Who said “Consider a man riding a bicycle. Whoever he is, we can say three things about him. We…”?

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William Golding. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"Utopias and Antiutopias"

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“Consider a man riding a bicycle. Whoever he is, we can say three things about him. We know he got on the bicycle and started to move. We know that at some point he will stop and get off. Most important of all, we know that if at any point between the beginning and the end of his journey he stops moving and does not get off the bicycle he will fall off it. That is a metaphor for the journey through life of any living thing, and I think of any society of living things.”
— William Golding
Verified"Utopias and Antiutopias" · evidenceBicycles
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: "Utopias and Antiutopias".

APA

Golding, W. (n.d.). Consider a man riding a bicycle. Whoever he is, we can say three things about him. We know he got on the bicycle and started to move. We know that at some point he will stop and get off. Most important of all, we know that if at any point between the beginning and the end of his journey he stops moving and does not get off the bicycle he will fall off it. That is a metaphor for the journey through life of any living thing, and I think of any society of living things. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8053-consider-a-man-riding-a-bicycle-whoever-he/

MLA

Golding, William. “Consider a man riding a bicycle. Whoever he is, we can say three things about him. We know he got on the bicycle and started to move. We know that at some point he will stop and get off. Most important of all, we know that if at any point between the beginning and the end of his journey he stops moving and does not get off the bicycle he will fall off it. That is a metaphor for the journey through life of any living thing, and I think of any society of living things.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8053-consider-a-man-riding-a-bicycle-whoever-he/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Golding, William. “Consider a man riding a bicycle. Whoever he is, we can say three things about him. We know he got on the bicycle and started to move. We know that at some point he will stop and get off. Most important of all, we know that if at any point between the beginning and the end of his journey he stops moving and does not get off the bicycle he will fall off it. That is a metaphor for the journey through life of any living thing, and I think of any society of living things.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8053-consider-a-man-riding-a-bicycle-whoever-he/.

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More quotes by William Golding

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