--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: His world had assumed the attribute of…" description: "\"“His world had assumed the attribute of pure mass. He perceived himself in one mode only: that of an object subjected to the pressure of weight. One qu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/philip-k-dick-502_inertia_his-world-had-assumed-the-attribute-of-p_2964948.jpg" --- # His world had assumed the attribute of pure mass. He… ![“His world had assumed the attribute of pure mass. He perceived himself in one mode only: that of an object subjected to the pressure of weight. One quality, one attribute. And one experience. Inertia.” quote by Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/philip-k-dick-502_inertia_his-world-had-assumed-the-attribute-of-p_2964948.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/philip-k-dick-502_inertia_his-world-had-assumed-the-attribute-of-p_2964948.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/philip-k-dick-502_inertia_his-world-had-assumed-the-attribute-of-p_2964948.jpg) > ““His world had assumed the attribute of pure mass. He perceived himself in one mode only: that of an object subjected to the pressure of weight. One quality, one attribute. And one experience. Inertia.”” [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. He feels reduced to a single, weighty identity, experiencing only inertia and lack of agency. **In simple terms:** He sees himself as a heavy, motionless object. Key Takeaway Recognize and expand beyond limiting self‑views. Themes identity weight inertia self‑perception Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal crisis - creative block - stress - overcoming stagnation Key Concepts existentialism psychology metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How does this perception limit you? - What could break the inertia? A Different Perspective The view may ignore inner resilience and potential for change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Experience Inertia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience-inertia-4535312/) [Inertia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inertia/) [Mass Perceived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-perceived-4535313/) [Pure Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pure-mass-4535311/) [World Assumed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-assumed-3051688/) ## Related quotes > [“Definition merely adds the locks to a world that is assumed to be closed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holloway/definition-merely-adds-the-locks-to-a-world-that-is-assumed-to-be/) [John Holloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holloway/) > [Here is one optimists reason for believing unity will prevail ... within the next hundred years ... nationhood as we know it will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/strobe-talbott/here-is-one-optimists-reason-for-believing-unity-will-prevail-within/) [Strobe Talbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/strobe-talbott/) > [“In this world is not the creative act of the genius always a protest against the inertia of the mass?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/in-this-world-is-not-the-creative-act-of-the-genius-always-a-protest/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [I know, that since life is our most precious gift, and as far as we can be absolutely certain, it's given to us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-know-that-since-life-is-our-most-precious-gift-and-as-far-as-we-can/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I don't think America needs 28,000 men on Okinawa. I don't think we need an army in Germany. What's it for, to protect Germans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-gutzman/i-don-t-think-america-needs-28-000-men-on-okinawa-i-don-t-think-we/) [Kevin Gutzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-gutzman/) > [Inertia accounts for two-thirds of marriages. But love accounts for the other third.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/inertia-accounts-for-two-thirds-of-marriages-but-love-accounts-for/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Nothing happens until something moves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/nothing-happens-until-something-moves/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [LAOCOON, n. A famous piece of antique scripture representing a priest of that name and his two sons in the folds of two enormous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/laocoon-n-a-famous-piece-of-antique-scripture-representing-a-priest/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“You know, the whole thing about perfectionism. The perfectionism is very dangerous. Because of course if your fidelity to perfectionism is too high, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/you-know-the-whole-thing-about-perfectionism-the-perfectionism-is/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothea-brande/all-that-is-necessary-to-break-the-spell-of-inertia-and-frustration/) [Dorothea Brande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothea-brande/) > [“When describing me, Tracy often refers to a well-known concept of physics: 'inertia.' As Newton avers in his first law: 'An object that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox-2/when-describing-me-tracy-often-refers-to-a-well-known-concept-of/) [Michael J Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox-2/) > [It takes forever if you go by inertia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/it-takes-forever-if-you-go-by-inertia/) [Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/) > [“We know how ninety-nine percent of the universe works," he told Carter shortly after they met, "and that's the clockworks, that's what we build…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-david-gold/we-know-how-ninety-nine-percent-of-the-universe-works-he-told-carter/) [Glen David Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-david-gold/) > [Sometimes you make up your mind about something without knowing why, and your decision persists by the power of inertia. Every year it gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/sometimes-you-make-up-your-mind-about-something-without-knowing-why/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Change is not overcoming inertia as much as it is redirecting, guiding, tweaking what already is and what has already happened. We must believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/change-is-not-overcoming-inertia-as-much-as-it-is-redirecting-guiding/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) ## 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 Inertia quotes > [Change is not overcoming inertia as much as it is redirecting, guiding, tweaking what already is and what has already happened. We must believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/change-is-not-overcoming-inertia-as-much-as-it-is-redirecting-guiding/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [Sometimes you make up your mind about something without knowing why, and your decision persists by the power of inertia. Every year it gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/sometimes-you-make-up-your-mind-about-something-without-knowing-why/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“We know how ninety-nine percent of the universe works," he told Carter shortly after they met, "and that's the clockworks, that's what we build…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-david-gold/we-know-how-ninety-nine-percent-of-the-universe-works-he-told-carter/) [Glen David Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-david-gold/) > [It takes forever if you go by inertia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/it-takes-forever-if-you-go-by-inertia/) [Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/) > [“When describing me, Tracy often refers to a well-known concept of physics: 'inertia.' As Newton avers in his first law: 'An object that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox-2/when-describing-me-tracy-often-refers-to-a-well-known-concept-of/) [Michael J Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox-2/) > [All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothea-brande/all-that-is-necessary-to-break-the-spell-of-inertia-and-frustration/) [Dorothea Brande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothea-brande/) > [“You know, the whole thing about perfectionism. The perfectionism is very dangerous. Because of course if your fidelity to perfectionism is too high, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/you-know-the-whole-thing-about-perfectionism-the-perfectionism-is/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [LAOCOON, n. A famous piece of antique scripture representing a priest of that name and his two sons in the folds of two enormous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/laocoon-n-a-famous-piece-of-antique-scripture-representing-a-priest/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Nothing happens until something moves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/nothing-happens-until-something-moves/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Inertia accounts for two-thirds of marriages. But love accounts for the other third.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/inertia-accounts-for-two-thirds-of-marriages-but-love-accounts-for/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I don't think America needs 28,000 men on Okinawa. I don't think we need an army in Germany. What's it for, to protect Germans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-gutzman/i-don-t-think-america-needs-28-000-men-on-okinawa-i-don-t-think-we/) [Kevin Gutzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-gutzman/) > [I know, that since life is our most precious gift, and as far as we can be absolutely certain, it's given to us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-know-that-since-life-is-our-most-precious-gift-and-as-far-as-we-can/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“In this world is not the creative act of the genius always a protest against the inertia of the mass?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/in-this-world-is-not-the-creative-act-of-the-genius-always-a-protest/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [The idea of salvation through some one or some thing outside of ourselves came from love of inertia. We want God or his Son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-moore-hubbard/the-idea-of-salvation-through-some-one-or-some-thing-outside-of/) [Alice Moore Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-moore-hubbard/) > [Human inertia makes the everyday environment, the furniture, as it were, appear to be a given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-gitlin/human-inertia-makes-the-everyday-environment-the-furniture-as-it-were/) [Todd Gitlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-gitlin/) [Browse all 237 Inertia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inertia/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“His world had assumed the attribute of pure mass. He perceived himself in one mode only: that of an object subjected to the pressure of weight. One quality, one attribute. And one experience. Inertia.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip K. 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