QuoteProject
But what about the End of the Universe? We'll miss the big moment." I've seen it. It's rubbish," said Zaphod,"nothing but a gnab gib." A what?" Opposite of a big bang. Come on, let's get zappy.
Douglas Adams
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on the nature of existential events and the often anticlimactic nature of significant moments.

In this quote from Douglas Adams, Zaphod Beeblebrox humorously dismisses the importance of the End of the Universe, suggesting that monumental events can be underwhelming and trivial. The phrase 'gnab gib' captures the essence of an anticlimactic conclusion, contrasting with the grandiosity often associated with the concept of a 'big bang.' This reflects a philosophical viewpoint on how people perceive and value significant cosmic events.

Themes

UniverseEndExistenceMomentPhilosophyHumor

In practice

Example use cases

During a talk about the universe's fate at a science conference.

More from Douglas Adams

Listen, three eyes," he said, "don't you try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal.
Douglas AdamsRead
"What's so unpleasant about being drunk?" "Ask a glass of water."
Douglas AdamsRead
Protect me from knowing what I don't need to know. Protect me from even knowing that there are things to know that I don't know. Protect me from knowing that I decided not to know about the things that I decided not to know about. Amen. [...] Lord, lord, lord. Protect me from the consequences of the above prayer.
Douglas AdamsRead
Computers are still technology because we are still wrestling with it: it's still being invented; we're still trying to work out how it works. There's a world of game interaction to come that you or I wouldn't recognise. It's time for the machines to disappear. The computer's got to disappear into all of the things we use.
Douglas AdamsRead
What the computer in virtual reality enables us to do is to recalibrate ourselves so that we can start seeing those pieces of information that are invisible to us but have become important for us to understand.
Douglas AdamsRead
We are stuck with technology when all we really want is just stuff that works. How do you recognize something that is still technology? A good clue is if it comes with a manual.
Douglas AdamsRead

Similar quotes

Slavery it is that makes slavery; freedom, freedom. The slavery of women happened when the men were slaves of kings.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRead
I'm interested in what motivates individuals to participate in atrocious acts to support their ideological identification.
Jordan PetersonRead
The sanctity of law can be maintained only so long as it is the expression of the will of the people.
Bhagat SinghRead
The scariest monsters are the ones that lurk within our souls.
Edgar Allan PoeRead
Liberty of thought is the life of the soul.
VoltaireRead
Christianity was from the beginning, essentially and fundamentally, life's nausea and disgust with life, merely concealed behind, masked by, dressed up as, faith in "another" or "better" life.
Friedrich NietzscheRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.