black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

There are no innocent bystanders.

William S. Burroughs

What does the money machine eat? It eats youth, spontaneity, life, beauty, and, above all, it eats creativity. It eats quality and sh*ts quantity.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Creativity Eat Machine Money Quality Spontaneous Youth
Do not proffer sympathy to the mentally ill; it is a bottomless pit. Tell them firmly, “I am not paid to listen to this drivel – you are a terminal fool!” Otherwise, they make you as crazy as they are.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Crazy Listening Mental Paid Sympathy Yourself
Panic is the sudden realization that everything around you is alive.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Alive Panic Realize Science Sudden Yourself
I bear my burden proudly for all to see, to conquer prejudice and ignorance and hate with knowledge and sincerity and love. Whenever you are threatened by a hostile presence, you emit a thick cloud of love like an octopus squirts out ink.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Burden Hate Ignorance Knowledge Love Prejudice Presence Proud Sincere Threat Yourself
We must all face the fact that our leaders are certifiably insane or worse.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Face Fact Government Insane Leadership Worse
Too perfect to be sexually attractive.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Attractive Perfection Sexuality
Life is a vacation from two eternities.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Forever Life Philosophy Vacation
If after having been exposed to someone’s presence you feel as if you’ve lost a quart of plasma, avoid that presence. You need it like you need pernicious anemia.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Friendship Need Presence Togetherness Yourself
I don’t have any politics. I feel that as soon as politics arises, things are already in a hopeless state of deterioration.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Feeling Hope Myself Politics Rise State
I don’t care if people hate my guts; I assume most of them do. The important question is whether they are in a position to do anything about it.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Assume Care Hate Myself People Position
(1) Never give anything away for nothing. (2) Never give more than you have to give (always catch the buyer hungry and always make him wait). (3) Always take everything back if you possibly can.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Amount Business Mindset Rule Yourself
Nothing exists until or unless it is observed. An artist is making something exist by observing it. And his hope for other people is that they will also make it exist by observing it. I call it ‘creative observation.’ Creative viewing.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Artist Creativity Existence Hope Myself Observation People View
Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Answer Learning Mindset Question Relax Yourself
When you cut into the present the future leaks out.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Future Leak Present Yourself
Home is where your ass is and if you want to move you move your ass the first step is learning to change homes with someone else and have someone else’s ass.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Change Home Learning Move Yourself
There is no intensity of love or feeling that does not involve the risk of crippling hurt. It is a duty to take this risk, to love and feel without defense or reserve.
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS

Defense Feeling Intense Love Reserve Risk

There are no innocent bystanders.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

There are no innocent bystanders.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More William S. Burroughs Quotes