--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To illustrate the vain conceit that the…" description: "\"To illustrate the vain conceit that the universe must be somehow pre-ordained for us, because we are so well-suited to live in it, he [Douglas Adams] m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/richard-dawkins-115_conceit_to-illustrate-the-vain-conceit-that-the_2176499.jpg" --- # To illustrate the vain conceit that the universe must be… ![“To illustrate the vain conceit that the universe must be somehow pre-ordained for us, because we are so well-suited to live in it, he [Douglas Adams] mimed a wonderfully funny imitation of a puddle of water, fitting itself snugly into a depression in the ground, the depression uncannily being…” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/richard-dawkins-115_conceit_to-illustrate-the-vain-conceit-that-the_2176499.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/richard-dawkins-115_conceit_to-illustrate-the-vain-conceit-that-the_2176499.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/richard-dawkins-115_conceit_to-illustrate-the-vain-conceit-that-the_2176499.jpg) > “To illustrate the vain conceit that the universe must be somehow pre-ordained for us, because we are so well-suited to live in it, he \[Douglas Adams\] mimed a wonderfully funny imitation of a puddle of water, fitting itself snugly into a depression in the ground, the depression uncannily being exactly the same shape as the puddle.” [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## 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 mocks the idea that the universe is perfectly designed for humanity, using a puddle analogy to show coincidence over design. **In simple terms:** It jokes that the universe isn’t specially made for us. Key Takeaway Question coincidences, not destiny. Themes humor science philosophy Mood skeptical playful Type critical satirical When to use this quote - debates on cosmology - science education - philosophical discussions - skeptical inquiry - public talks Key Concepts anthropic principle coincidence design argument Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions do we make about design? - How does humor affect scientific discourse? A Different Perspective It may oversimplify complex cosmological arguments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conceit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceit/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/douglas-adams/) [Fitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitting/) [Funny Imitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-imitation-4683100/) [Imitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imitation/) [Imitation Puddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imitation-puddle-4683099/) [Puddles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puddles/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Shape Puddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shape-puddle-4683101/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) [Vain Conceit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain-conceit-4683102/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [ I've seen \[Lalla Ward\] episodes of "Doctor Who." They're good, at least partly because the scripts were written by Douglas Adams. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-ve-seen-lalla-ward-episodes-of-doctor-who-they-re-good-at-least/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [ I think Douglas \[Adams\] is writing with an eye to irony for adults at the same time as entertaining children. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-think-douglas-adams-is-writing-with-an-eye-to-irony-for-adults-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“It would not be completely unreasonable to suggest that if J.K. Rowling, Dan Brown, and Dean Koontz were to get together in a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-sheldon/it-would-not-be-completely-unreasonable-to-suggest-that-if-j-k/) [Mark Sheldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-sheldon/) > [“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they fly past.' Douglas Adams”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tima-maria-lacoba/i-love-deadlines-i-love-the-whooshing-sound-they-make-as-they-fly/) [Tima Maria Lacoba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tima-maria-lacoba/) > [Whatever our bedtime was as kids, we could stay up an extra half hour if we were reading. My parents didn't care as long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/whatever-our-bedtime-was-as-kids-we-could-stay-up-an-extra-half-hour/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [ I think Douglas \[Douglas Adams\] was a real one-off. He was so clever and so intelligent and so well read in real science that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lalla-ward/i-think-douglas-douglas-adams-was-a-real-one-off-he-was-so-clever-and/) [Lalla Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lalla-ward/) > [“What are you, beyond the collection of the things you've done, said and thought? Happily, much comfort is to be found in the Good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belle-dejour/what-are-you-beyond-the-collection-of-the-things-you-ve-done-said-and/) [Belle Dejour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belle-dejour/) > [“Douglas Adams. Kurt Vonnegut. Neal Stephenson. Richard K. Morgan. Stephen King. Orson Scott Card. Terry Pratchett. Terry Brooks. Bester, Bradbury, Haldeman, Heinlein, Tolkien, Vance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/douglas-adams-kurt-vonnegut-neal-stephenson-richard-k-morgan-stephen/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [“If there is one thing we try to teach our students when they first arrive at the University of Manchester, ready to learn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox-jeff-forshaw/if-there-is-one-thing-we-try-to-teach-our-students-when-they-first/) [Brian Cox Jeff Forshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox-jeff-forshaw/) > [“GENERAL NOTE TO MYSELF - Douglas Adams Writing isn’t so bad really when you get through the worry. Forget about the worry, just press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/general-note-to-myself-douglas-adams-writing-isn-t-so-bad-really-when/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“You are aware that what they do, they do for the world, and the results are, of course, magnificent. But when you . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-are-aware-that-what-they-do-they-do-for-the-world-and-the-results/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I'm a fan of Douglas Adams, yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-berry/i-m-a-fan-of-douglas-adams-yes/) [Matt Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-berry/) > [I do not believe that all books will or should migrate onto screens: as Douglas Adams once pointed out to me, more than 20…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-do-not-believe-that-all-books-will-or-should-migrate-onto-screens-2/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [ “Human beings, who are almost unique \[among animals\] in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-berkun/human-beings-who-are-almost-unique-among-animals-in-having-the/) [Scott Berkun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-berkun/) > [“I do not believe that all books will or should migrate onto screens: as Douglas Adams once pointed out to me, more than 20…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-do-not-believe-that-all-books-will-or-should-migrate-onto-screens/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More by Richard Dawkins > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The fundamentalist Kurt Wise proclaims that all the evidence in the universe would not change his mind. The true scientist, however passionately he may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-fundamentalist-kurt-wise-proclaims-that-all-the-evidence-in-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Religions do make claims about the universe--the same kinds of claims