--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is any of this real? Dangerous question…" description: "\"“Is any of this real? Dangerous question. Sometimes I don’t know the answer. I doubt myself. I doubt what I think I know. I try to forget about it. Aft..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6a/octavia-e-butler-2861_art-of-life_is-any-of-this-real-dangerous-question-s_2006237.jpg" --- # Is any of this real? Dangerous question. Sometimes I don’t… ![“Is any of this real? Dangerous question. Sometimes I don’t know the answer. I doubt myself. I doubt what I think I know. I try to forget about it. After all, if it’s real, why doesn’t anyone else know about it. Every one knows that change is inevitable. From the second law of thermodynamics to…” quote by Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6a/octavia-e-butler-2861_art-of-life_is-any-of-this-real-dangerous-question-s_2006237.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6a/octavia-e-butler-2861_art-of-life_is-any-of-this-real-dangerous-question-s_2006237.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6a/octavia-e-butler-2861_art-of-life_is-any-of-this-real-dangerous-question-s_2006237.jpg) > ““Is any of this real? Dangerous question. Sometimes I don’t know the answer. I doubt myself. I doubt what I think I know. I try to forget about it. After all, if it’s real, why doesn’t anyone else know about it. Every one knows that change is inevitable. From the second law of thermodynamics to Darwinian evolution, from Buddhism’s insistence that nothing is permanent and all suffering results from our delusions of permanence to the third chapter of Ecclesiastes (“To everything there is a season”), change is part of life, of existence, of the common wisdom. But I don’t believe we’re dealing with all that that means. We haven’t even begun to deal with it.”” [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker questions reality and doubts knowledge, yet acknowledges that change is inevitable and universal, though we may not fully grasp its implications. **In simple terms:** Doubt about reality versus inevitable change. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty and seek understanding. Themes philosophy existentialism change knowledge uncertainty Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - Personal introspection - academic study - spiritual practice - creative writing Key Concepts Epistemology impermanence thermodynamics evolution Buddhist thought Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile personal doubt with universal truths? - What does “real” mean to you? A Different Perspective Change is constant but our perception of it can be limited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-of-life/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Part of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/part-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“I know that a lot of our successes came because we had pure intentions and great talent, and we did a lot of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/i-know-that-a-lot-of-our-successes-came-because-we-had-pure/) [Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/) > [“Change is inevitable. It happens every day, whether we notice it or not. Some people like change. They embrace it with every ounce of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-elvira/change-is-inevitable-it-happens-every-day-whether-we-notice-it-or-not/) [Justine Elvira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-elvira/) > [“Change is inevitable. Evolution, however, is optional.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/change-is-inevitable-evolution-however-is-optional/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Whoever said change is inevitable, clearly never bought a Snickers from this vending machine...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whoever-said-change-is-inevitable-clearly-never-bought-a-snickers/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Two basic rules of life are: 1) Change is inevitable. 2) Everybody resists change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/two-basic-rules-of-life-are-1-change-is-inevitable-2-everybody/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [“Change is inevitable, but transformation is by conscious choice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heatherash-amara/change-is-inevitable-but-transformation-is-by-conscious-choice/) [HeatherAsh Amara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heatherash-amara/) > [“Change is inevitable. Wise leaders anticipate it and adapt quickly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rivard/change-is-inevitable-wise-leaders-anticipate-it-and-adapt-quickly/) Cynthia Rivard > [We all know that change is inevitable. It provides us with a challenge and an opportunity to grow and improve and to attract new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-d-burton/we-all-know-that-change-is-inevitable-it-provides-us-with-a-challenge/) [Ron D. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-d-burton/) > [Change is inevitable, progress is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/change-is-inevitable-progress-is-not/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [In a world where change is inevitable and continuous, the need to achieve that change without violence is essential for survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/in-a-world-where-change-is-inevitable-and-continuous-the-need-to/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [Change is inevitable, and the disruption it causes often brings both inconvenience and opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-scoble/change-is-inevitable-and-the-disruption-it-causes-often-brings-both/) [Robert Scoble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-scoble/) > [Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/change-is-inevitable-growth-is-optional/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Things don't go on forever, and the quicker you accept that change is inevitable, the happier you're gonna be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-anastasio/things-don-t-go-on-forever-and-the-quicker-you-accept-that-change-is/) [Trey Anastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-anastasio/) > [In life, change is inevitable. In business, change is vital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-life-change-is-inevitable-in-business-change-is-vital/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Octavia E. Butler > [The lovely thing about writing is, well, two things. One, writing fiction allows us to bring an order to our lives that doesn't exist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/the-lovely-thing-about-writing-is-well-two-things-one-writing-fiction/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“It’s too easy to follow bad but attractive leaders, embrace pleasurable but destructive habits, ignore looming disaster because maybe it won’t happen after all—or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/it-s-too-easy-to-follow-bad-but-attractive-leaders-embrace/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“He rubbed his head again. 