philosophical society.com

Neil Postman

Amusing Ourselves To Death

"There are two ways by which the spirit of a culture may be shriveled. In the first -- the Orwellian -- culture becomes a prison. In the second -- the Huxleyan -- culture becomes a burlesque...What Huxley teaches is that in the age of advanced technology, spiritual devastation is more likely to come from an enemy with a smiling face than from one whose countenance exudes suspicion and hate. In the Huxleyan prophecy, Big Brother does not watch us, by his choice. We watch him, by ours."