---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What sort of future is coming up from…"
description: "\"“What sort of future is coming up from behind I don't really know. But the past, spread out ahead, dominates everything in sight.”\" — Robert Prisig"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/robert-prisig-108784_past_what-sort-of-future-is-coming-up-from-be_2125201.jpg"
---

#  What sort of future is coming up from behind I don't…

![“What sort of future is coming up from behind I don't really know. But the past, spread out ahead, dominates everything in sight.” quote by Robert Prisig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/robert-prisig-108784_past_what-sort-of-future-is-coming-up-from-be_2125201.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/robert-prisig-108784_past_what-sort-of-future-is-coming-up-from-be_2125201.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/robert-prisig-108784_past_what-sort-of-future-is-coming-up-from-be_2125201.jpg)

> ““What sort of future is coming up from behind I don't really know. But the past, spread out ahead, dominates everything in sight.””

[Robert Prisig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-prisig/)

## 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 uncertain, yet the past, extending ahead, shapes our perception of everything.

**In simple terms:** The past influences how we see the future.

Key Takeaway

Consider how history shapes expectations.

Themes

future past time

Mood

contemplative nostalgic

Type

Ahead:1 Future:1 Past:1 Time:1 Future Coming:0 Ahead Dominates:0 Spread Ahead:0

When to use this quote

- personal planning
- historical analysis
- creative writing

Key Concepts

philosophy history perception

Questions to Reflect On

- What past events dominate your view?
- How can you reframe past influences?

A Different Perspective

Past may not fully determine future outcomes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ahead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ahead/) [Ahead Dominates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ahead-dominates-4355493/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Future Coming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-coming-333849/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Spread Ahead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spread-ahead-4355494/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [The wave of the future is coming and there is no fighting it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/the-wave-of-the-future-is-coming-and-there-is-no-fighting-it/)

[Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/)

> [“The time is not there for us to act any more, the time we waited for is here right now for us to act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/the-time-is-not-there-for-us-to-act-any-more-the-time-we-waited-for/)

[Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/)

> [I basically look at how exponential emerging technological changes runs counter-intuitive to the way our linear brains make projections about change, and so we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-silva/i-basically-look-at-how-exponential-emerging-technological-changes/)

[Jason Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-silva/)

> [What we are expecting, after 2012, is a one hundred more times, more harmonious, Utopian world, where things like, time travel, levitation, instant telepathy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wilcock/what-we-are-expecting-after-2012-is-a-one-hundred-more-times-more/)

[David Wilcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wilcock/)

> [The problem that faces our country today, the last 30 years we have lived off the future, and the bill is coming due. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/the-problem-that-faces-our-country-today-the-last-30-years-we-have/)

[Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/)

> [Drop the thought that you cannot affect the future. Tell yourself that the future is not coming TO you, it is coming THROUGH you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/drop-the-thought-that-you-cannot-affect-the-future-tell-yourself-that/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [“You can’t worry so much about the future. It’s coming, it’s gonna happen, and it’ll be beautiful and terrible but everything will be OK.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/una-lamarche/you-can-t-worry-so-much-about-the-future-it-s-coming-it-s-gonna/)

[Una LaMarche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/una-lamarche/)

> [The future is coming so fast, we can't possibly predict it; we can only learn to respond quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kerr/the-future-is-coming-so-fast-we-can-t-possibly-predict-it-we-can-only/)

[Steve Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kerr/)

> [The future is coming on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gorillaz/the-future-is-coming-on/)

[Gorillaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gorillaz/)

> [“You can't stop the future from coming”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/you-can-t-stop-the-future-from-coming/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [I had a great time creating the future on 'Minority Report,' and it's a future that is coming true faster than any of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-had-a-great-time-creating-the-future-on-minority-report-and-it-s-a/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [I always looked ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-evert/i-always-looked-ahead/)

[Chris Evert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-evert/)

> [I try not to look too far ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-reid/i-try-not-to-look-too-far-ahead/)

[Eric Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-reid/)

> [I don't want to look too far ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jofra-archer/i-don-t-want-to-look-too-far-ahead/)

[Jofra Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jofra-archer/)

> [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/)

## More by Robert Prisig

> [“Or if he takes whatever dull job he's stuck with -- and they are all, sooner or later, dull -- and, just to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-prisig/or-if-he-takes-whatever-dull-job-he-s-stuck-with-and-they-are-all/)

