30 Douglas Adams Quotes To Find Answers About Life and Everything Else

Feb 11, 2021

9 min read

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Douglas Adams, full name, Douglas Noel Adams, was born in Cambridge on 11 March 1982. Adams was an author, mainly a comic writer yet he left a mark in this world. He has written so many novels satirizing the contemporary life of a luckless protagonist who deals with societal forces beyond his control.

Douglas Adam's work includes novels like Dirk gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, The Meaning of Liff, and few more novels too, but he is best known for his novel the mock science-fiction series collectively known as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

The Hitchhiker's Guide began life as a BBC radio comedy program in 1978, just a year before the first book was published. Later on, four more volumes of the books were published which went crazy among the audience, selling 15 million copies of the series.

Unfortunately, Admas died on May 11, 2001, due to a heart attack in Santa Barbara, but his last work came out to be the bestselling collection The Salmon Of Doubt, published posthumously May 2002. Adams' work still brings a smile to our faces and inspires millions of hearts for the better.

In this article, we would be discussing the top 30 Douglas Adams quotes to find answers about life and everything.

1. I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.

Well said, Adams! In this quote, he showed a sense of satisfaction and trust that everything happens in your favour. We, humans, have developed the habit of planning everything according to us, from planning every day to plan years and then life, we put so many expectations on life, and forget that life is like a river, it will flow where it needs to be, the current circumstances decide our life. Life is not something you achieve ultimately but a journey, you enjoy, a river to flow along. Life will always take you where you needed to be, not where you intended to be.

2. So where do the ideas come from? Mostly from getting annoyed about things. No big issues so much… as the little irritations that drive you wild out of all the proportions.

This quote is for when you are on the hunt for ideas. Little irritation is not as big a deal as you make because ultimately you get all the ideas after getting annoyed about the things, in a simpler form, when you think of the things that annoy you, you're hunting new creative ideas.

3. I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.

So deadlines are legit pressure. So my dear readers, if you are working on deadlines, like Adams and like me also, well this quotes for you, where Adams saying that he loves deadlines and more than the deadlines, he loves the whooshing sound of deadlines, which means when the work is done the deadline is finished, so he loves when his work is done.

4. There’s a theory that states if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why is it here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.

We have always heard things like “the universe is with me”, “believe the universe and it will serve it”, and many more. We have always been asked to believe in the universe and its process. That’s exactly what the above quote means, Adams, asking us to keep faith in the universe and not to interrupt its procedures.  

5. Don’t Panic!

Okay, so this one, the two-word quote saying not to panic whatever happens is the best of all Douglas Adams quotes. This quote is one of the Hitchhiker's guides where the luckless protagonist is trying to control things beyond his control, so the author asks to not panic of the societal forces or anything that bothers or disturbs your mental peace.

6. A learning experience is one of those things that says ‘You know things that you just did? Don’t do it.

Of course, the learning experience is filled with errors and faults. After every time you fail, or make a mistake you feel the urge of undoing it, regret it, but learning is not about regretting it's all about just learning from the past incident.

7. Nothing travels faster than the speed of light, with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its special laws.

Well, this quote is as same as a rumour, news spread like wildfire. So here Adams is mocking about how easily a piece of bad news spreads among people, even faster than the speed of light which travels faster in the world.

8. If we think the world is for us we will continue to destroy it in the way we have been destroying it, because we think we can do no harm.

I believe this is one the best quote to live by, especially now, because we have been continuously destroying the environment, not taking the instructions seriously. Not looking at the problem does not solve the problem, it's still there. The world was and is equal for all, for millennials, for generation Z, and ALL! Adams, in this quote, describing the seriousness of the situation.

9. It's a mistake to think that you can solve any major problem just with potatoes.

Absolutely correct, you can't solve every problem with the same opinion. Many situations occur in a lifetime, with different aspects and different solutions, so we can't apply a  common solution for every problem.

10. The guide says there's an art of flying, said Ford or rather a knack. The knack lies learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

"Knack" is a tendency to do something extraordinary, something talented.  Adams meant you either learn the art of flying or learn some extraordinary talent that you throw yourself on the ground and miss, which means to fly again. So you either fly or fly there's no third way for life.

11. The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't.

Well, this quote is kind of tricky and telling the roles of bricks and ships in life. In my opinion, he said, bricks are bulky, heavy, and don't float like ships, while ships don't hang in the air to make a building or house. So, the ship isn't doing what brick does and vice-versa. Everyone in this universe, are provided with unique roles, so as you.

12. I'd far rather be happy than right any day.

So he's trying to say the right people are not happy? Nope, he is trying to prioritize his happiness over anything and everything.

