--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man was matter, that was Snowden's…" description: "\"Man was matter, that was Snowden's secret. Drop him out a window, and he'll fall. Set fire to him and he'll burn. Bury him and he'll rot, like other ki..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/joseph-heller-601_edward_man-was-matter-that-was-snowden-s-secret_1436397.png" --- # Man was matter, that was Snowden's secret. Drop him out a… ![“Man was matter, that was Snowden's secret. Drop him out a window, and he'll fall. Set fire to him and he'll burn. Bury him and he'll rot, like other kinds of garbage. The spirit gone, man is garbage. That was Snowden's secret. Ripeness was all.” quote by Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/joseph-heller-601_edward_man-was-matter-that-was-snowden-s-secret_1436397.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/joseph-heller-601_edward_man-was-matter-that-was-snowden-s-secret_1436397.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/joseph-heller-601_edward_man-was-matter-that-was-snowden-s-secret_1436397.png) > “Man was matter, that was Snowden's secret. Drop him out a window, and he'll fall. Set fire to him and he'll burn. Bury him and he'll rot, like other kinds of garbage. The spirit gone, man is garbage. That was Snowden's secret. Ripeness was all.” [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human mortality is reduced to physical processes; without spirit, a person is mere waste. **In simple terms:** Life ends in decay; without soul, we are empty. Key Takeaway Recognize the value of inner spirit. Themes mortality materialism spiritual emptiness human nature Mood grim dark thought‑provoking Type philosophical satirical critical When to use this quote - discussing philosophy - writing satire - contemplating death Key Concepts existentialism nihilism human fragility Questions to Reflect On - What gives life meaning beyond the physical? - Can spirit be cultivated? A Different Perspective The view is overly cynical, ignoring resilience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) ## Related quotes > [Yossarian was cold, too, and shivering uncontrollably. He felt goose pimples clacking all over him as he gazed down despondently at the grim secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/yossarian-was-cold-too-and-shivering-uncontrollably-he-felt-goose/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [My assessment of Julian Assange is a professional one, really, of what he's managed to achieve, and the idea that he came up with,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/my-assessment-of-julian-assange-is-a-professional-one-really-of-what/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [“Man was matter. Drop him out of a window and he'll fall. Set fire to him and he'll burn. Bury him and he'll rot,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/man-was-matter-drop-him-out-of-a-window-and-he-ll-fall-set-fire-to/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“As an American historian, I am required to keep an accurate and truthful historical record.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/as-an-american-historian-i-am-required-to-keep-an-accurate-and/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [ \[on Edward Snowden\] He should be brought back from Russia and given due process, and I think the proper outcome would be that he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pompeo/on-edward-snowden-he-should-be-brought-back-from-russia-and-given-due/) [Mike Pompeo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pompeo/) > [Pardoning Snowden would be a powerful way for the president to acknowledge that the government did wrong, kept us in the dark, acted unconstitutionally.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-romero/pardoning-snowden-would-be-a-powerful-way-for-the-president-to/) [Anthony Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-romero/) > [The government does not need to know more about what we are doing. We need to know more about what the government is doing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-government-does-not-need-to-know-more-about-what-we-are-doing-we/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [I think one of the most shocking things is how little our elected officials knew about what the NSA was doing. Congress is learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/i-think-one-of-the-most-shocking-things-is-how-little-our-elected/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [I think we do sympathize. And a lot of us think a lot of what Snowden did was great, and you're abetting him. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-think-we-do-sympathize-and-a-lot-of-us-think-a-lot-of-what-snowden/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Snowden has presented us with choices on how we want to move forward into the future. We're at a crossroads and we still don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-poitras/snowden-has-presented-us-with-choices-on-how-we-want-to-move-forward/) [Laura Poitras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-poitras/) > [I was really not familiar at all with Edward Snowden. I like to get that right out of the way and really learned most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leo/i-was-really-not-familiar-at-all-with-edward-snowden-i-like-to-get/) [Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) > [ \[Edward Snowden and his team\] they're great characters. They're fascinating people. They were in an extraordinary situation. