--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But I consider that the matter of…" description: "\"“But I consider that the matter of defining what is real — that is a serious topic, even a vital topic. And in there somewhere is the other topic, the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/philip-k-dick-502_quote_but-i-consider-that-the-matter-of-defini_2246208.jpg" --- # But I consider that the matter of defining what is real… ![“But I consider that the matter of defining what is real — that is a serious topic, even a vital topic. And in there somewhere is the other topic, the definition of the authentic human. Because the bombardment of pseudo- realities begins to produce inauthentic humans very quickly, spurious humans…” quote by Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/philip-k-dick-502_quote_but-i-consider-that-the-matter-of-defini_2246208.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/philip-k-dick-502_quote_but-i-consider-that-the-matter-of-defini_2246208.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/philip-k-dick-502_quote_but-i-consider-that-the-matter-of-defini_2246208.jpg) > ““But I consider that the matter of defining what is real — that is a serious topic, even a vital topic. And in there somewhere is the other topic, the definition of the authentic human. Because the bombardment of pseudo- realities begins to produce inauthentic humans very quickly, spurious humans — as fake as the data pressing at them from all sides. My two topics are really one topic; they unite at this point. Fake realities will create fake humans. Or, fake humans will generate fake realities and then sell them to other humans, turning them, eventually, into forgeries of themselves. So we wind up with fake humans inventing fake realities and then peddling them to other fake humans. It is just a very large version of Disneyland. You can have the Pirate Ride or the Lincoln Simulacrum or Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride — you can have all of them, but none is true.”” [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that conflating artificial or fabricated realities with truth erodes genuine human identity, creating a feedback loop of deception. **In simple terms:** Fake realities produce fake people, and fake people create more fake realities. Key Takeaway Beware of media and technology that distort reality. Themes authenticity reality identity technology media Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - social media consumption - virtual reality experiences - news media analysis - personal identity formation - digital marketing Key Concepts simulation post‑truth philosophy of self Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate authentic experiences from manufactured ones? - What responsibilities do creators have to preserve authenticity? A Different Perspective The argument may overstate causality, ignoring individuals' agency to discern truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Realities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realities/) [Wild ride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-ride/) ## Related quotes > [“And it is an astonishing power: that of creating whole universes, universes of the mind. I ought to know. I do the same thing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-andersen/and-it-is-an-astonishing-power-that-of-creating-whole-universes/) [Kurt Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-andersen/) > [“Fake realities will create fake humans. Or, fake humans will generate fake realities and then sell them to other humans, turning them, eventually, into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/fake-realities-will-create-fake-humans-or-fake-humans-will-generate/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [We live in a society in which spurious realities are manufactured by the media, by governments, by big corporations, by religious groups, political groups.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/we-live-in-a-society-in-which-spurious-realities-are-manufactured-by/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Because today we live in a society in which spurious realities are manufactured by the media, by governments, by big corporations, by religious groups,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/because-today-we-live-in-a-society-in-which-spurious-realities-are/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“Unceasingly we are bombarded with pseudo-realities. Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” —PHILIP K. DICK”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-andersen/unceasingly-we-are-bombarded-with-pseudo-realities-reality-is-that/) [Kurt Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-andersen/) > [“Objective reality is a synthetic construct, dealing with a hypothetical universalization of a multitude of subjective realities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/objective-reality-is-a-synthetic-construct-dealing-with-a/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“Maybe each human being lives in a unique world, a private world different from those inhabited and experienced by all other humans. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/maybe-each-human-being-lives-in-a-unique-world-a-private-world/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Maybe each human being lives in a unique world, a private world different from those inhabited and experienced by all other humans. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/maybe-each-human-being-lives-in-a-unique-world-a-private-world-2/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“She was bewitching. Even now when she conceded little more than she had when he'd kissed her last night. She quivered under his hands.