[Robert Prisig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-prisig/)

[Explore all 2 Robert Prisig quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-prisig/)

## More Ahead quotes

> [Anybody who thinks that they should lead the country should go ahead and put their hat in the ring. I am not among them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/anybody-who-thinks-that-they-should-lead-the-country-should-go-ahead/)

[Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/)

> [If I have a problem with somebody, I go ahead and say what's on my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-hulkenberg/if-i-have-a-problem-with-somebody-i-go-ahead-and-say-what-s-on-my-mind/)

[Nico Hulkenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-hulkenberg/)

> [I once invested in a risky business. Quite a few people warned me not to do so, but I still went ahead and invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautam-rode/i-once-invested-in-a-risky-business-quite-a-few-people-warned-me-not/)

[Gautam Rode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautam-rode/)

> [“What lies behind us is nothing compared to what lies within us and ahead of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/what-lies-behind-us-is-nothing-compared-to-what-lies-within-us-and/)

[Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/)

> [In Life, We May Never Get The Same Opportunity Again, But There's Always Something Better Ahead...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/in-life-we-may-never-get-the-same-opportunity-again-but-there-s/)

[Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/)

> [Makeup is only fun if it's occasional and capricious - just like it's a treat to have an empty day ahead, but it wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/makeup-is-only-fun-if-it-s-occasional-and-capricious-just-like-it-s-a/)

[Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/)

> [There is no such thing as disposable time if you want to stay ahead of the game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-such-thing-as-disposable-time-if-you-want-to-stay-ahead/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm the kind of guy who comes home and checks scores for everything. I'm a sports fan in general, so I pretty much keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/i-m-the-kind-of-guy-who-comes-home-and-checks-scores-for-everything-i/)

[Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/)

> [People are flying you places in business class. Everyone wants to take pictures of you and find out information about you. It's a freak-out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolandi-visser/people-are-flying-you-places-in-business-class-everyone-wants-to-take/)

[Yolandi Visser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolandi-visser/)

> [I wasn't putting my all into it and I was still managing to score goals, and that gave me something to dream about, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gray/i-wasn-t-putting-my-all-into-it-and-i-was-still-managing-to-score/)

[Andre Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gray/)

> [There's no limit to what you can accomplish, but there's always someone one step ahead of you, so it's a constant uphill battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-mary-stewart/there-s-no-limit-to-what-you-can-accomplish-but-there-s-always/)

[Catherine Mary Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-mary-stewart/)

> [I was never bothered about my position in the industry. If I had believed in it, I wouldn't have allowed anyone to get ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharmendra/i-was-never-bothered-about-my-position-in-the-industry-if-i-had/)

[Dharmendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharmendra/)

> [I don't want to look too far ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jofra-archer/i-don-t-want-to-look-too-far-ahead/)

[Jofra Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jofra-archer/)

> [“one who takes the first step always remains one step ahead”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabi-shaheen/one-who-takes-the-first-step-always-remains-one-step-ahead/)

[Rabi Shaheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabi-shaheen/)

> [I am not interested to sing in Bollywood. I sing for only those actors whom I admire. I sing free of cost for them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-honey-singh/i-am-not-interested-to-sing-in-bollywood-i-sing-for-only-those-actors/)

[Yo Yo Honey Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-honey-singh/)

[Browse all 1,773 Ahead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ahead/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“What sort of future is coming up from behind I don't really know. But the past, spread out ahead, dominates everything in sight.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Prisig"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-prisig/what-sort-of-future-is-coming-up-from-behind-i-don-t-really-know-but/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ahead"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-prisig/what-sort-of-future-is-coming-up-from-behind-i-don-t-really-know-but/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/robert-prisig-108784_past_what-sort-of-future-is-coming-up-from-be_2125201.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/robert-prisig-108784_past_what-sort-of-future-is-coming-up-from-be_2125201.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/robert-prisig-108784_past_what-sort-of-future-is-coming-up-from-be_2125201.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What sort of future is coming up from behind I don't really know. But the past, spread out ahead, dominates…” — Robert Prisig",
                "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": "Robert Prisig",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-prisig/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“What sort of future is coming...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-prisig/what-sort-of-future-is-coming-up-from-behind-i-don-t-really-know-but/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-prisig/what-sort-of-future-is-coming-up-from-behind-i-don-t-really-know-but/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
