Centuries Quote by Martin Amis
““Imagine the terrestrial timespan as an outstretched arm: a single swipe of an emery-board, across the nail of the third finger, erases human history. We haven't been around for very long. And we've turned the earth's hair white. Sh e seemed to have eternal youth but now she's ageing awful fast, like an addict, like a waxless candle. Jesus, have you seen her recently? we used to live and die without any sense of the planet getting older, of mother earth getting older, living and dying. We used to live outside history. But now we're all coterminous. We're inside history now all right, on its leading edge, with the wind ripping past our ears. Hard to love, when you're bracing yourself for impact. And maybe love can't bear it either, and flees all planets when they reach this condition, when they get to the end of their twentieth centuries.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Money, Martin Amis, 1984
Human existence is fleeting compared to geological time, and our impact accelerates planetary aging, creating existential dread.
In simple terms: Our lives are short and we are aging the planet fast.
Key Takeaway
Recognize our fleeting impact and act responsibly.
Themes
existential
environmental
time
humanity
impact
Mood
anxious
reflective
urgent
Type
philosophical
environmental
When to use this quote
- climate activism
- policy making
- personal lifestyle changes
- education
- artistic expression
Key Concepts
anthropocene
temporal perspective
ecological crisis
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance progress with planetary health?
- What responsibilities arise from our brief existence?
A Different Perspective
Our actions may be too late to reverse damage.
![“There exists a subterranean world where pathological fantasies disguised as ideas are churned out by crooks and half-educated fanatics [notably the lower clergy] for the benefit of the ignorant and superstitious. There are times when this underworld emerges from the depths and suddenly fascinates…” quote by Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a0c/martin-amis-704_political-power_there-exists-a-subterranean-world-where_86790.jpg)
