The nonconformist here may be "beat down" by life but still has a beauty in his or her longing for freedom and for an awakening of the mind.
Interpretation
Nonconformists may face hardship in life, yet their desire for freedom and mental awakening is beautiful.
William S. Burroughs highlights the struggle of nonconformists who, despite being oppressed by societal norms or challenges in life, possess an inner beauty that stems from their longing for freedom and enlightenment. This longing signifies a profound awareness and appreciation for one's individuality and intellectual freedom, which can flourish even in adversity.
In practice
This quote can be used during a speech about individuality and self-acceptance.
God save the Queen and a fascist regime β¦ a flabby toothless fascism, to be sure. Never go too far in any direction, is the basic law on which Limey-Land is built. The Queen stabilizes the whole sinking shithouse and keeps a small elite of wealth and privilege on top. The English have gone soft in the outhouse. England is like some stricken beast too stupid to know it is dead. Ingloriously foundering in its own waste products, the backlash and bad karma of empire
Like most qualities, cuteness is delineated by what it isn't. Most people aren't cute at all, or if so they quickly outgrow their cuteness ... Elegance, grace, delicacy, beauty, and a lack of self-consciousness: a creature who knows he is cute soon isn't.
There is nothing more provocative than minding your own business.
Gentle reader, the Fountain of Youth is radioactive, and those who imbibe its poisonous heavy waters will suffer the hideous fate of decaying metal. Yet almost without exception, the wretched idiot inhabitants of our benighted planet would gulp down this radioactive excrement if it were offered.
Language is a virus from outer space.
One very important aspect of art is that it makes people aware of what they know and donβt know they know... Once the breakthrough is made, there is a permanent expansion of awareness. But there is always a reaction of rage, of outrage, at the first breakthrough... So the artist, then, expands awareness. And once the breakthrough is made, this becomes part of the general awareness.
An inner process stands in need of outward criteria.
Be confident small immortals. You are not the only voice that all things utter, nor is there eternal silence in the places where you cannot come.
In fact, I thought that Christianity was very a good and a very valuable thing for us. But after a while, I began to feel that the story that I was told about this religion wasn't perhaps completely whole, that something was left out.
The law has no claim to human respect. It has no civilizing mission; its only purpose is to protect exploitation.
There should be a science of discontent. People need hard times and oppression to develop psychic muscles.
Society cannot continue to disable themselves through their need to categorize people or make assumptions as to another individual's abilities.
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