All art really does is keep you focused on questions of humanity, and it really is about how do we get on with our maker.
I'm in awe of the universe, but I don't necessarily believe there's an intelligence or agent behind it. I do have a passion for the visual in religious rituals, though, even though they may be completely empty and bereft of substance. The incense is powerful and provocative, whether Buddhist or Catholic.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a sense of wonder about the universe while questioning the existence of a higher intelligence, emphasizing the significance of ritualistic visuals.
David Bowie expresses a deep admiration for the universe, showcasing his awe without committing to the belief in an intelligent creator. He appreciates the beauty and sensory impact of religious rituals, acknowledging their ability to evoke strong feelings despite recognizing them as potentially lacking true substance. This duality highlights the tension between the search for meaning and the appreciation of aesthetic experiences in spirituality.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about spirituality vs. science, this quote can exemplify a balanced perspective on belief.
More from David Bowie
All quotes →I guess, taking away all the theatrics or the costuming and the outer layers of what I do, I'm a writer... I write.
I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human.
Nothing prepared me for your smile
But I've got to think of myself as the luckiest guy. Robert Johnson only had one album's worth of work as his legacy. That's all that life allowed him.
I'm an early riser. I get up between five and six, have coffee, and read for a couple of hours before everyone else gets up.
Similar quotes
You can't have occupation and human rights.
Nor does God whisper through the trees. His voice is not to be mistaken. When men hear it they fall to their knees and their souls are riven and they cry out to Him and there is no fear but only wildness of heart that springs from such longing.
I am only 8 years old, I told myself. No little boy of 8 has ever murdered anyone. It's not possible.
I looked up at the mass of signs and stars in the night sky and laid myself open for the first time to the benign indifference of the world.
The lessons of the First Amendment are as urgent in the modern world as the 18th Century when it was written. One timeless lesson is that if citizens are subjected to state-sponsored religious exercises, the State disavows its own duty to guard and respect that sphere of inviolable conscience and belief which is the mark of a free people.
Feminism involves so much more than gender equality and it involves so much more than gender. Feminism must involve consciousness of capitalism (I mean the feminism that I relate to, and there are multiple feminisms, right). So it has to involve a consciousness of capitalism and racism and colonialism and post-colonialities, and ability and more genders than we can even imagine and more sexualities than we ever thought we could name.