John Twelve Hawks Quotes
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These days, I live on the grid – primarily because of medical issues. But I think that it would be hypocritical for a writer to condemn our surveillance culture and then appear on the Charlie Rose show to blather about personal details. Focusing on a writer’s life undermines the power of that writer’s ideas.
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One of the pleasures of writing novels is that my characters usually do something. But in real life we often stay locked in a situation that we know is painful or wrong.
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Identity is not taste or fashion; it has nothing to do with what we’ve purchased in the past or want to buy in the future. Identity comes from making real choices that force you to decide what is true, fair, and just. Identity is not given to you; it’s earned by your life experiences.
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Bland is the truest expression of an advanced civilization. It took a great deal of money to create this pocket of cool, calm bland among the rickshaw men and the beggar children tapping on the car windows.
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'When people decide that a certain way of faith is destined and inevitable, hatred and intolerance follow. Instead of saying, 'The Light is within you, choose the Light,' the message becomes 'Agree with our version of history or we'll kill you.'
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When a person speculates about my identity, it reveals something about their own background and preferences. If the canvas is blank; the only thing people can see on its surface is themselves.
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At the training camp, I was told that doors always open for a man wearing a hard hat and carrying a clipboard.
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Modern authority is based on a system of lies that are accepted by the general population. If you pull away the curtain and show the reality of power, people are motivated to question the fictions that govern their own lives.
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Lying, not love, is the fundamental indication of humanity.
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You don't need to watch everyone if everyone believes they're being watched.
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Mrs. Driscoll clapped her hands together and the bracelets jingled brightly. 'Yes, Mr. Morgan! The theater can heal a wounded spirit and broken heart! I've seen it countless times. When we are completely artificial, we can find out what's real.'
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Sometimes the best way to find the truth is to create a fiction.
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Almost every important choice in our lives is really just an expression of hope.
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If privacy had a gravestone it might read: 'Don't Worry. This Was for Your Own Good.'
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No machine can daydream. When they’re not switched on, they’re as cold as a toaster in a midnight kitchen.
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All the news stories were telling me to be frightened. All the commercials were telling me to buy things I didn´t need. The message was that people could only be passive victims or consumers.
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Children defer to adults because they’re older, bigger and stronger. But it’s also because children believe that adults have reasons for what they do. There was nothing magical about the Pied Piper of Hamelin’s flute. The Piper acted like he knew where he was going and the children followed him into the dark mountains where they were never seen again.
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We drink our morning coffee with a drop of fear.
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A Vast Machine watched and evaluated them, remembering their past actions and predicting their future behavior.
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Our sense of powerlessness-the belief that an ordinary person does not matter-has twisted our lips into a sneer.
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All language – everything we say – is just an approximation of reality.
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Artificial intelligence is a concept that obscures accountability. Our problem is not machines acting like humans - it’s humans acting like machines.
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Political affiliation is not a relevant part of this decision; privacy and personal freedom should be fundamental right for everyone.
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All of us fight a battle every day, but we just don’t know it. Love tries to defeat hatred. Bravery destroys fear.