"You're quoting Snoopy the dog, I believe?"
"I'll quote the truth wherever I find it thank you."
- Richard Bach, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah
“It says in the brochure," said Arthur, pulling it out of his pocket and looking at it again, "that I can have a special prayer, individually tailored to me and my special needs."
- "Oh, all right," said the old man. "Here's a prayer for you. Got a pencil?"
- "Yes," said Arthur.
- "It goes like this. Let's see now: "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." That's it. It's what you pray silently inside yourself anyway, so you may as well have it out in the open."
- "Hmmm," said Arthur. "Well, thank you"
- "There's another prayer that goes with it that's very important," continued the old man, "so you'd better jot this down, too, just in case. You can never be too sure. "Lord, lord, lord. Protect me from the consequences of the above prayer. Amen." And that's it. Most of the trouble people get into in life comes from missing out that last part.”
― Douglas Adams
This must be Thursday,' said Arthur to himself, sinking low over his beer. 'I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
ReplyDeleteAlmost Thursday, I think! Hehehe Xx
DeleteAh! But here my dear it just turned Thursday!
DeleteYes Lindsay he heard quite a number of them as he was constantly late giving up the next ‘Fit’ of the hhgttg to his publishers. Thinking about it that’s probably why he called them that, because he was having one each time!
Hi Hale,
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Adams has discovered the answer as to how to find meaning in an an increasingly secular world by listening to his missed deadlines go whooshing past. Yes, he does have deadlines, but he has also fallen in love with the sound as they pass by,
Best wishes
So if I do not pray the first prayer, I won't slip into psychological denial. Then I won't need to pray the second prayer; yes?
ReplyDeleteYes, I suppose the Arthur Dent character was somewhat autobiographical. It seems to me that this prayer and the other, created by the oracle just for Arthur, were just what so many folk seem to want from the world right now, and are getting through their interaction with the media.
ReplyDeleteSince too many prayers are lists of desires on the part of the sender, it seems to me it is safe to use the second prayer, no matter what the first prayer happens to be.
Personally, I've been lucky enough to skip the "send a prayer" step altogether. Perhaps the universe magically knows what I need.
Hi Halle,
ReplyDeleteYou may like Adams’ enormous works and know far more about it than me. But it strikes his writing is from the point of views of existential absurdist – a bit like Albert Camus – but possibly a more entertaining style - well maybe. I can’t help thinking the prayer was a parody of sorts and/or maybe an intended absurdity don’t you think ? For it might fit in well with his narrative with what's at stake as an illusionist etc
At any rate he got a lot of people interested in philosophy who might not have otherwise been inclined, even if it involves some seemingly nihilistic characters.
Best wishes
He was definitely an absurdist! I'm no expert on Adams. If first heard the Hitchhiker's Guide story on the radio, then read them. As I recall, having done all of this at least twenty years ago, my favorite book of his was Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency . Just for fun I'll read it again this fall.
DeleteBest regards,
Deanna