Philip K. Dick

Science fiction, Do Androids Dream

Modern influential 124 sayings

Sayings by Philip K. Dick

The only way to find happiness is to stop looking for it. To live in the moment. To appreciate what you have.

1975 — Interview, 'Rolling Stone'
Controversial Unverifiable

I'm not a fan of fame. I think it's a burden. It takes away your privacy. It makes you a commodity.

1977 — Speech at a science fiction convention
Controversial Unverifiable

I think the most important thing in life is to have hope. To believe that things can get better. To never give up.

1981 — Interview, 'The New York Times'
Controversial Unverifiable

The only way to truly live is to be willing to die. To embrace your mortality. To live each day as if it were your last.

1980 — Interview, 'The Paris Review'
Controversial Unverifiable

I'm not a fan of censorship. I think it's a dangerous thing. It's a way of controlling people's minds.

1975 — Interview, 'Science Fiction Studies'
Controversial Unverifiable

The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.

1978 — How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later
Humorous Unverifiable

The greatest gift you can ever give another person is your own happiness.

1981 — VALIS
Humorous Unverifiable

Don't try to understand it. Just accept it. Or reject it. But don't try to understand it.

1977 — A Scanner Darkly
Humorous Unverifiable

I'd rather be a cyborg than a god.

1979 — Interview with Charles Platt
Humorous Unverifiable

The world is not a safe place. It's a dangerous place. And if you're not careful, you'll get eaten alive.

N/A — Interview, often expressed his paranoia and views on reality
Humorous Unverifiable

I'm not a prophet. I'm a writer. I write about what I see. And what I see is a lot of crazy stuff.

N/A — Interview, often humorously deflecting the 'prophet' label
Humorous Unverifiable

Fake it till you make it. Act confident, even if you're not. Eventually, you'll become confident.

N/A — Attributed, often cited as a personal philosophy he espoused
Humorous Unverifiable

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.

1977 — A Scanner Darkly
Humorous Unverifiable

I'm interested in people who are trying to figure out what's real and what's not.

N/A — Interview, a recurring theme in his work and personal life
Humorous Unverifiable

The universe is a joke. And we're all part of it.

1981 — VALIS
Humorous Unverifiable

I write about characters who are trying to survive in a world that's going crazy.

N/A — Interview, describing his common protagonist
Humorous Unverifiable

The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed.

N/A (often cited mid-late 20th century) — Often attributed to him, though sometimes to William Gibson. Dick made similar statements about the …
Humorous Unverifiable

I'm not crazy. I'm just ahead of my time.

N/A — Interview, a common self-defense he used
Humorous Unverifiable

What is reality? It's a word. And we all know words are just sounds.

1969 — Ubik
Humorous Unverifiable

I'm a paranoid writer. I write about my fears. And my fears are pretty wild.

N/A — Interview, acknowledging his own psychological state in his work
Humorous Unverifiable