Alfred Korzybski Quotes (23 Quotes)



    It is amusing to discover, in the twentieth century, that the quarrels between two lovers, two mathematicians, two nations, two economic systems, usually assumed insoluble in a finite period should exhibit one mechanism, the semantic mechanism of identification -- the discovery of which makes universal agreement possible, in mathematics and in life.

    It is now no mystery that some quite influential philosophers were mentally ill.

    In the rough, a symbol is a sign that stands for something Before a noise, etc., may become a symbol, something must exist for the symbol to symbolize.

    The only usefulness of a map or a language depends on the similarity of structure between the empirical world and the map-languages.


    The affairs of man are conducted by our own, man-made rules and according to man-made theories. Man's achievements rest upon the use of symbols.... we must consider ourselves as a symbolic, semantic class of life, and those who rule the symbols, rule us.

    There are two ways to slice easily thorugh life; to believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking.

    The map is not the territory. The only usefulness of a map depends on similarity of structure between the empirical world and the map

    Thus, we see that one of the obvious origins of human disagreement lies in the use of noises for words.

    the analogy between the noises we make when these noises do not symbolize anything which exists, and the worthless checks we write when our bank balance is zero.

    If the structure is not similar, then the traveller or speaker is led astray, which, in serious human life-problems, must become always eminently harmful.

    If the map shows a different structure from the territory represented -- for instance, shows the cities in a wrong order. . . . then the map is worse than useless, as it misinforms and leads astray.

    God may forgive you your sins, but your nervous system won't.

    All human knowledge is conditioned and limited, at present, by the properties of light and human symbolism. The solution of all human problems depends upon inquiries into these two conditions and limitations.

    If we consider that all we deal with represents constantly changing sub-microscopic, interrelated processes which are not, and cannot be identical with themselves, the old dictum that everything is identical with itself becomes in todays understanding of the universe a principle invariably false to facts.

    Two important characteristics of maps should be noticed. A map is not the territory it represents, but, if correct, it has a similar structure to the territory, which accounts for its usefulness.




    When we say our rulers, we mean those who are engaged in the manipulation of symbols. We must consider ourselves a symbolic, semantic class of life, and cannot cease from being so those who control the symbols rule us.Bankers, priests, lawyers, politicians, and news media constitute one class of our rulers and work together. They do not produce any values but manipulate the values produced by others, and often pass signs for no value at all. Scientists and teachers also comprise a ruling class. They produce the main values mankind has, but, at present, they do not realize this. They are, in the main, ruled by the cunning methods of the first class.

    If a psychiatric and scientific inquiry were to be made upon our rulers, mankind would be appalled at the disclosures.

    If words are not things, or maps are not the actual territory, then, obviously, the only possible link between the objective world and the linguistic world is found in structure, and structure alone.

    a few philosophers really do important work. This applies to the so called critical philosophy and to the theory of knowledge or epistemology. This class of workers I call epistemologists to avoid the disagreeable implications of the term philosopher.


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