--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And then,\" said Sarnac, \"I remember that…" description: "\"“And then,\" said Sarnac, \"I remember that I made a prophecy. I made it - when did I make it? Two thousand years ago? Or two weeks ago? I sat in Fanny's..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a07/h-g-wells-2-1299_better-things_and-then-said-sarnac-i-remember-that-i-m_486732.jpg" --- # And then," said Sarnac, "I remember that I made a… ![“And then," said Sarnac, "I remember that I made a prophecy. I made it - when did I make it? Two thousand years ago? Or two weeks ago? I sat in Fanny's little sitting-room, an old-world creature amidst her old-world furnishings, and I said that men and women would not always suffer as we were…” quote by H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a07/h-g-wells-2-1299_better-things_and-then-said-sarnac-i-remember-that-i-m_486732.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a07/h-g-wells-2-1299_better-things_and-then-said-sarnac-i-remember-that-i-m_486732.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a07/h-g-wells-2-1299_better-things_and-then-said-sarnac-i-remember-that-i-m_486732.jpg) > ““And then," said Sarnac, "I remember that I made a prophecy. I made it - when did I make it? Two thousand years ago? Or two weeks ago? I sat in Fanny's little sitting-room, an old-world creature amidst her old-world furnishings, and I said that men and women would not always suffer as we were suffering then. I said that we were still poor savages, living only in the bleak dawn of civilisation, and that we suffered because we were under-bred, under-trained and darkly ignorant of ourselves, that the mere fact that we knew our own unhappiness was the promise of better things and that a day would come when charity and understanding would light the world so that men and women would no longer hurt themselves and one another as they were doing now everywhere, universally, in law and in restriction and in jealousy and in hate, all round and about the earth.”” [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) ## 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 a prophetic vision of humanity evolving from suffering and ignorance toward a future of charity and understanding. **In simple terms:** Humanity can move from misery to compassion through self‑knowledge. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy and education. Themes progress humanity hope compassion ignorance Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - social reform - education initiatives - conflict resolution Key Concepts prophecy social evolution self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - What actions can individuals take today to foster global compassion? - How does self‑knowledge translate into societal change? A Different Perspective Optimism may overlook entrenched power structures and resistance to change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-things/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Prophecy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophecy/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) [Utopia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utopia/) [Utopianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utopianism/) ## Related quotes > [“He kissed her, and the magic that had been building up steadily around them exploded, raining down in arcs of silver fire that made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/he-kissed-her-and-the-magic-that-had-been-building-up-steadily-around/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [“When every one is dead the Great Game is finished. Not before”; and the only reason his prophecy did not come true was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/when-every-one-is-dead-the-great-game-is-finished-not-before-and-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“The — the prophecy . . . the prediction . . . Trelawney . . .” “Ah, yes. How much did you relay to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/the-the-prophecy-the-prediction-trelawney-ah-yes-how-much-did-you/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [“I like to think of you not being able to end your suffering,' she said. 'I like to think of you not being able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-cain/i-like-to-think-of-you-not-being-able-to-end-your-suffering-she-said/) [Chelsea Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-cain/) > [She said, "It's not life or death, the labyrinth." "Um, okay. So what is it?" "Suffering," she said. "Doing wrong and having wrong things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-said-it-s-not-life-or-death-the-labyrinth-um-okay-so-what-is-it-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“she said, "It's not life or death, the labyrinth." "Um, Okay. So what is it?" "Suffering" She said. "Doing wrong and having wrong things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-said-it-s-not-life-or-death-the-labyrinth-um-okay-so-what-is-it/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“...‘All this suffering,’ I said, ‘and nothing but greed and violence to build on when the war is over.’ ‘Have another soda-mint,’ said Charles.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-dennys/all-this-suffering-i-said-and-nothing-but-greed-and-violence-to-build/) Joyce Dennys > [“Her hand just above my knee, the palm flat and soft against my jeans and her index finger making slow, lazy circles that crept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/her-hand-just-above-my-knee-the-palm-flat-and-soft-against-my-jeans/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“It's not about life or death, the labyrinth." "So what is it?" "Suffering." she said. "Doing wrong and having wrong things happen to you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/it-s-not-about-life-or-death-the-labyrinth-so-what-is-it-suffering/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“The secret cause of all suffering,” he said, “is mortality itself, which is the prime condition of life. It cannot be denied if life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-secret-cause-of-all-suffering-he-said-is-mortality-itself-which/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [Most of us tend to belittle all suffering except our own," said Mary. "I think it's fear. We don't want to come too near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-goudge/most-of-us-tend-to-belittle-all-suffering-except-our-own-said-mary-i/) [Elizabeth Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-goudge/) > [“Experience makes good people better." She was staring at the lake. "How does it do that?" "Through their suffering." "I had enough of that,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/experience-makes-good-people-better-she-was-staring-at-the-lake-how/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [“Our dream of heaven cannot be realized on earth. Once we begin to rely upon our reason, and to use our powers of criticism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/our-dream-of-heaven-cannot-be-realized-on-earth-once-we-begin-to-rely/) [Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/) > [“Psychology at best tells us how things are, not how they are supposed to be! There is no utopic science.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zal/psychology-at-best-tells-us-how-things-are-not-how-they-are-supposed-2/) zal > [“All political ideals, that of making the people happy is perhaps the most dangerous one. It leads invariably to the attempt to impose our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/all-political-ideals-that-of-making-the-people-happy-is-perhaps-the/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) ## More by H.G. Wells > [“I was grotesque to the theatrical pitch, a stage miser, but I was certainly not a physical impossibility”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/i-was-grotesque-to-the-theatrical-pitch-a-stage-miser-but-i-was/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“Eight-and-twenty years,' said I, 'I have lived, and never a ghost have I seen as yet.' The old woman sat staring hard into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/eight-and-twenty-years-said-i-i-have-lived-and-never-a-ghost-have-i/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“That is the germ of my great discovery. But you are wrong to say that we cannot move about in Time. 