Quotes from Prometheus Rising

“Human society as a whole is a vast brainwashing machine whose semantic rules and sex roles create a social robot.”
― Robert Anton Wilson, quote from Prometheus Rising

“When we meet somebody whose separate tunnel-reality is obviously far different from ours, we are a bit frightened and always disoriented. We tend to think they are mad, or that they are crooks trying to con us in some way, or that they are hoaxers playing a joke. Yet it is neurologically obvious that no two brains have the same genetically-programmed hard wiring, the same imprints, the same conditioning, the same learning experiences. We are all living in separate realities. That is why communication fails so often, and misunderstandings and resentments are so common. I say "meow" and you say "Bow-wow," and each of us is convinced the other is a bit dumb.”
― Robert Anton Wilson, quote from Prometheus Rising

“The easiest way to get brainwashed is to be born. All of the above principles then immediately go into action, a process which social psychologists euphemistically call socialization.”
― Robert Anton Wilson, quote from Prometheus Rising

“All that we "know" is what registers on our brains, so what you perceive (your individual reality-tunnel) is made up of nothing but thoughts—as Sir Humphrey Davy noted when self-experimenting with nitrous oxide in 1819, and as Buddha noticed by sitting alone until all his social imprints atrophied and dropped away.”
― Robert Anton Wilson, quote from Prometheus Rising

“In summary, Intelligence Intensification is desirable, because there is not a single problem confronting humanity that is not either caused or considerably worsened by the prevailing stupidity (insensitivity) of the species: badly wired robots bumping into and maiming and killing each other.”
― Robert Anton Wilson, quote from Prometheus Rising

“Nothing in this book is an attempt to prevent the really resolute misery addicts from continuing their pursuit of frustration and failure.”
― Robert Anton Wilson, quote from Prometheus Rising

“There is a Zen story (very funny — ha-ha) about a monk who, having failed to achieve “enlightenment” (brain-change) through the normal Zen methods, was told by his teacher to think of nothing but an ox. Day after day after day, the monk thought of the ox, visualized the ox, meditated on the ox. Finally, one day, the teacher came to the monk’s cell and said, “Come out here — I want to talk to you.” “I can’t get out,” the monk said. “My horns won’t fit through the door.” I can’t get out . . . At these words, the monk was “enlightened.” Never mind what “enlightenment” means, right now. The monk went through some species of brain change, obviously. He had developed the delusion that he was an ox, and awakening from that hypnoidal state he saw through the mechanism of all other delusions and how they robotize us. EXERCIZES”
― Robert Anton Wilson, quote from Prometheus Rising

“As Dr. Leonard Orr has noted, the human mind behaves as if it were divided into two parts, the Thinker and the Prover.

The Thinker can think about virtually anything.
(...) The Prover is a much simpler mechanism. It operates on one law only: Whatever the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves. To cite a notorious example which unleashed incredible horrors earlier in this century, if the Thinker thinks that all Jews are rich, the Prover will prove it. It will find evidence that the poorest Jew in the most run-down ghetto has hidden money somewhere. Similarly, Feminists are able to believe that all men, including the starving wretches who live and sleep on the streets, are exploiting all women, including the Queen of England.”
― Robert Anton Wilson, quote from Prometheus Rising

“If I am so fortunate as to be listening to the Hammerklavier sonata, the only correct answer, if you ask me suddenly, "Who are you?" would be to hum the Hammerklavier.”
― Robert Anton Wilson, quote from Prometheus Rising

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Popular quotes

“With Tom, there had never been a door to close, only the grass to lie on, never a bed; no walls, no ceiling to shut them in - or others out. Only the moon to see them, only the moon, some stars and whatever it was that had flown up out of the field when Ede had cried 'don't' in the final seconds of their embrace. Don't - meaning don't withdraw.”
― Timothy Findley, quote from The Piano Man's Daughter

“Начинът, по който старият Азуреус посрещаше своите гости, можеше преспокойно да бъде уподобен на рапсодия без думи. Възторжено сияещ, той бавно и нежно поемаше ръката ти в меките си длани, задържаше я така, сякаш това е някакво отдавна търсено съкровище или врабче, цялото пух и с лудо блъскащо сърчице, вглеждаше се в теб с влажно безмълвие, не с очите, а по-скоро със заобикалящите ги лъчи на бръчиците, а после бавно-бавно сребристата усмивка започваше да се стапя, нежните стари ръце постепенно отпускаха хватката си, пламтящата светлина на деликатното му бледо лице биваше сменене от празно и нищо не говорещи изражение, и той отстъпваше далеч от теб, сякаш неволно се е припознал, като че ли все пак ти изобщо не си обичания, този любим, който в следващия момент той ще съзре в другия ъгъл на стаята и усмивката отново щеше да грейне, ръцете отново щяха да обгърнат врабчето, и после отново всичко щеше да се стопи и изчезне.”
― Vladimir Nabokov, quote from Bend Sinister

“He stopped. “You're upset. I'll shut up and leave you”
― Iris Johansen, quote from The Killing Game

“So I graduated from college with a degree in journalism and was ready to find my dream job at a newspaper in addition to one good man who owned his own car and was certain about his sexuality, my two new, revised qualifying criteria for a potential date.”
― Laurie Notaro, quote from Autobiography of a Fat Bride: True Tales of a Pretend Adulthood

“She was a nightmare of beauty and menace living right there above them, a being part raptor, part human, part divine. She knew without question that she could sweep down on them and inflict upon all of them a terrible vengeance if she wished. She had the capacity for violence within her, residing beside her heart.”
― David Anthony Durham, quote from Acacia: The War with the Mein

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BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

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