---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now we have travelled a hundred million…"
description: "\"“Now we have travelled a hundred million steps from the Datum, we are finding life systems entirely unlike our own - and yet we still find war. Must it..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/terry-pratchett-19_life_now-we-have-travelled-a-hundred-million_872024.jpg"
---

#  Now we have travelled a hundred million steps from the…

![“Now we have travelled a hundred million steps from the Datum, we are finding life systems entirely unlike our own - and yet we still find war. Must it always be so?” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/terry-pratchett-19_life_now-we-have-travelled-a-hundred-million_872024.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/terry-pratchett-19_life_now-we-have-travelled-a-hundred-million_872024.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/terry-pratchett-19_life_now-we-have-travelled-a-hundred-million_872024.jpg)

> ““Now we have travelled a hundred million steps from the Datum, we are finding life systems entirely unlike our own - and yet we still find war. Must it always be so?””

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Even after vast progress, humanity still discovers war; is conflict inevitable?

**In simple terms:** Even after progress, war persists.

Key Takeaway

Question the inevitability of conflict.

Themes

war progress human nature

Mood

thought‑provoking skeptical

Type

fiction philosophical

When to use this quote

- policy making
- conflict resolution
- historical analysis

Key Concepts

political theory anthropology

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives societies to war despite advancement?
- Can peace be sustained in a changing universe?

A Different Perspective

It may oversimplify complex causes of war.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [The truth is there are a million steps, and we don't even know what the steps are, and worse, at any given moment we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-truth-is-there-are-a-million-steps-and-we-don-t-even-know-what/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [I have observed that baseball is not unlike war, and when you get right down to it, we batters are the heavy artillery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-cobb/i-have-observed-that-baseball-is-not-unlike-war-and-when-you-get/)

[Ty Cobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-cobb/)

> [Your outer journey may contain a million steps; your inner journey only has one: the step you are taking right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/your-outer-journey-may-contain-a-million-steps-your-inner-journey/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [I'll walk a million steps just to be one step besides you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/i-ll-walk-a-million-steps-just-to-be-one-step-besides-you/)

[London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/)

> [I have observed that baseball is not unlike a war, and when you come right down to it, we batters are the heavy artillery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-cobb/i-have-observed-that-baseball-is-not-unlike-a-war-and-when-you-come/)

[Ty Cobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-cobb/)

> [Politics are not unlike war. Sometimes it is necessary to shoot from the hip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-h-jones/politics-are-not-unlike-war-sometimes-it-is-necessary-to-shoot-from/)

Jesse H. Jones

> [I tell you to keep going, not because it's easy. Not because it doesn't hurt. I tell you to keep going because there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/i-tell-you-to-keep-going-not-because-it-s-easy-not-because-it-doesn-t/)

[Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/)

> [“Finding our life's purpose is a journey not an event”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-j-bridgman/finding-our-life-s-purpose-is-a-journey-not-an-event/)

Shelley J. Bridgman

> [“Now I can broach the notion of suicide. It has already been felt what solution might be given. At this point the problem is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/now-i-can-broach-the-notion-of-suicide-it-has-already-been-felt-what/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [I don't know how many years it was before I arrived at a formulated philosophy that the happiest thing to do, always, when visiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-e-laughlin/i-don-t-know-how-many-years-it-was-before-i-arrived-at-a-formulated/)

Clara E. Laughlin

> [“You have given me a gift such as I never even dreamt of finding in this life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/you-have-given-me-a-gift-such-as-i-never-even-dreamt-of-finding-in/)

[Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/)

> [“Most of the people I know who are having trouble finding their life work are somewhat passive in style. They wait for something good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/most-of-the-people-i-know-who-are-having-trouble-finding-their-life/)

[Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/)

> [Be patient about everything else, but be impatient about finding your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-patient-about-everything-else-but-be-impatient-about-finding-your/)

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

> [No matter how much you hold on to the past, you can't cling on cos its already gone Enjoy the little things, for one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-how-much-you-hold-on-to-the-past-you-can-t-cling-on-cos-its/)

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

> [“As artists, we create the beauty We are too afraid to live out And search, but always fall just shy Of finding what life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/as-artists-we-create-the-beauty-we-are-too-afraid-to-live-out-and/)

[Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/)

## More by Terry Pratchett

> [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-trust-folk-songs-they-always-sneak-up-on-you/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Magrat wondered what it was like, spending your whole life doing something you didn’t want to do. Like being dead, she considered, only worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/magrat-wondered-what-it-was-like-spending-your-whole-life-doing/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“There were more old people. The world was full of them,' said the wizard. 'Yes, I know. And now it's full of young people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-were-more-old-people-the-world-was-full-of-them-said-the-wizard/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Hobson was big and heavyset, but not exactly fat; he was probably what you’d get if you shaved a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/hobson-was-big-and-heavyset-but-not-exactly-fat-he-was-probably-what/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?' said Reg encouragingly. 'I'd like a hard-boiled egg,' said Vimes, shaking the match out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-d-like-freedom-truth-and-justice-wouldn-t-you-comrade-sergeant/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“You are not apprehensive, are you? I can't detect no trace of fear none whatsoever Roomy cranium all possible videos of all possible outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-are-not-apprehensive-are-you-i-can-t-detect-no-trace-of-fear-none/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/imagination-not-intelligence-made-us-human/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

[Explore all 3,328 Terry Pratchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

## More Life quotes

> [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/)

[Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/)

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

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

> [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/)

[Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/)

> [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/)

[Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/)

> [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/)

[Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/)

> [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/)

[Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/)

> [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/)

Deanna L. Lawlis

> [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/)

[Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/)

> [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/)

[Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/)

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/)

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

> [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/)

[Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/)

> [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

[Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Now we have travelled a hundred million steps from the Datum, we are finding life systems entirely unlike our own - and yet we still find war. Must it always be so?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Terry Pratchett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/now-we-have-travelled-a-hundred-million-steps-from-the-datum-we-are/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Life"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/now-we-have-travelled-a-hundred-million-steps-from-the-datum-we-are/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/terry-pratchett-19_life_now-we-have-travelled-a-hundred-million_872024.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/terry-pratchett-19_life_now-we-have-travelled-a-hundred-million_872024.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/terry-pratchett-19_life_now-we-have-travelled-a-hundred-million_872024.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Now we have travelled a hundred million steps from the Datum, we are finding life systems entirely unlike…” — Terry Pratchett",
                "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": "Terry Pratchett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Now we have travelled a hundred...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/now-we-have-travelled-a-hundred-million-steps-from-the-datum-we-are/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/now-we-have-travelled-a-hundred-million-steps-from-the-datum-we-are/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
