Philip K. Dick quotes - page 8

Philip K. Dick was an American writer renowned for his influential works of science fiction. His novels and stories often explored themes of reality, identity, and the impact of technology on society. He inspired countless movies, such as "Blade Runner" and "Total Recall," and remains a visionary figure in literature. Here are 283 of his quotes:

That's the trouble with living in a police state, he said to himself; you think-you imagine-the police are behind everything. You get paranoid and think they're beaming information to you in your sleep, to subliminally control you. Actually the police wouldn't do that. The police are our friends. Or was that idea beamed to me subliminally? he wondered suddenly. "The police are our friends.”.

Philip K. Dick

It sounds like they're saying passive life is good, he thought. But there is no such thing as passive life. That's a contradiction.

Philip K. Dick

You of all people," the void communicated. "Out of everyone, it is you I love the most.

Philip K. Dick

This is an artifact and that was a relic. This is alive in the now, whereas that merely remained.

Philip K. Dick

Crazy people do not apply the principle of scientific parsimony... they shoot for the baroque.

Philip K. Dick

But what are you supposed to do in a society that's corrupt? Are you supposed to obey corrupt laws? Is it a crime to break a law that's a rotten law, or an oath that's rotten? "It's a crime,” Cartwright admitted slowly. "But it may be the right thing to do.” "In a society of criminals,” Shaeffer offered, "the innocent man goes to jail.” "Who decides when the society is made up of criminals? Benteley demanded. "How do you know when your society has gone wrong? How do you know when it's right to stop obeying the laws?

Philip K. Dick

"Hasn't all this taught you anything?” Annette asked Gabriel Baines as they waited for the simulacrum's return and report. "Like what?” "That there is no perfect defense. There is no protection. Being alive means being exposed; it's the nature of life to be hazardous-it's the stuff of living.

Philip K. Dick

Probably she should not have gotten away with it for as long as she had...but sometime, he had often thought, the retribution will come: reality denied comes back to haunt.

Philip K. Dick

Fully absorbed in the peculiar text he had become totally oblivious to the noises and movements around him; all that existed for him now was the printed page held motionless before his intense scrutiny.

Philip K. Dick

Spinoza saw... that if a falling stone could reason, it would think, "I want to fall at the rate of thirty-two feet per second."

Philip K. Dick

Maybe I shouldn't have told you-about it being electrical.” She put her hand out, touched his arm; she felt guilty, seeing the effect it had on him, the change. ”No,” Rick said. "I'm glad to know. Or rather-” He became silent. "I'd prefer to know.

Philip K. Dick

We should celebrate,” Rita said. "Yes. I'm where I wanted to be.” Benteley sipped the remains of his drink. "Working for the Directorate. Sworn in to the Quizmaster. That's what I set out for, that day. It seems like a long time ago. Well, I've finally arrived.” He gazed down at his glass and was silent. "How do you feel?

Philip K. Dick

The hymns were unfamiliar to him, but he quickly picked up the general beat. The hymns had a redundant simplicity; the same phrases and tones appeared and reappeared. The same monotonous ideas, repeated indefinitely. The appetite of (Tetragrammaton) was insatiable, he concluded. A childish, nebulous personality that required constant praise-and in the most obvious terms. Quick to anger, (Tetragrammaton) was equally quick to sink into euphoria, was eager and ready to lap up these blatant flatteries. A balance. A method of lulling the Deity. But what a delicate mechanism. Danger for everyone...The easily-aroused Presence that was always nearby. Always listening.

Philip K. Dick

An EEG of a person watching TV shows that after about half an hour the brain decides that nothing is happening, and it goes into a hypnoidal twilight state, emitting alpha waves. This is because there is such little eye motion.

Philip K. Dick

You saw something you were not supposed to see - something few elements have been aware of, let alone witnessed.

Philip K. Dick

I did not attend the services, because it seems to me, as Pythagoras says, the body is the tomb of the soul and that by being born a person has already begun to die.

Philip K. Dick

It was evident to Elias Tate that this was the government. First they shake hands with you, he thought, and then they murder you.

Philip K. Dick

The representative of the drayage firm failed to move me.

Philip K. Dick

You're a goldmine of misinformation.

Philip K. Dick

A novelist carries with him constantly what most women carry in large purses: much that is useless, a few absolutely essential items, and then, for good measure, a great number of things that fall in between. But the novelist does not transport them physically because his trove of possessions is mental. Now and then he adds a new and entirely useless idea; now and then he reluctantly cleans out the trash -- the obviously worthless ideas -- and with a few sentimental tears sheds them. Once in a great while, however, he happens by chance onto a thoroughly stunning idea new to him that he hopes will turn out to be new to everyone else. It is this final category that dignifies his existence. But such truly priceless ideas... perhaps during his entire lifetime he may, at best, acquire only a meager few. But that is enough; he has, through them, justified his existence to himself and to his God.

Philip K. Dick

Cris didn't play fair. He had watched half an hour - then come out and thrown once. One perfect toss, one dead ringer.

Philip K. Dick

How can I join one of the parties? All their slogans and propaganda, it seems so damn - silly. How the hell can I get exited about clean teeth and underarm odor. People kill each other over these trifles... it doesn't make sense. There's going to be suicidal civil war, if that amendment passes, and I'm supposed to join one side or the other?

Philip K. Dick