Forgotten Quote by Anton Szandor LaVey
““It’s not a crime to wish for other worlds. You’ll get taxed for it but they can’t throw you in jail for creating your own private world…yet. Dramatics are fun, an indulgence. ‘You can’t go backward,’ ‘You can’t live in the past,’ they tell you. Why not? ‘You’ve got to put all that behind you and move on to other things,’ they say. Bullshit! These are all expressions of modern disposability. It’s a mediocritizing technique—trying to get rid of what I call ‘past orthodoxies.’ It’s our past that makes us unique, therefore it’s our past that economic interests want to rob from us, so they can sell us a new, improved future. Society now depends on a disposable world—out with the old, in with the new, including relationships. But how we weep and wish we could hold onto those cherished moments forever, to those long-whispered dreams, those tortured nights—how we want to grasp them and stop them from sifting through our fingers. I say, ‘Don’t let it happen. Keep things the way you want them and let the rest of the world be duped.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast “The Dark Side of Modernity”, 2020
The quote warns against society’s push to discard the past and personal memories in favor of a constantly refreshed, disposable future, urging preservation of cherished experiences.
In simple terms: Don’t let the past be erased; keep what matters.
Key Takeaway
Preserve personal history despite pressure to move on.
Themes
nostalgia
consumerism
individualism
memory
resistance
Mood
reflective
defiant
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
critical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- social commentary
- creative writing
- mental health
- relationship counseling
Key Concepts
cultural critique
psychology
economics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you decide which memories to keep?
- What personal rituals protect your past?
A Different Perspective
The desire for new experiences can coexist with valuing the past; balance is needed.
