--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Things happen fast, during the time of…" description: "\"“Things happen fast, during the time of transition in a totalitarian society.”\" — Philip K. Dick" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/philip-k-dick-502_community_things-happen-fast-during-the-time-of-tr_2152533.jpg" --- # Things happen fast, during the time of transition in a… ![“Things happen fast, during the time of transition in a totalitarian society.” quote by Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/philip-k-dick-502_community_things-happen-fast-during-the-time-of-tr_2152533.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/philip-k-dick-502_community_things-happen-fast-during-the-time-of-tr_2152533.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c3/philip-k-dick-502_community_things-happen-fast-during-the-time-of-tr_2152533.jpg) > ““Things happen fast, during the time of transition in a totalitarian society.”” [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. During rapid change in oppressive regimes, events accelerate unpredictably. **In simple terms:** Change in dictatorships speeds up. Key Takeaway Stay vigilant and adaptable. Themes politics change authoritarianism Mood tense urgent Type political philosophical When to use this quote - revolution - censorship - civil unrest Key Concepts societal dynamics uncertainty Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards protect truth in turmoil? - How do individuals retain agency? A Different Perspective Fast change can cause panic and misinformation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Changing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Totalitarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totalitarian/) [Totalitarian Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totalitarian-society-1034405/) [Transition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transition/) [Transition Totalitarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transition-totalitarian-4531668/) ## Related quotes > [“What I'm saying is simply that every totalitarian society, no matter how strict, has had its underground. In fact, two undergrounds. There's the underground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/what-i-m-saying-is-simply-that-every-totalitarian-society-no-matter/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“A totalitarian society which succeeded in perpetuating itself would probably set us a schizophrenic system of thought, in which the laws of common sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/a-totalitarian-society-which-succeeded-in-perpetuating-itself-would/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [A free society is regarded as one that does not engage, on principle, in attempting to control what people find meaningful, and a totalitarian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-polanyi/a-free-society-is-regarded-as-one-that-does-not-engage-on-principle/) [Michael Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-polanyi/) > [The Chinese art world does not exist. In a society that restricts individual freedoms and violates human rights, anything that calls itself creative or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/the-chinese-art-world-does-not-exist-in-a-society-that-restricts/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [In any totalitarian society, dissent is viewed as a threat, civic literacy is denounced, and those public spheres that produce engage citizens are dismantled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/in-any-totalitarian-society-dissent-is-viewed-as-a-threat-civic/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [The deadly weapon against totalitarian society is openness - doing everything very openly on the Internet, letting people know every detail, any little development.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/the-deadly-weapon-against-totalitarian-society-is-openness-doing/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [In a society that restricts individual freedoms and violates human rights, anything that calls itself creative or independent is a pretence. It is impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/in-a-society-that-restricts-individual-freedoms-and-violates-human/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [If you say to people that they, as a matter of fact, can't protect their conversations, in particular their political conversations, I think you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/if-you-say-to-people-that-they-as-a-matter-of-fact-can-t-protect/) [Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/) > [“you can’t fart without changing the balance in the universe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/you-can-t-fart-without-changing-the-balance-in-the-universe/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Were we ever to find ourselves living under a totalitarian regime, place no faith in the mercy of your fellow citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/were-we-ever-to-find-ourselves-living-under-a-totalitarian-regime/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [Corporations are totalitarian institutions. Board of directors at the top of managers give orders, everyone follows orders… At the very bottom of command, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/corporations-are-totalitarian-institutions-board-of-directors-at-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“This was laughable, of course, but that’s always the way with totalitarian regimes. Language gets turned on its head. Serfdom is freedom. Repression is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masaji-ishikawa/this-was-laughable-of-course-but-that-s-always-the-way-with/) [Masaji Ishikawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masaji-ishikawa/) > [People who live in the post-totalitarian system know only too well that the question of whether one or several political parties are in power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/people-who-live-in-the-post-totalitarian-system-know-only-too-well/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [Dominion is a spy novel, a love story, and also I hope gives some sense of the difficulties faced by dissidents under any totalitarian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/dominion-is-a-spy-novel-a-love-story-and-also-i-hope-gives-some-sense/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) ## 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 Changing quotes > [“The game is changing' .. :The game is the same, the stakes are rising.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-f-hamilton/the-game-is-changing-the-game-is-the-same-the-stakes-are-rising/) [Peter F. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-f-hamilton/) > [“No one ever changed the world waking up at noon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connor-chalfant/no-one-ever-changed-the-world-waking-up-at-noon/) [Connor Chalfant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connor-chalfant/) > [Progress should mean that we are always changing the world to fit the vision, instead we are always changing the vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/progress-should-mean-that-we-are-always-changing-the-world-to-fit-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Changing is not just changing the things outside of us. First of all we need the right view that transcends all notions including of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/changing-is-not-just-changing-the-things-outside-of-us-first-of-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not changing because I'm part of a hit. People around me have changed in their attitude toward me, but I haven't changed. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-penny/i-m-not-changing-because-i-m-part-of-a-hit-people-around-me-have/) [Joe Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-penny/) > [I approach fashion as an evolution. It's always changing. As you know, sometimes it changes in three months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolina-herrera/i-approach-fashion-as-an-evolution-it-s-always-changing-as-you-know/) [Carolina Herrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolina-herrera/) > [I'm not sure whether it is me changing my mind, or whether I lie a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-not-sure-whether-it-is-me-changing-my-mind-or-whether-i-lie-a-lot/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [When I come home from work, if I just played a really good game and I'm on top of the world, I think changing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-cousins/when-i-come-home-from-work-if-i-just-played-a-really-good-game-and-i/) [Kirk Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-cousins/) > [It's not about changing--it's about growing, together," he said, like the wise soul that he was. 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Admitting to yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/maybe-that-is-what-growing-up-was-all-about-it-was-about-changing/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [There's more to Gareth's game than scoring goals, he's brought a lot to the changing room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-page/there-s-more-to-gareth-s-game-than-scoring-goals-he-s-brought-a-lot/) [Rob Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-page/) > [“A shift was taking place in my life - the beach house, Kyle, Tristan; the tides were changing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriane-leigh/a-shift-was-taking-place-in-my-life-the-beach-house-kyle-tristan-the/) [Adriane Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriane-leigh/) > [If the team keeps changing then everything has to keep changing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-chhetri/if-the-team-keeps-changing-then-everything-has-to-keep-changing/) [Sunil Chhetri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-chhetri/) > [As I feel this life growing and moving inside of me, all of a sudden everything else is not as important. 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