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Quote by William S. Burroughs

“Political conflicts are merely surface manifestations. If conflicts arise you may be sure that certain powers intend to keep this conflict under operation since they hope to profit from the situation.”

Quote by William S. Burroughs

Author

William S. Burroughs

William S. Burroughs was an American novelist known for his unique writing style and his significant influence on postmodern literature. His works often involve social criticism, political satire, and surrealistic elements. more

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“To concern yourself with surface political conflicts is to make the mistake of the bull in the ring, you are charging the cloth. That is what politics is for, to teach you the cloth. Just as the bullfighter teaches the bull, teaches him to follow, obey the cloth.”

Political Mistake Teach Conflict Concern Surface Rings Bulls Charging

Author:William S. Burroughs

“[Death is] a gimmick. It's the time-birth-death gimmick. Can't go on much longer, too many people are wising up.”

People Goes On Birth Gimmicks

Author:William S. Burroughs

“I feel that the change, the mutation in consciousness, will occur spontaneously once certain pressures now in operation are removed. I feel that the principal instrument of monopoly and control that prevents expansion of consciousness is the word lines controlling thought, feeling and apparent sensory impressions of the human host.”

Feels Humans Feelings Certain Lines Consciousness Pressure Instruments Impression Operations Host Principal Expansion Monopoly Sensory Mutation

Author:William S. Burroughs

“The forward step must be made in silence. We detach ourselves from word forms - this can be accomplished by substituting for words, letters, concepts, verbal concepts, other modes of expressions: for example, color.”

Made Form Silence Steps Example Color Expression Concepts Letters Accomplished

Author:William S. Burroughs

“We can translate word and letter into color - [Arthur] Rimbaud stated that in his color vowels, words quote "words" can be read in silent color.”

Color Letters Silent Translate Arthur Vowels

Author:William S. Burroughs

“Success is falling nine times and getting up ten.”

“Man must get away from verbal forms to attain the consciousness, that which is there to be perceived at hand.”

Men Hands Form Consciousness Get Away

Author:William S. Burroughs

“Forward steps are made by giving up old armor because words are built into you - in the soft typewriter of the womb you do not realize the word-armor you carry; for example, when you read this page your eyes move irresistibly from left to right following the words that you have been accustomed to.”

Giving Has Beens Made Eye Moving Left Realizing Steps Example Giving Up Pages Built Following Accustomed Womb Armor Typewriters

Author:William S. Burroughs

“If you talk you always end up with politics, it gets nowhere. I mean man it's strictly from the soft typewriter.”

Ifs Men Mean Ends Typewriters Mean Man

Author:William S. Burroughs

“For any species to change, if they are unable and are unwilling to do so - I might, for example, have suggested to the dinosaurs that heavy armor and great size was a sinking ship, and that they do well to convert to mammal facilities - it would not lie in my power or desire to reconvert a reluctant dinosaur.”

Ifs Wells Might Lying Desire Example Species Size Heavy Ships Facility Unwilling Armor Dinosaurs Reluctant Sinking Mammals

Author:William S. Burroughs