'Five years is longer than it sounds. So much longer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/he-rubbed-his-head-again-five-years-is-longer-than-it-sounds-so-much/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“Se sono tuoi, stabilisci tu le regole. A chi importa che cosa ne pensano i giocattoli? Spazza via l'intera famiglia di un giocattolo, poi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/se-sono-tuoi-stabilisci-tu-le-regole-a-chi-importa-che-cosa-ne/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [I don't know how much of a market there is for space opera. Just because it's in the movies doesn't mean magazines are buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/i-don-t-know-how-much-of-a-market-there-is-for-space-opera-just/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“Freedom is dangerous but it's precious, too. You can't just throw it away or let it slip away. You can't sell it for bread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/freedom-is-dangerous-but-it-s-precious-too-you-can-t-just-throw-it/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“Sometimes I wrote things because I couldn't say them, couldn't sort out my feelings about them, couldn't keep them bottled inside me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/sometimes-i-wrote-things-because-i-couldn-t-say-them-couldn-t-sort/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“In the book of Job, God says he made everything and he knows everything so no one has any right to question what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/in-the-book-of-job-god-says-he-made-everything-and-he-knows/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“But there’s no power in having strength and brains, and yet waiting for God to fix things for you or take revenge for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/but-there-s-no-power-in-having-strength-and-brains-and-yet-waiting/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“After a few years of watching the human species make things unnecessarily difficult for itself I have little hope that it will do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/after-a-few-years-of-watching-the-human-species-make-things/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“Self is. Self is body and bodily perception. Self is thought, memory, belief. Self creates. Self destroys. Self learns, discovers, becomes. Self shapes. Self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/self-is-self-is-body-and-bodily-perception-self-is-thought-memory/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [At school I was always taller than the rest of my class, and because I was an only child, I was comfortable with adults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/at-school-i-was-always-taller-than-the-rest-of-my-class-and-because-i/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“It was milk that had sickened her. Animal milk! These people cooked many things with animal milk!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/it-was-milk-that-had-sickened-her-animal-milk-these-people-cooked/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [Religion is everywhere. There are no human societies without it, whether they acknowledge it as a religion or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/religion-is-everywhere-there-are-no-human-societies-without-it/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [“There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/there-is-nothing-new-under-the-sun-but-there-are-new-suns/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) [Explore all 131 Octavia E. Butler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) ## More Art of life quotes > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. 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It is also known to you that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-mistaken-and-unhappy-notion-that-a-man-is-an-enduring-unity-is/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-art-of-life-is-to-know-how-to-enjoy-a-little-and-to-endure-very/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [“Learning what to want is the most radical, the most painful and the most creative art of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-vickers/learning-what-to-want-is-the-most-radical-the-most-painful-and-the/) Geoffrey Vickers > [New teachers were just a part of life, for a few days after one arrived, squawks of interest were emitted from various corners, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/new-teachers-were-just-a-part-of-life-for-a-few-days-after-one/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [“Everywhere you go you'll see highs and lows These things are just part of life and its flows It helps to understand that no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marques/everywhere-you-go-you-ll-see-highs-and-lows-these-things-are-just/) [Joan Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marques/) > [I need someone...to be half of myself...to carry my 2nd part of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/singu/i-need-someone-to-be-half-of-myself-to-carry-my-2nd-part-of-life/) [SINGU](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/singu/) > [The easy part of life is finding someone to love you. The hard part of life is finding some to love you back!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-easy-part-of-life-is-finding-someone-to-love-you-the-hard-part-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's a part of life. You never know what you are going to get; you just have to be strong enough to deal with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-hill/it-s-a-part-of-life-you-never-know-what-you-are-going-to-get-you-just/) [Melissa Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-hill/) > [Experience is the only real teacher and if you keep a diary you get three bites at educating yourself - when it happens, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/experience-is-the-only-real-teacher-and-if-you-keep-a-diary-you-get/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [“You didn’t get it. Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. 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