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/edward-snowden-and-his-team-they-re-great-characters-they-re/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [Edward Snowden has inspired changes and awareness, which is very important in this day and age, and sometimes egos need to be set aside,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/birgitta-jonsdottir/edward-snowden-has-inspired-changes-and-awareness-which-is-very/) [Birgitta Jonsdottir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/birgitta-jonsdottir/) > [I think that Mr. Snowden raised some legitimate concerns. How he did it was something that did not follow the procedures and practices of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-mr-snowden-raised-some-legitimate-concerns-how-he-did-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ I think you just learn a lot of stuff in general about all the stuff he \[Edward Snowden\] released. I think there's probably a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-eastwood/i-think-you-just-learn-a-lot-of-stuff-in-general-about-all-the-stuff/) [Scott Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-eastwood/) ## More by Joseph Heller > [“Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. "That's some catch, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/yossarian-was-moved-very-deeply-by-the-absolute-simplicity-of-this/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [From men motivated by moral certitude, history teaches, no lasting good ever comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/from-men-motivated-by-moral-certitude-history-teaches-no-lasting-good/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [I’m cold,' Snowden said softly, 'I’m cold.' 'You’re going to be all right, kid,' Yossarian reassured him with a grin. 'You’re going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/i-m-cold-snowden-said-softly-i-m-cold-you-re-going-to-be-all-right/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/the-enemy-is-anybody-who-s-going-to-get-you-killed-no-matter-which/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“They think that they’re smart and that the rest of us are dumb.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/they-think-that-they-re-smart-and-that-the-rest-of-us-are-dumb/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/there-was-only-one-catch-and-that-was-catch-22-which-specified-that-a/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“Captain Flume was obsessed with the idea that Chief White Halfoat would tiptoe up to his cot one night when he was sound asleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/captain-flume-was-obsessed-with-the-idea-that-chief-white-halfoat/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“Depreciating motels, junked automobiles, and quick-food joints grow like amber waves of grain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/depreciating-motels-junked-automobiles-and-quick-food-joints-grow/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“That was where he wanted to be if he had to be there at all, instead of hung out there in front like some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/that-was-where-he-wanted-to-be-if-he-had-to-be-there-at-all-instead/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [I had examined myself pretty thoroughly and discovered that I was unfit for military service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/i-had-examined-myself-pretty-thoroughly-and-discovered-that-i-was/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“Yossarian was moved by such intense pity for his poverty that he wanted to smash his pale. sad, sickly face with his fist and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/yossarian-was-moved-by-such-intense-pity-for-his-poverty-that-he/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [You have deep-seated survival anxieties. And you don't like bigots, bullies, snobs or hypocrites. Subconsciously there are many people you hate." "Consciously, sir, consciously,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/you-have-deep-seated-survival-anxieties-and-you-don-t-like-bigots/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“His specialty was alfalfa, and he made a good thing out of not growing any. The government paid him well for every bushel of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/his-specialty-was-alfalfa-and-he-made-a-good-thing-out-of-not-growing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [Every writer I know has trouble writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/every-writer-i-know-has-trouble-writing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [“No such private nights of ecstasy or hushed-up drinking and sex orgies ever occurred. They might have occurred if either General Dreedle or General…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/no-such-private-nights-of-ecstasy-or-hushed-up-drinking-and-sex/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) [Explore all 420 Joseph Heller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) ## More Edward quotes > [“Edward: I don't know whether to put my fingers in my ears and go la-la-la or find more of your guards so we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/edward-i-don-t-know-whether-to-put-my-fingers-in-my-ears-and-go-la-la/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [I wondered to myself why no one else had seen him standing so far away, before he was suddenly, impossibly saving my life. