--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was as if the future were a treacly…" description: "\"“It was as if the future were a treacly adhesive fluid that had been spilt all over the present, so that everything he touched made his fingers too sti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/hope-mirrlees-23151_future_it-was-as-if-the-future-were-a-treacly-a_256802.png" --- # It was as if the future were a treacly adhesive fluid that… ![“It was as if the future were a treacly adhesive fluid that had been spilt all over the present, so that everything he touched made his fingers too sticky to be of the slightest use.” quote by Hope Mirrlees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/hope-mirrlees-23151_future_it-was-as-if-the-future-were-a-treacly-a_256802.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/hope-mirrlees-23151_future_it-was-as-if-the-future-were-a-treacly-a_256802.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/hope-mirrlees-23151_future_it-was-as-if-the-future-were-a-treacly-a_256802.png) > ““It was as if the future were a treacly adhesive fluid that had been spilt all over the present, so that everything he touched made his fingers too sticky to be of the slightest use.”” [Hope Mirrlees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-mirrlees/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The future is portrayed as a sticky, sweet substance that clings to the present, making actions ineffective. **In simple terms:** Future feels sticky and useless. Key Takeaway Stay present, avoid over‑planning. Themes future sticky ineffectiveness creativity Mood melancholic introspective Type literary reflective When to use this quote - writing - project planning - decision making - personal growth Key Concepts psychology time perception creative block Questions to Reflect On - How does anticipation hinder productivity? - What helps break the sticky feeling? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on future can paralyze present action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Some people have the Midas touch, other’s dip their fingers in sticky, permanent black ink, Smudged. Unlucky.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-matayo/some-people-have-the-midas-touch-other-s-dip-their-fingers-in-sticky/) [Amy Matayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-matayo/) > [I am most alive when I let myself be touched by the fingers of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/i-am-most-alive-when-i-let-myself-be-touched-by-the-fingers-of-life/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) > [“Okay, okay. No kissing. No touching. No flirting." 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I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [Football is my passion, and who knows where I will play in the future - you cannot foresee that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edinson-cavani/football-is-my-passion-and-who-knows-where-i-will-play-in-the-future/) [Edinson Cavani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edinson-cavani/) > [When I was 17, I broke up with my future wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-allen/when-i-was-17-i-broke-up-with-my-future-wife/) [Kris Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-allen/) > [I think everybody in the future has stopped talking to each other and we all just use emojis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-moffatt/i-think-everybody-in-the-future-has-stopped-talking-to-each-other-and/) [Scarlett Moffatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-moffatt/) > [When you continue to dwell on the past, there's no chance for a future. History repeats itself, thus, it's ok to LOOK back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-continue-to-dwell-on-the-past-there-s-no-chance-for-a-future/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am no different from a lot of people. I am concerned for the future of my children and concerned for the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/i-am-no-different-from-a-lot-of-people-i-am-concerned-for-the-future/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [Starting a new job can be nerve-racking , but it's also exciting. You're embarking on a new future, positioning yourself to write a fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/starting-a-new-job-can-be-nerve-racking-but-it-s-also-exciting-you-re/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) [Browse all 12,349 Future quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was as if the future were a treacly adhesive fluid that had been spilt all over the present, so that everything he touched made his fingers too sticky to be of the slightest use.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hope Mirrlees" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-mirrlees/it-was-as-if-the-future-were-a-treacly-adhesive-fluid-that-had-been/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Future" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-mirrlees/it-was-as-if-the-future-were-a-treacly-adhesive-fluid-that-had-been/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/hope-mirrlees-23151_future_it-was-as-if-the-future-were-a-treacly-a_256802.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/hope-mirrlees-23151_future_it-was-as-if-the-future-were-a-treacly-a_256802.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/hope-mirrlees-23151_future_it-was-as-if-the-future-were-a-treacly-a_256802.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It was as if the future were a treacly adhesive fluid that had been spilt all over the present, so that…” — Hope Mirrlees", "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": "Hope Mirrlees", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-mirrlees/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It was as if the future...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-mirrlees/it-was-as-if-the-future-were-a-treacly-adhesive-fluid-that-had-been/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-mirrlees/it-was-as-if-the-future-were-a-treacly-adhesive-fluid-that-had-been/#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 } } ] } ```