--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I take drugs just because in the 20th…" description: "\"I take drugs just because in the 20th century in a technological age living in the city there are certain drugs you have to take just to keep yourself ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/lou-reed-1654_20th-century_i-take-drugs-just-because-in-the-20th-ce_2269025.png" --- # I take drugs just because in the 20th century in a… ![“I take drugs just because in the 20th century in a technological age living in the city there are certain drugs you have to take just to keep yourself normal like a caveman. Just to bring yourself up or down, but to attain equilibrium you need to take certain drugs. They don't getcha high even…” quote by Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/lou-reed-1654_20th-century_i-take-drugs-just-because-in-the-20th-ce_2269025.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/lou-reed-1654_20th-century_i-take-drugs-just-because-in-the-20th-ce_2269025.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/lou-reed-1654_20th-century_i-take-drugs-just-because-in-the-20th-ce_2269025.png) > “I take drugs just because in the 20th century in a technological age living in the city there are certain drugs you have to take just to keep yourself normal like a caveman. Just to bring yourself up or down, but to attain equilibrium you need to take certain drugs. They don't getcha high even, they just getcha normal.” [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes modern drug use as a means to achieve normalcy in a technologically advanced, urban society. **In simple terms:** Drugs are used to feel normal in a fast‑paced world. Key Takeaway Seek healthy balance instead of reliance on substances. Themes addiction technology urban life normalcy Mood melancholic critical Type social philosophical When to use this quote - mental health counseling - urban lifestyle - technology detox - public health policy Key Concepts psychology societal pressure health culture Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives provide equilibrium? - How does technology affect mental health? A Different Perspective Reliance on drugs can mask underlying issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drugs/) [Equilibrium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equilibrium/) [Living in the city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-in-the-city/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [“women may respond differently from men to certain drugs. Medical researchers in the mid-twentieth century often assumed this couldn’t be a problem. “There was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-saini/women-may-respond-differently-from-men-to-certain-drugs-medical/) [Angela Saini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-saini/) > [I believe that at birth everyone gets the capacity for a certain amount of drugs and alcohol, everyone the same, you can do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-believe-that-at-birth-everyone-gets-the-capacity-for-a-certain/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I believe that God left certain drugs growing naturally upon our planet to help speed up and facilitate our evolution. OK, not the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-believe-that-god-left-certain-drugs-growing-naturally-upon-our-2/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [I believe that God left certain drugs growing naturally upon our planet to help speed up and facilitate our evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-believe-that-god-left-certain-drugs-growing-naturally-upon-our/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [Certain drugs provide brief excursions into altered states of consciousness. The problem is that the perceptions and understandings that come from these experiences don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/certain-drugs-provide-brief-excursions-into-altered-states-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Don’t do drugs, don’t have sex, and don’t touch your eyebrows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-clarke/don-t-do-drugs-don-t-have-sex-and-don-t-touch-your-eyebrows/) [Emilia Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-clarke/) > [I don't do drugs. I don't like drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-ford/i-don-t-do-drugs-i-don-t-like-drugs/) [Doug Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-ford/) > [I hate prescription drugs! They don't tell you everything that is in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-jones/i-hate-prescription-drugs-they-don-t-tell-you-everything-that-is-in/) [Grace Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-jones/) > [Drugs don't really fix anything, except for everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashly-lorenzana/drugs-don-t-really-fix-anything-except-for-everything/) [Ashly Lorenzana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashly-lorenzana/) > [Drugs don't work in patients who don't take them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-everett-koop/drugs-don-t-work-in-patients-who-don-t-take-them/) [C. Everett Koop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-everett-koop/) > [I don't do drugs. I never have taken any drugs. I don't believe in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-griffith-joyner/i-don-t-do-drugs-i-never-have-taken-any-drugs-i-don-t-believe-in-them/) [Florence Griffith Joyner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-griffith-joyner/) > [If you've never tried drugs, don't. And if you have, pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-renfro/if-you-ve-never-tried-drugs-don-t-and-if-you-have-pray/) [Brad Renfro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-renfro/) > [I don't drink, I don't take drugs, I don't smoke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-martin/i-don-t-drink-i-don-t-take-drugs-i-don-t-smoke/) [Chris Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-martin/) > [I was talking to the great Armen Ra, the world's most renowned theremin player, and he told me, "I don't trust old people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-needles/i-was-talking-to-the-great-armen-ra-the-world-s-most-renowned/) [Sharon Needles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-needles/) > [You know, when you need drugs and you don't have a lot of money, what you'll do is you'll hang out with people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/you-know-when-you-need-drugs-and-you-don-t-have-a-lot-of-money-what/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) ## More by Lou Reed > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Perfect Night is minimalistic and that's what makes it so forceful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/perfect-night-is-minimalistic-and-that-s-what-makes-it-so-forceful/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [I think life is far too short to concentrate on your past. I rather look into the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-think-life-is-far-too-short-to-concentrate-on-your-past-i-rather/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [The only thing constantly changing is change, and change is always changing for the worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/the-only-thing-constantly-changing-is-change-and-change-is-always/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [The first generation of CDs sounded terrible. Any chance to remaster would make the music sound better than what was already