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Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“We must remember what ruthless and utter destruction our own species has wrought, not only upon animals, such as vanished bison and the dodo,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/we-must-remember-what-ruthless-and-utter-destruction-our-own-species/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“I grieved to think how brief the dream of the human intellect had been. It had committed suicide. It had set itself steadfastly towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/i-grieved-to-think-how-brief-the-dream-of-the-human-intellect-had/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“Because this island is full of inimical phenomena.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/because-this-island-is-full-of-inimical-phenomena/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“What right have they to hope? They work ill and they want the reward of those who work well. The hope of mankind -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/what-right-have-they-to-hope-they-work-ill-and-they-want-the-reward/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“So long as you are alive you are just the moment, perhaps, but when you are dead then you are all your life from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/so-long-as-you-are-alive-you-are-just-the-moment-perhaps-but-when-you/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“An unpleasant odour would not be objected to, it is not objected to now in many continental hotels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/an-unpleasant-odour-would-not-be-objected-to-it-is-not-objected-to/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“In the early evening time Dr. Kemp was sitting in his study in the belvedere on the hill overlooking Burdock. It was a pleasant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/in-the-early-evening-time-dr-kemp-was-sitting-in-his-study-in-the/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“The whole world will be intelligent, educated, and co-operating; things will move faster and faster towards the subjugation of Nature. In the end, wisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/the-whole-world-will-be-intelligent-educated-and-co-operating-things/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [“For three centuries the life of the Hebrews was like the life of a man who insists upon living in the middle of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/for-three-centuries-the-life-of-the-hebrews-was-like-the-life-of-a/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) [Explore all 246 H.G. Wells quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) ## More Better things quotes > [I won't be tweeting this sunday. I have better things to do like bashing myself by following girls on streets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-won-t-be-tweeting-this-sunday-i-have-better-things-to-do-like/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Sometimes you have to let things go so theres room for better things to come into your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-have-to-let-things-go-so-theres-room-for-better-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For now, I'm supposing that all movements are equal, which they're not, except in this respect: that none of them gives a damn about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfrid-sheed/for-now-i-m-supposing-that-all-movements-are-equal-which-they-re-not/) [Wilfrid Sheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfrid-sheed/) > [“Oh, nothing. Only you really did help them, you know.” “Who?” “All the men who’ve come through this House. You helped them find their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helene-wecker/oh-nothing-only-you-really-did-help-them-you-know-who-all-the-men-who/) [Helene Wecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helene-wecker/) > [“Have fun in everything you do. Challenge yourself to bigger and better things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-miller/have-fun-in-everything-you-do-challenge-yourself-to-bigger-and-better/) [Dan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-miller/) > [Good things come to those who wait, Better things come to those who try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/good-things-come-to-those-who-wait-better-things-come-to-those-who-try/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“Jay got up and walked to the trash to scrape off his plate, but when the trash can popped open, he stopped and reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-j-dell-antonia/jay-got-up-and-walked-to-the-trash-to-scrape-off-his-plate-but-when/) K.J. Dell'Antonia > [Yes?' Joe Solomon sounded like someone with far better things to do. 'Is there any homework?' she asked, and the class turned instantly from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/yes-joe-solomon-sounded-like-someone-with-far-better-things-to-do-is/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [Believe me, I have better things to do than sabotage your friendships. No one else's world revolves around you, Cassandra." -Paige to Cassandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/believe-me-i-have-better-things-to-do-than-sabotage-your-friendships/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [Prayers go up, blessings pour down!! God always makes a way for better things to happen, feeling blessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayers-go-up-blessings-pour-down-god-always-makes-a-way-for-better/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Even better things are thrown off , when expected comfortableness is not acquired Painful truth is that things are replaced by hearted humans too ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iquote/even-better-things-are-thrown-off-when-expected-comfortableness-is/) [Iquote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iquote/) > [To really enjoy the better things in life, one must first have experienced the things they are better than.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oskar-homolka/to-really-enjoy-the-better-things-in-life-one-must-first-have/) Oskar Homolka > [...If our houses, or clothes, our household furniture and utensils are not works of art, they are either wretched makeshifts, or, what is worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/if-our-houses-or-clothes-our-household-furniture-and-utensils-are-not/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [You always need a bit of low-tech.You always need a pair of scissors, it seems to me. You can do better things… The high-tech,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hockney/you-always-need-a-bit-of-low-tech-you-always-need-a-pair-of-scissors/) [David Hockney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hockney/) > [“There are always far better things ahead than what we will leave behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-vonada/there-are-always-far-better-things-ahead-than-what-we-will-leave/) [Chris Vonada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-vonada/) [Browse all 442 Better things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And then,\" said Sarnac, \"I remember that I made a prophecy. I made it - when did I make it? Two thousand years ago? Or two weeks ago? I sat in Fanny's little sitting-room, an old-world creature amidst her old-world furnishings, and I said that men and women would not always suffer as we were suffering then. I said that we were still poor savages, living only in the bleak dawn of civilisation, and that we suffered because we were under-bred, under-trained and darkly ignorant of ourselves, that the mere fact that we knew our own unhappiness was the promise of better things and that a day would come when charity and understanding would light the world so that men and women would no longer hurt themselves and one another as they were doing now everywhere, universally, in law and in restriction and in jealousy and in hate, all round and about the earth.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H.G. 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