Annoying Quote by Dan Simmons
“The pack of media brayed and bellowed outside the house for seven weeks. Sol realized then what he had known and forgotten about very small communities: they were frequently annoying, always parochial, sometimes prying on a one-to-one level, but never had they subscribed to the vicious legacy of the so-called "public's right to know".”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Hyperion Cantos, Dan Simmons, 1989
The narrator observes that mass media is noisy and intrusive, while small communities are intimate but can be irritating, lacking the broader public‑interest justification of larger outlets.
In simple terms: Media is loud; small towns are intimate but can be annoying.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the different scales of information impact.
Themes
media
community
privacy
information
scale
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
observational
analytical
When to use this quote
- journalism
- local governance
- personal relationships
- digital privacy
Key Concepts
public sphere
parochialism
social dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does media noise affect community trust?
- When should privacy outweigh public interest?
A Different Perspective
Small communities may still spread harmful rumors despite limited reach.