out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/the-first-generation-of-cds-sounded-terrible-any-chance-to-remaster/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Perfect Night has that magic and it has the raw energy that grabs you by the throat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/perfect-night-has-that-magic-and-it-has-the-raw-energy-that-grabs-you/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Eve kissed Able, that's how he got murdered by Cain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/eve-kissed-able-that-s-how-he-got-murdered-by-cain/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Music should come crashing out of your speakers and grab you, and the lyrics should challenge whatever preconceived notions that listener has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/music-should-come-crashing-out-of-your-speakers-and-grab-you-and-the/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Underachievers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose except your fright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/underachievers-of-the-world-unite-you-have-nothing-to-lose-except/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [“There's a bit of magic in everything And then some loss to even things out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/there-s-a-bit-of-magic-in-everything-and-then-some-loss-to-even/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [You've gotta blow the roof off of your heart and let the universe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/you-ve-gotta-blow-the-roof-off-of-your-heart-and-let-the-universe-in/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Sometimes, you've got to be in a place. You're just another guy. You can just blend in. I live out in the wilds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/sometimes-you-ve-got-to-be-in-a-place-you-re-just-another-guy-you-can/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [How could you even dream or think something of someone who is as uncommercial as I am?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/how-could-you-even-dream-or-think-something-of-someone-who-is-as/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [All the people have gone to war leaving no interrogator to mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/all-the-people-have-gone-to-war-leaving-no-interrogator-to-mind/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [I always thought martial arts was the most modern choreography we could have right now, and I always wanted to put it to music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-always-thought-martial-arts-was-the-most-modern-choreography-we/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) [Explore all 219 Lou Reed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) ## More 20th century quotes > [I think the inhabitants of the past are fighting hard to keep the rents they acquired in the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/i-think-the-inhabitants-of-the-past-are-fighting-hard-to-keep-the/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [Corporate America is a 20th-century dinosaur, trembling on the edge of extinction, and the only way for you to have a genuinely secure future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/corporate-america-is-a-20th-century-dinosaur-trembling-on-the-edge-of/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free. We sent a generation to college. We cultivated the most educated workforce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/america-thrived-in-the-20th-century-because-we-made-high-school-free/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The 20th century has been marked by cynicism, selfishness, greed, and the desire to please, all without changing the status quo. In the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-20th-century-has-been-marked-by-cynicism-selfishness-greed-and/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [I've studied the lives of the 20th century's great businessmen and concluded self-confidence was instrumental in all their success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-spanos/i-ve-studied-the-lives-of-the-20th-century-s-great-businessmen-and/) [Alex Spanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-spanos/) > [Universal literacy was a 20th-century goal. Before then, reading and writing were skills largely confined to a small, highly educated class of professional people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/universal-literacy-was-a-20th-century-goal-before-then-reading-and/) [Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/) > [The great wars of the 20th Century made it into the worst Century ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-ambrose/the-great-wars-of-the-20th-century-made-it-into-the-worst-century-ever/) [Stephen Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-ambrose/) > [That is very different from how it used to be in the 20th century. Media was very one way. There's a small little industry.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/that-is-very-different-from-how-it-used-to-be-in-the-20th-century/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [If you look back on the history of the 20th century, the 19th century or even to the ancien régime of the 18th, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/if-you-look-back-on-the-history-of-the-20th-century-the-19th-century/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [Up to the 20th century, we can say that this whole period was an Earth epoch, 'Earth' meaning the riches of the earth, simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lech-walesa/up-to-the-20th-century-we-can-say-that-this-whole-period-was-an-earth/) [Lech Walesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lech-walesa/) > [I think this century more than any other really has seen the phenomenon of people being uprooted in such numbers, such a degree. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-think-this-century-more-than-any-other-really-has-seen-the/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [If you look at that incredible burst of fantastic characters that emerged in the late 19th century/early 20th century, you can see so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/if-you-look-at-that-incredible-burst-of-fantastic-characters-that/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [Cruel and paradoxical though it undoubtedly is, the record shows that yje most succesful 20th century monarchs have been those who were not actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cannadine/cruel-and-paradoxical-though-it-undoubtedly-is-the-record-shows-that/) [David Cannadine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cannadine/) > [An interesting thing about New Zealand, you know, literature is that it really didn't begin in any real sense until the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/an-interesting-thing-about-new-zealand-you-know-literature-is-that-it/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [The Warmth of Other Suns is a sweeping and yet deeply personal tale of America's hidden 20th century history - the long and difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/the-warmth-of-other-suns-is-a-sweeping-and-yet-deeply-personal-tale/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) Browse all 672 20th century quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I take drugs just because in the 20th century in a technological age living in the city there are certain drugs you have to take just to keep yourself normal like a caveman. 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