--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the machine of a human being is…" description: "\"When the machine of a human being is turned on, it seems to produce a protagonist, just as a television produces an image.\" — Mohsin Hamid" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85c/mohsin-hamid-798_computers_when-the-machine-of-a-human-being-is-tur_42174.jpg" --- # When the machine of a human being is turned on, it seems… ![“When the machine of a human being is turned on, it seems to produce a protagonist, just as a television produces an image.” quote by Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85c/mohsin-hamid-798_computers_when-the-machine-of-a-human-being-is-tur_42174.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85c/mohsin-hamid-798_computers_when-the-machine-of-a-human-being-is-tur_42174.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85c/mohsin-hamid-798_computers_when-the-machine-of-a-human-being-is-tur_42174.jpg) > “When the machine of a human being is turned on, it seems to produce a protagonist, just as a television produces an image.” [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Activating human consciousness creates a narrative self, akin to a TV generating visual content. **In simple terms:** Human mind as story engine. Key Takeaway Self-awareness is narrative. Themes identity consciousness storytelling technology self human nature Mood thoughtful philosophical Type aphorism observation When to use this quote - personal introspection - creative writing - psychological analysis - media criticism Key Concepts narrative self cognitive activation media metaphor Practical Applications - exploring self-identity - designing narrative-driven AI Questions to Reflect On - How does narrative shape self-perception? - Can technology reveal hidden aspects of identity? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-being/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/image/) [Protagonist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protagonist/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) ## Related quotes > [It is now very clear that techniques of machine-human interfacing, pharmacology of the synthetic variety, all kinds of manipulative techniques, all kinds of data…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/it-is-now-very-clear-that-techniques-of-machine-human-interfacing/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Why go to a machine when you could go to a human being?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/why-go-to-a-machine-when-you-could-go-to-a-human-being/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“Slavery of Human is much better than slavery of Machine. 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Four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/often-during-my-stay-in-your-country-such-comparisons-troubled-me-in/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [Americans need to educate themselves, from elementary school onward, about what their country has done abroad. And they need to play a more active…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/americans-need-to-educate-themselves-from-elementary-school-onward/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [I'm not a representative of Pakistan; I'm just an example that Pakistanis are different from each other. I believe it in my fiction and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-m-not-a-representative-of-pakistan-i-m-just-an-example-that/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“end of a couple is like a death, and the notion of death, of temporariness, can remind us of the value of things,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/end-of-a-couple-is-like-a-death-and-the-notion-of-death-of/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [NYC doesn't have a big sign saying "You must love diversity and the rights of all people." 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