be done about it.” — Gregory Maguire", "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": "Gregory Maguire", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We are the next thing the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/we-are-the-next-thing-the-time-dragon-is-dreaming-and-nothing-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/we-are-the-next-thing-the-time-dragon-is-dreaming-and-nothing-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```