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-wondered-to-myself-why-no-one-else-had-seen-him-standing-so-far/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“More importantly in my view, the Obama administration has treated whistleblowers with scandalous harshness, especially those from inside the intelligence community. The hardest point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lucas/more-importantly-in-my-view-the-obama-administration-has-treated/) [Edward Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lucas/) > [“Where are we going?” she asked. “Mr. Durbin’s sheep have begun to lamb, and I wanted to see how the ewes are doing.” He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hoyt/where-are-we-going-she-asked-mr-durbin-s-sheep-have-begun-to-lamb-and/) [Elizabeth Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hoyt/) > [I've never met Snowden, I've never spoken with him personally. I mean, he's extremely smart. Very, very smart. I guess he was a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-gun/i-ve-never-met-snowden-i-ve-never-spoken-with-him-personally-i-mean/) [Katharine Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-gun/) > [It's a problem for him because he's got - like Edward VII had - nearly all his lifetime to wait until he becomes Monarch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/it-s-a-problem-for-him-because-he-s-got-like-edward-vii-had-nearly/) [Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/) > [“The single biggest lesson of the whole Snowden fiasco is that America's own sloppiness made it vulnerable: whether to misguided whistleblowers, saboteurs or foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lucas/the-single-biggest-lesson-of-the-whole-snowden-fiasco-is-that-america/) [Edward Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lucas/) > [“The cliché that “everything leaks; it all comes out in the New York Times eventually” is emphatically not true, above all for sensitive compartmented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/the-clich-that-everything-leaks-it-all-comes-out-in-the-new-york/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [“The way everyone looked at me made me uncomfortable. Even Edward. It was like I had grown a hundred feet during the course of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/the-way-everyone-looked-at-me-made-me-uncomfortable-even-edward-it/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [Any country that grants asylum to Snowden risks retaliation from the United States, including diplomatic isolation and costly trade sanctions. Several don't seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/any-country-that-grants-asylum-to-snowden-risks-retaliation-from-the/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [“As an American historian, I am required to keep an accurate and truthful historical record.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/as-an-american-historian-i-am-required-to-keep-an-accurate-and/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I tensed for the spring, my eyes squinting as I cringed away, and the sound of Edward's furious roar echoed distantly in the back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-tensed-for-the-spring-my-eyes-squinting-as-i-cringed-away-and-the/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [ Odd as this might sound, I suppose I’m glad you’re here, Jacob. \[Edward Cullen\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/odd-as-this-might-sound-i-suppose-i-m-glad-you-re-here-jacob-edward/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [Snowden is an orderly thinker, with an engineer's approach to problem-solving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/snowden-is-an-orderly-thinker-with-an-engineer-s-approach-to-problem/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [I think that Mr. Snowden raised some legitimate concerns. How he did it was something that did not follow the procedures and practices of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-mr-snowden-raised-some-legitimate-concerns-how-he-did-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) Browse all 310 Edward quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man was matter, that was Snowden's secret. Drop him out a window, and he'll fall. Set fire to him and he'll burn. Bury him and he'll rot, like other kinds of garbage. The spirit gone, man is garbage. That was Snowden's secret. Ripeness was all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph Heller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/man-was-matter-that-was-snowden-s-secret-drop-him-out-a-window-and-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Edward" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/man-was-matter-that-was-snowden-s-secret-drop-him-out-a-window-and-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/joseph-heller-601_edward_man-was-matter-that-was-snowden-s-secret_1436397.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/joseph-heller-601_edward_man-was-matter-that-was-snowden-s-secret_1436397.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/479/joseph-heller-601_edward_man-was-matter-that-was-snowden-s-secret_1436397.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man was matter, that was Snowden's secret. Drop him out a window, and he'll fall. Set fire to him and he'll…” — Joseph Heller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joseph Heller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Man was matter, that was Snowden's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/man-was-matter-that-was-snowden-s-secret-drop-him-out-a-window-and-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/man-was-matter-that-was-snowden-s-secret-drop-him-out-a-window-and-he/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```