that scientists make, except they're usually false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/religions-do-make-claims-about-the-universe-the-same-kinds-of-claims/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“much of the Bible is not systematically evil but just plain weird, as you would expect of a chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/much-of-the-bible-is-not-systematically-evil-but-just-plain-weird-as/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The recurrent laryngeal nerve - which runs from the head to the voice box - goes all the way down into the chest, loops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-recurrent-laryngeal-nerve-which-runs-from-the-head-to-the-voice/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The Roman Catholic Church is an institution for whose gains the phrase "ill-gotten" might have been specially invented. And of all its money-making rip-offs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-roman-catholic-church-is-an-institution-for-whose-gains-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/let-us-understand-what-our-own-selfish-genes-are-up-to-because-we-may/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We have seen that living things are too improbable and too beautifully 'designed' to have come into existence by chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-have-seen-that-living-things-are-too-improbable-and-too/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“We will not go quietly away. If in the future that requires violence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-will-not-go-quietly-away-if-in-the-future-that-requires-violence/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It's a truly disgusting idea that the creator of the universe - capable of inventing the laws of physics and designing the evolutionary process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-truly-disgusting-idea-that-the-creator-of-the-universe-capable/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Explore all 1,239 Richard Dawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More Conceit quotes > [“A session of boasting won't attract any real friends.  It will set you up on a pedestal, however, making you a clearer target.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/a-session-of-boasting-won-t-attract-any-real-friends-it-will-set-you/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/most-of-us-think-of-pride-as-self-centeredness-conceit-boastfulness/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Conceit is a sure sign of insecurity; humility denotes awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sivaya-subramuniyaswami/conceit-is-a-sure-sign-of-insecurity-humility-denotes-awareness/) [Sivaya Subramuniyaswami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sivaya-subramuniyaswami/) > [Conceit is a weird disease - it makes everybody sick except the guy who has it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dobson/conceit-is-a-weird-disease-it-makes-everybody-sick-except-the-guy-who/) [James Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dobson/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. Where one has been saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/be-very-slow-to-believe-that-you-are-wiser-than-all-others-it-is-a/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [History repeats the old conceits, the glib replies, the same defeats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/history-repeats-the-old-conceits-the-glib-replies-the-same-defeats/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Being carefree, you can fit in anywhere. If you’re not carefree you keep on bumping up against things. Your life becomes so narrow, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsoknyi-rinpoche/being-carefree-you-can-fit-in-anywhere-if-you-re-not-carefree-you/) [Tsoknyi Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsoknyi-rinpoche/) > [This man, who for twenty-five years has been reading and writing about art, and in all that time has never understood anything about art,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/this-man-who-for-twenty-five-years-has-been-reading-and-writing-about/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [There is nothing like a good bit of pain for taking the conceit out of one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-welsh-carlyle/there-is-nothing-like-a-good-bit-of-pain-for-taking-the-conceit-out/) [Jane Welsh Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-welsh-carlyle/) > [If you want to conquer conceit, do not desire praise, laurels, nice garments, respect, favor, but like to be blamed and slandered by people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-aleksandrovich-antonov/if-you-want-to-conquer-conceit-do-not-desire-praise-laurels-nice/) [Vladimir Aleksandrovich Antonov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-aleksandrovich-antonov/) > [The smaller the mind, the greater the ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-smaller-the-mind-the-greater-the-ego/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [If a man thinks he is not conceited, he is very conceited indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-man-thinks-he-is-not-conceited-he-is-very-conceited-indeed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is simple ignorance, which is the source of lighter offenses, and double ignorance, which is accompanied by a conceit of wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/there-is-simple-ignorance-which-is-the-source-of-lighter-offenses-and/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Jesus regularly visualized the success of his efforts ... 'I always do what pleases God.' ... Was this conceit? Or was it enlightened creativity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-beth-jones/jesus-regularly-visualized-the-success-of-his-efforts-i-always-do/) [Laurie Beth Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-beth-jones/) > [“Took long enough,” she called out, not wanting to admit how the sight of him made her throat hitch, how the man was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mcintyre/took-long-enough-she-called-out-not-wanting-to-admit-how-the-sight-of/) [Katherine McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mcintyre/) [Browse all 360 Conceit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceit/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To illustrate the vain conceit that the universe must be somehow pre-ordained for us, because we are so well-suited to live in it, he [Douglas Adams] mimed a wonderfully funny imitation of a puddle of water, fitting itself snugly into a depression in the ground, the depression uncannily being exactly the same shape as the puddle.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Dawkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/to-illustrate-the-vain-conceit-that-the-universe-must-be-somehow-pre/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conceit" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/to-illustrate-the-vain-conceit-that-the-universe-must-be-somehow-pre/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/richard-dawkins-115_conceit_to-illustrate-the-vain-conceit-that-the_2176499.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/richard-dawkins-115_conceit_to-illustrate-the-vain-conceit-that-the_2176499.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/richard-dawkins-115_conceit_to-illustrate-the-vain-conceit-that-the_2176499.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To illustrate the vain conceit that the universe must be somehow pre-ordained for us, because we are so…” — Richard Dawkins", "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": "Richard Dawkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To illustrate the vain conceit that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/to-illustrate-the-vain-conceit-that-the-universe-must-be-somehow-pre/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/to-illustrate-the-vain-conceit-that-the-universe-must-be-somehow-pre/#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 } } ] } ```