The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul Quotes
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Source: The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
Author: Douglas Adams
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
She also confided to me that another patient had been almost indecently curious to find out what had become of him. That patient was a Miss Kate Schechter, and I think you will agree, Miss Schechter, that my methods of navigation have their advantages. I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
Context
This quote is spoken by Dirk in The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (1988).
When holistic detective Dirk Gently gets into a car accident with Kate Schechter, she demands to know exactly why he has been following her. Dirk, who solves crimes by using the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things," tells her that when he's lost, he sometimes just follows people who seem to know where they're going. As it turns out, Dirk has found Kate, who has just come from the mental hospital he's looking for. He also knows her name and where she's been for the past few days. Dang. This guy is good.
So, the quote fits pretty well here. Dirk hasn't found the place he's looking for, but he has ended up with someone who is pretty important to him. Hey, maybe this whole holistic crime-solving thing is pretty swell.
Where you've heard it
This quote comes in handy when you're looking for your keys and find the remote you lost a week ago. We've all gotten sidetracked on the way to some place, but sometimes, those sidetracks are just what we need to get where we're going.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
It's pretty lucky, and not pretentious at all, to find something important when you're lost. If you ever get a chance to use this quote, people will be too busy being envious to roll their eyes.