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-campbell/she-was-bewitching-even-now-when-she-conceded-little-more-than-she/) [Anna Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-campbell/) > [Its been a wild ride, but like all good things, it must come to an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-been-a-wild-ride-but-like-all-good-things-it-must-come-to-an-end/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You want a wild ride, J.J.? I'll give it to you, hard and slow until you scream my name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joya-ryan/you-want-a-wild-ride-j-j-i-ll-give-it-to-you-hard-and-slow-until-you/) [Joya Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joya-ryan/) > [“So we're going ghosting. Our stories lie everywhere, just like our bones, more wild rides than you ever dreamt of, all the daring you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-jakober/so-we-re-going-ghosting-our-stories-lie-everywhere-just-like-our/) [Marie Jakober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-jakober/) > [Tell me you love me and everything's alright 57 seconds and you start a fight. Baby somehow you're the one I need. Another little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-wallace/tell-me-you-love-me-and-everything-s-alright-57-seconds-and-you-start/) Chris Wallace > [I've always been someone driven to excel and make the most out of this wild ride called life, but sometimes I just need a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-always-been-someone-driven-to-excel-and-make-the-most-out-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ['Batman' was a colorful and wild ride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/batman-was-a-colorful-and-wild-ride/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) ## More by Philip K. Dick > [So we and our elaborately evolving computers may meet each other halfway. Someday a human being, named perhaps Fred White, may shoot a robot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/so-we-and-our-elaborately-evolving-computers-may-meet-each-other/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Even if all life on our planet is destroyed, there must be other life somewhere which we know nothing of. It is impossible that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/even-if-all-life-on-our-planet-is-destroyed-there-must-be-other-life/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“That is not how you do it; you do not solve one problem with another, greater problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/that-is-not-how-you-do-it-you-do-not-solve-one-problem-with-another/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [For each person there is a sentence—a series of words—which has the power to destroy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/for-each-person-there-is-a-sentence-a-series-of-words-which-has-the/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [I want to write about people I love, and put them into a fictional world spun out of my own mind, not the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/i-want-to-write-about-people-i-love-and-put-them-into-a-fictional/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Why does a man cry? he wondered. Not like a woman; not for that. Not for sentiment. A man cries over the loss of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/why-does-a-man-cry-he-wondered-not-like-a-woman-not-for-that-not-for/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [The day came. The wrath descended. Sin, guilt, and retribution? The manic psychoses of those entities we referred to as states, institutions, systems -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-day-came-the-wrath-descended-sin-guilt-and-retribution-the-manic/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [The church of my choice is the free, open world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-church-of-my-choice-is-the-free-open-world/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“I see,' Rick said. He felt numb. Completely. Throughout his entire body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/i-see-rick-said-he-felt-numb-completely-throughout-his-entire-body/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“What is identity? he asked himself. Where does the act end? Nobody knows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/what-is-identity-he-asked-himself-where-does-the-act-end-nobody-knows/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [You're killing yourself with cynicism. Your idols got taken away from you one by one and now you have nothing to give your love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/you-re-killing-yourself-with-cynicism-your-idols-got-taken-away-from/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [What scared me the most was when my father would put on the gasmask. His face would disappear... This was not a human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/what-scared-me-the-most-was-when-my-father-would-put-on-the-gasmask/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“A man is an angel that has become deranged, Joe Fernwright thought. Once they – all of them – had been genuine angels, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/a-man-is-an-angel-that-has-become-deranged-joe-fernwright-thought/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“When do I see a photograph, when a reflection?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/when-do-i-see-a-photograph-when-a-reflection/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [My major preoccupation is the question, 'What is reality?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/my-major-preoccupation-is-the-question-what-is-reality/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) [Explore all 489 Philip K. Dick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) ## More Realities quotes > [Woe to him whose beliefs play fast and loose with the order which realities follow in his experience; they will lead him nowhere or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/woe-to-him-whose-beliefs-play-fast-and-loose-with-the-order-which/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [I think that once I started connecting dots of where my food was coming from and the reality of that, as opposed to maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-aries/i-think-that-once-i-started-connecting-dots-of-where-my-food-was/) [Austin Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-aries/) > [For Jesus, heaven and hell were present realities. Ways of living we can enter into here and