13. You live and learn. At any rate, you live.

I agree. A lifetime is given to all of us you, me, and everyone, but some people learn from life, explore themselves, explore the world, people, live their life to the fullest, but others just live and die. You better live and learn than just living.

14. I'd take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day.

Ignorance causes disasters, but understanding causes wonders. Understanding is the most form of humility.

15. There are some people you like immediately, some whom you think you might learn to like in the fullness of time, and some that you simply want to push away from you with a sharp stick.

Psychology also says, you meet so many people during a lifetime and make opinions for everyone mostly in just one meeting. Don't be so judgmental. Accept everyone comes, but don't hold back anyone leaving.

16. Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.

You must have heard the saying don't settle for any less? Right? This exactly what he meant here, you know your capabilities and potential if you deserve better then just don't settle for what is given.

17. We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works.

If we being honest, all of us can relate how we are all slaves of technology even when we don't need it. This quote states the overuse of technology.

18. We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!

Well, these words were uttered by the philosopher who argues that truth is the ultimate right for human thinkers, not computers. I dig deeper, there are doubt and uncertainty, which characterize the future and which can only go wrong by trying to know. Some truths are well unrevealed.

19. All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others.

You, me and every single being is different on this earth, all of our opinions, ideology, intellectual varies because our thinking process differs from each other.

20. If I ever meet myself,' said Zaphod, 'I'll hit myself so hard I won't know what's hit me.

Well, this one kinda humours but deep. We make so many mistakes and do stupidities in life that sometimes we wanna hit ourselves only out of regret. Right? Well, what would you do if you ever met you?

21. There is no point in using the word 'impossible' to describe something that has clearly happened.

Well, can just disintegrate the word impossible for a sec? "I-m-possible" as we all have been taught. Impossible doesn't exist anymore. Technology, science, ideology, and opinions have made everything possible. So you'll be foolish to call something impossible.

22. There's always a moment when you start to fall out of love, whether it's with a person or an idea or a cause, even if it's one you only narrate to yourself years after the event: a tiny thing, a wrong word, a false note, which means that things can never be quite the same again.

Falling out…. So true!

23. A cup of tea would restore my normality.

Let me dedicate this quote to all my tea-lovers out there. The most basic quote by him but if you truly are a fan of tea you'll understand the depth in his words. Tea is a saviour though!

24. Life is wasted on the living.

Hmm.. true so. Isn't it? We don't live life until we are dead. And once we are dead, it doesn't really matter, you know, it's kinda a waste of life to have a life during the time you're living. You just need to be out there, do stuff. Enjoy life.

25. “Life,” said Marvin dolefully, “loathe it or ignore it, you can’t like it.”

Exactly! It's totally up to you how you live life. You can either spend your entire life complaining about all the challenges and problems coming your, and you know you've to get out that phase you will ultimately, so if instead of loathing life what if we take participate in every activity of life. You don't have to be the first runner up always,  you lose you learn, you win you move.

26. It can be very dangerous to see things from somebody else's point of view without the proper training.

This is an empathy-psychology quote. The empathy of seeing from someone else's point of view and understanding the situation in a whole new perspective, psychological manipulation of your mind. Sometimes we are so wrapped up in our mind that we forget the other world exists. So it could do disasters if we live in our mind.

27. A life that is burdened with expectations is a heavy life. Its fruit is sorrow and disappointment.

To explain this quote, I would want you to think of a student life, how much expectations are being put on us, which makes life a burden and many students commits suicide too. Right? Let the river of Life flow of you put too many restrictions and expectations, you will lead it to a tsunami.

28. I think fish is nice, but then I think that rain is wet, so who am I to judge?

No one absolutely no one to judge anyone. Think of the moment when you live could freely without fear of being judged. That's exactly how everyone wants to feel.

29. My capacity for happiness," he added, "you could fit into a matchbox without taking out the matches first.

Finding joy in little things is all we've been asked for.

30. Let the past hold on to itself and let the present move forward into the future.

The truth is unless you let it go unless you forgive and forget the past unless you realize the situation is over you can't move. So let the past go, and enjoy the present because you wouldn't even inhale properly and the present has become past, moving towards the future.

These were the best and famous Douglas Adams quotes, which one should live by. We are sure these quotes must have helped you in learning about and understanding the true meaning of life. Also in finding little things joyous, being non-judgmental, expressing yourself, living fully and embracing your liberty.

Douglas Adams quotes are the best to motivate yourself as well as others around you. Embrace the truth and live a life so happy that others are jealous of you. Make every second count.

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