--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When something begins to devour the…" description: "\"“When something begins to devour the world, a serious matter is taking place. If the devouring entity is evil or insane, the situation is not merely se..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1a/philip-k-dick-502_quote_when-something-begins-to-devour-the-worl_1033504.jpg" --- # When something begins to devour the world, a serious… ![“When something begins to devour the world, a serious matter is taking place. If the devouring entity is evil or insane, the situation is not merely serious; it is grim. But Fat viewed the process the other way around. He viewed it exactly as Plato had viewed it in his own cosmology: the rational…” quote by Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1a/philip-k-dick-502_quote_when-something-begins-to-devour-the-worl_1033504.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1a/philip-k-dick-502_quote_when-something-begins-to-devour-the-worl_1033504.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1a/philip-k-dick-502_quote_when-something-begins-to-devour-the-worl_1033504.jpg) > ““When something begins to devour the world, a serious matter is taking place. If the devouring entity is evil or insane, the situation is not merely serious; it is grim. But Fat viewed the process the other way around. He viewed it exactly as Plato had viewed it in his own cosmology: the rational mind (noös) persuades the irrational (chance, blind determinism, ananke), into cosmos.”” [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. When a force consumes everything, it signals a serious, possibly grim crisis, especially if the force is evil or irrational, yet rational thought can reshape chaos into order. **In simple terms:** A consuming force signals crisis; rational mind can impose order. Key Takeaway Recognize chaos, apply reason. Themes philosophy cosmology order chaos rationality Mood reflective serious Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - political upheaval - environmental collapse - personal crisis - societal breakdown Key Concepts Metaphysics determinism free will Questions to Reflect On - How can rational thought counteract systemic evil? - What limits does chance impose on order? A Different Perspective Rationality may be insufficient against overwhelming irrational forces. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cosmology Rational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cosmology-rational-2375435/) [Determinism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determinism/) [Determinism Ananke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determinism-ananke-2375436/) [Devouring Entity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devouring-entity-2375437/) [Rational Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rational-mind/) ## Related quotes > [As a physicist, I've always found cosmology to be a rational elixir; it distances me from ordinary concerns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/as-a-physicist-i-ve-always-found-cosmology-to-be-a-rational-elixir-it/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [The will to believe chases out the rational mind, whenever and wherever the two come into conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-will-to-believe-chases-out-the-rational-mind-whenever-and/) [Philip K. 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No matter how intelligent and rational a person was otherwise, the sex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-e-richards/it-never-ceased-to-amaze-him-the-power-of-the-sex-drive-no-matter-how/) [Douglas E. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-e-richards/) > [“It's just that I take riddling seriously. I was taught that the ability to solve them indicates a sane and rational mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-s-just-that-i-take-riddling-seriously-i-was-taught-that-the/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## 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. 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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 Determinism quotes > [It may seem unattainable but if you put actions, your heart and your mind into it, you will prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/it-may-seem-unattainable-but-if-you-put-actions-your-heart-and-your/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [We like to forget that in fact everything in our life is chance, from our genesis out of the encounter of spermatozoon and egg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/we-like-to-forget-that-in-fact-everything-in-our-life-is-chance-from/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [Never be tired of a dream, if not fulfilled. Fear of failure should not deter you from your path of self belief. 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