The survival of democracy depends on the ability of large numbers of people to make realistic choices in the light of adequate information. Aldous Huxley More Quotes by Aldous Huxley More Quotes From Aldous Huxley If most of us remain ignorant of ourselves, it is because self-knowledge is painful and we prefer the pleasures of illusion. Aldous Huxley emotionaldiscoveryknowledge The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which mean never losing your enthusiasm. Aldous Huxley birthdaymeanchildren Human beings act in a great variety of irrational ways, but all of them seem to be capable, if given a fair chance, of making a reasonable choice in the light of available evidence. Democratic institutions can be made to work only if all concerned do their best to impart knowledge and to encourage rationality. But today, in the world's most powerful democracy, the politicians and the propagandists prefer to make nonsense of democratic procedures by appealing almost exclusively to the ignorance and irrationality of the electors. Aldous Huxley powerfulignoranceknowledge An unexciting truth may be eclipsed by a thrilling lie. Aldous Huxley honestytruthlying One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them. Aldous Huxley brave-new-world-technologybeliefbelieve Dictators can always consolidate their tyranny by an appeal to patriotism. Aldous Huxley appealsdictatortyranny The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude. Aldous Huxley powerfullonelyloneliness Armaments, universal debt and planned obsolescence - those are the three pillars of Western prosperity. Aldous Huxley debtthreecivilization Democracy can hardly be expected to flourish in societies where political and economic power is being progressively concentrated and centralized. But the progress of technology has led and is still leading to just such a concentration and centralization of power. Aldous Huxley politicaltechnologypower The surest way to work up a crusade in favor of some good cause is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behavior 'righteous indignation' — this is the height of psychological luxury, the most delicious of moral treats. Aldous Huxley luxurypeoplepromise Wherever the choice has had to be made between the man of reason and the madman, the world has unhesitatingly followed the madman. Aldous Huxley choicesmenworld What I may call the messages of Brave New World, but it is possible to make people contented with their servitude. I think this can be done. I think it has been done in the past. I think it could be done even more effectively now because you can provide them with bread and circuses and you can provide them with endless amounts of distractions and propaganda. Aldous Huxley brave-new-worldpastthinking A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude. Aldous Huxley brave-new-worldarmypowerful Don't try to behave as though you were essentially sane and naturally good. We're all demented sinners in the same cosmic boat - and the boat is perpetually sinking. Aldous Huxley sinkingboattrying This Power Elite directly employs several millions of the country´s working force in its factories, offices and stores, controls many millions more by lending them the money to buy its products, and, through its ownership of the media of mass communication, influences the thoughts, the feelings and the actions of virtually everybody. To parody the words of W. Churchill, never have so many been manipulated so much by few. Aldous Huxley communicationmediacountry The most valuable of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it has to be done, whether you like it or not. Aldous Huxley procrastinationeducationinspiring A child-like man is not a man whose development has been arrested; on the contrary, he is a man who has given himself a chance of continuing to develop long after most adults have muffled themselves in the cocoon of middle-aged habit and convention. Aldous Huxley teachingeducationchildren Love casts out fear; but conversely fear casts out love. And not only love. Fear also casts out intelligence, casts out goodness, casts out all thought of beauty and truth. Aldous Huxley fear-of-lovecastsgoodness The pleasures of ignorance are as great, in their way, as the pleasures of knowledge. Aldous Huxley stupidity-and-ignoranceignoranceway No social stability without individual stability. Aldous Huxley brave-new-worldindividualsocial
