--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We should have thought of it when the…" description: "\"We should have thought of it when the world was young, in the nineties.\" — Samuel Beckett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/samuel-beckett-365_art_we-should-have-thought-of-it-when-the-wo_817348.png" --- # We should have thought of it when the world was young, in… ![“We should have thought of it when the world was young, in the nineties.” quote by Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/samuel-beckett-365_art_we-should-have-thought-of-it-when-the-wo_817348.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/samuel-beckett-365_art_we-should-have-thought-of-it-when-the-wo_817348.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/samuel-beckett-365_art_we-should-have-thought-of-it-when-the-wo_817348.png) > “We should have thought of it when the world was young, in the nineties.” [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) ## 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 reflects on missed foresight, suggesting that earlier generations could have anticipated current issues. **In simple terms:** Earlier generations missed seeing future problems. Key Takeaway Consider learning from past oversights. Themes history foresight generational Mood reflective critical Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - policy planning - environmental strategy - education reform - historical analysis Key Concepts causality prediction Questions to Reflect On - What lessons from the past are being ignored today? - How can societies better anticipate long‑term consequences? A Different Perspective Future problems often arise from ignored warnings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Nineties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nineties/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I am all and nothing; I am not a mere thought, but at the same time I am full of thoughts, a thought-world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/i-am-all-and-nothing-i-am-not-a-mere-thought-but-at-the-same-time-i/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [Religion is one of the phases of thought through which the world is passing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/religion-is-one-of-the-phases-of-thought-through-which-the-world-is/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Today Miss World is all about young women who bring about a global change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manushi-chhillar/today-miss-world-is-all-about-young-women-who-bring-about-a-global/) [Manushi Chhillar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manushi-chhillar/) > [“The internet, although beloved by all including Al Qaeda, went straight from barbarism to decadence without ever encountering a civilisation. It was never utopian,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-sterling/the-internet-although-beloved-by-all-including-al-qaeda-went-straight/) [Bruce Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-sterling/) > [Encouragement is the most important thing in the world for young people, rather than league tables, which demoralise everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/encouragement-is-the-most-important-thing-in-the-world-for-young/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Traveling to Russia and Germany and being able to see the world at a young age was really cool for me, and I really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-wasikowska/traveling-to-russia-and-germany-and-being-able-to-see-the-world-at-a/) [Mia Wasikowska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-wasikowska/) > [Compassion can change a lot of things, including the world. Young people especially need to know that, because they're the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aloe-blacc/compassion-can-change-a-lot-of-things-including-the-world-young/) [Aloe Blacc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aloe-blacc/) > [Today the world changes so quickly that in growing up we take leave not just of youth but of the world we were young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/today-the-world-changes-so-quickly-that-in-growing-up-we-take-leave/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [The roughest thing was learning the realities of the world at such a young age. I was 10 or 11, going to church, hearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-rodriguez/the-roughest-thing-was-learning-the-realities-of-the-world-at-such-a/) [Michelle Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-rodriguez/) > [It's a cruel world for a young, talented & business-driven professional. Some folks think you're not supposed to be so knowing for your age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-a-cruel-world-for-a-young-talented-business-driven-professional/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The world is always young again for just a few moments at the dawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-world-is-always-young-again-for-just-a-few-moments-at-the-dawn/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In a better world we will find our young years and our old friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-antoine-petit-senn/in-a-better-world-we-will-find-our-young-years-and-our-old-friends/) [Jean Antoine Petit-Senn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-antoine-petit-senn/) > [Heart of my heart, the world is young; Love lies hidden in every rose!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-noyes/heart-of-my-heart-the-world-is-young-love-lies-hidden-in-every-rose/) [Alfred Noyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-noyes/) > [I do think we're on the edge of a terrifying world, and that many young people know that but don't know how to talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/i-do-think-we-re-on-the-edge-of-a-terrifying-world-and-that-many/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [There's a leadership gap in the modern business world. Young professionals need to step up to the challenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-smolyansky/there-s-a-leadership-gap-in-the-modern-business-world-young/) [Julie Smolyansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-smolyansky/) ## More by Samuel Beckett > [“It was December, I had never felt so cold, the eel soup lay heavy on my stomach, I was afraid I'd die, I turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/it-was-december-i-had-never-felt-so-cold-the-eel-soup-lay-heavy-on-my/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“To be always what I am - and so changed from what I was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/to-be-always-what-i-am-and-so-changed-from-what-i-was/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [To what will love not stoop!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/to-what-will-love-not-stoop/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [With all this darkness round me I feel less alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/with-all-this-darkness-round-me-i-feel-less-alone/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“You may say it is all in my head, and indeed sometimes it seems to me I am in a head and that these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/you-may-say-it-is-all-in-my-head-and-indeed-sometimes-it-seems-to-me/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“Here he stood. 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Yes, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/what-are-we-doing-here-that-is-the-question-and-we-are-blessed-in/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [I shall state silences more competently than ever a better man spangled the butterflies of vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-shall-state-silences-more-competently-than-ever-a-better-man/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [It is useless not to seek, not to want, for when you cease to seek you start to find, and when you cease to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/it-is-useless-not-to-seek-not-to-want-for-when-you-cease-to-seek-you/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [We are not saints, but we have kept our appointment. How many people can boast as much?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/we-are-not-saints-but-we-have-kept-our-appointment-how-many-people/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [The new light above my table is a great improvement. With all this darkness around me I feel less alone. (Pause.) In a way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/the-new-light-above-my-table-is-a-great-improvement-with-all-this/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [I lay down across her with my face in her breasts and my hand on her. We lay there without moving. But under us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-lay-down-across-her-with-my-face-in-her-breasts-and-my-hand-on-her/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [Women are all the bloody sameyou can't love for five minutes without wanting it abolished in brats and house bloody wifery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/women-are-all-the-bloody-sameyou-can-t-love-for-five-minutes-without/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“ESTRAGON: Do you think God sees me? VLADIMIR: You must close your eyes. Estragon closes his eyes, staggers worse. ESTRAGON: (stopping, brandishing his fists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/estragon-do-you-think-god-sees-me-vladimir-you-must-close-your-eyes/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [Deplorable mania, when something happens, to inquire what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/deplorable-mania-when-something-happens-to-inquire-what/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) [Explore all 609 Samuel Beckett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. 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