The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat.
Lily TomlinRead
My space chums think my unique hookup with humanity could be evolution's awkward attempt to jump-start itself up again. They're thinking just maybe, going crazy could be the evolutionary process trying to hurry up mind expansion. Maybe my mind didn't snap. Maybe it was just trying to stretch itself into a new shape. The cerebral cortex trying to grow a thumb of sorts.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that unusual or 'crazy' thoughts may represent an evolutionary leap in human consciousness and development.
Lily Tomlin's quote contemplates the nature of human thought and evolution, proposing that what is often labeled as insanity may actually be a sign of the mind striving for greater complexity and understanding. She likens this to an awkward yet necessary evolution, where the mind seeks to expand and transform, perhaps even in unconventional ways. The metaphor of the cerebral cortex trying to 'grow a thumb' illustrates the tension between traditional thinking and the desire for intellectual and emotional growth.
Themes
EvolutionMindHumanityConsciousnessInsanity
In practice
Example use cases
During a psychology seminar, someone can reference this quote to discuss creativity and mental health.
More from Lily Tomlin
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Truth is, I've always been selling out. The difference is that in the past, I looked like I had integrity because there were no buyers.
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Why is it that when we talk to God we're said to be praying but when God talks to us we're schizophrenic?
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