now. He talked very little of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/for-jesus-heaven-and-hell-were-present-realities-ways-of-living-we/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [...there's no rule book or game plan when it comes to the grim realities of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/there-s-no-rule-book-or-game-plan-when-it-comes-to-the-grim-realities/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [“Remember, your audience is aware of the realities, but they would like to hear it from you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virender-kapoor/remember-your-audience-is-aware-of-the-realities-but-they-would-like/) [Virender Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virender-kapoor/) > [“Being and not being are not two different realities, but two different aspects of the same reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/being-and-not-being-are-not-two-different-realities-but-two-different/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [“Civilisation consists in giving something a name that doesn't belong to it and then dreaming over the result. And the false name joined to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/civilisation-consists-in-giving-something-a-name-that-doesn-t-belong/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [What we think of as physical reality is an intermingling of appropriate realities, a fluid massive consciousness in which each of us exists independently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/what-we-think-of-as-physical-reality-is-an-intermingling-of/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [What we, thanks to Jung, call "synchronicity" (coincidence on steroids), Buddhists have long known as "the interpenetration of realities." Whether it's a natural law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/what-we-thanks-to-jung-call-synchronicity-coincidence-on-steroids/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Images can make realities out of people and struggles - the reality we give them. Images really matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/images-can-make-realities-out-of-people-and-struggles-the-reality-we/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [When you suffer a loss, there is before the death and after the death - those become your two existences and your two realities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/when-you-suffer-a-loss-there-is-before-the-death-and-after-the-death/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [i never understood society. i undersand that it works somehow and that it functions as a reality and that its realities are necessary to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-never-understood-society-i-undersand-that-it-works-somehow-and-that/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Once we have conceived of time and space, once we have accepted their existence, then that implies that there is a structural order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/once-we-have-conceived-of-time-and-space-once-we-have-accepted-their/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“The truth is, there are no alternate realities. At least not the way Penny describes them. Maybe an infinite multiverse is born from every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/the-truth-is-there-are-no-alternate-realities-at-least-not-the-way/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [Historically, epics are set in Africa or Asia or the Wild West, but if you make an epic today it's hard to disassociate from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baz-luhrmann/historically-epics-are-set-in-africa-or-asia-or-the-wild-west-but-if/) [Baz Luhrmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baz-luhrmann/) [Browse all 424 Realities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realities/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But I consider that the matter of defining what is real — that is a serious topic, even a vital topic. And in there somewhere is the other topic, the definition of the authentic human. Because the bombardment of pseudo- realities begins to produce inauthentic humans very quickly, spurious humans — as fake as the data pressing at them from all sides. My two topics are really one topic; they unite at this point. Fake realities will create fake humans. Or, fake humans will generate fake realities and then sell them to other humans, turning them, eventually, into forgeries of themselves. So we wind up with fake humans inventing fake realities and then peddling them to other fake humans. It is just a very large version of Disneyland. You can have the Pirate Ride or the Lincoln Simulacrum or Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride — you can have all of them, but none is true.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip K. Dick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/but-i-consider-that-the-matter-of-defining-what-is-real-that-is-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Realities" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/but-i-consider-that-the-matter-of-defining-what-is-real-that-is-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/philip-k-dick-502_quote_but-i-consider-that-the-matter-of-defini_2246208.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/philip-k-dick-502_quote_but-i-consider-that-the-matter-of-defini_2246208.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/philip-k-dick-502_quote_but-i-consider-that-the-matter-of-defini_2246208.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But I consider that the matter of defining what is real — that is a serious topic, even a vital topic. And…” — Philip K. Dick", "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": "Philip K. Dick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But I consider that the matter...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/but-i-consider-that-the-matter-of-defining-what-is-real-that-is-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/but-i-consider-that-the-matter-of-defining-what-is-real-that-is-a/#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 } } ] } ```