--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Setting aside the truth value of the UFO…" description: "\"“Setting aside the truth value of the UFO phenomenon, it is an interesting sociological reality that so many people are unwilling to discuss the most -..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/richard-dolan-101519_repression_setting-aside-the-truth-value-of-the-ufo_1073197.jpg" --- # Setting aside the truth value of the UFO phenomenon, it is… ![“Setting aside the truth value of the UFO phenomenon, it is an interesting sociological reality that so many people are unwilling to discuss the most - and at times traumatic - experience of their lives. What does it say about our society that this is so? My feeling is that, by its very nature, it…” quote by Richard Dolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/richard-dolan-101519_repression_setting-aside-the-truth-value-of-the-ufo_1073197.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/richard-dolan-101519_repression_setting-aside-the-truth-value-of-the-ufo_1073197.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/richard-dolan-101519_repression_setting-aside-the-truth-value-of-the-ufo_1073197.jpg) > ““Setting aside the truth value of the UFO phenomenon, it is an interesting sociological reality that so many people are unwilling to discuss the most - and at times traumatic - experience of their lives. What does it say about our society that this is so? My feeling is that, by its very nature, it represents a form of repression. If you are a reader who believes UFOs to be nonsense of some sort, I can nevertheless assure you that you have a friend or relation who has seen one. They have simply learned not to discuss it. Many people can live perfectly well within the constraints of repression and denial; they simply learn to shut off certain parts of their mind. It is sad, but it happens all of the time. But not everyone is the same. Not everyone is willing to do this, or even can do this. By any estimate, there are may millions of people on this planet who have had a powerful UFO experience. They cannot and will not be silenced indefinitely.”” [Richard Dolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dolan/) ## 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 discusses societal repression of UFO experiences, suggesting denial and silence are common yet not universal, and that many will not be silenced forever. **In simple terms:** Society often represses UFO experiences, but silence isn’t total. Key Takeaway Encourage open dialogue about extraordinary experiences. Themes psychology culture UFOs repression denial Mood curious serious Type observation question When to use this quote - public forums - support groups - research interviews - media coverage - academic conferences Key Concepts sociology paranormal studies media studies Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms break the cycle of repression? - How can researchers validate personal accounts? A Different Perspective Stigma may impede honest discussion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believes Ufos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believes-ufos-2684130/) [Repression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repression/) [Repression Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repression-denial-1435409/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Ufo Phenomenon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ufo-phenomenon-1542363/) [Ufos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ufos/) [Ufos Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ufos-nonsense-2684131/) ## Related quotes > [“I had started out as an outright 'debunker,' taking great joy in cracking what seemed at first to be puzzling cases. I was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-allen-hynek/i-had-started-out-as-an-outright-debunker-taking-great-joy-in/) [J. Allen Hynek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-allen-hynek/) > [I would not spend one further moment on the subject of UFOs if I didnt seriously feel that the UFO phenomenon is real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-allen-hynek/i-would-not-spend-one-further-moment-on-the-subject-of-ufos-if-i/) [J. Allen Hynek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-allen-hynek/) > [“What we call 'normal' is a product of repression, denial, splitting, projection, introjection and other forms of destructive action on experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing-2/what-we-call-normal-is-a-product-of-repression-denial-splitting-3/) [R.D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing-2/) > [“Repression and denial set up elaborate games to pretend that negative thoughts and feelings are not occurring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/repression-and-denial-set-up-elaborate-games-to-pretend-that-negative/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Religious repression is the denial of the very essence of what it means to be human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-shah/religious-repression-is-the-denial-of-the-very-essence-of-what-it/) [Timothy Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-shah/) > [What we call "normal" is a product of repression, denial, splitting, projection, introjection, and other forms of destructive actions on experience...It is radically estranged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing/what-we-call-normal-is-a-product-of-repression-denial-splitting-2/) [R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) > [“To defend ourselves from this threat, and to sustain our peace of mind, we make use of a variety of ego-defence mechanisms, particularly repression,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-stevens/to-defend-ourselves-from-this-threat-and-to-sustain-our-peace-of-mind/) [Anthony Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-stevens/) > [“While it is easy to dismiss someone who believes in unconventional religions as ipso facto delusional or schizophrenic … there is no clinical reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-e-zeller/while-it-is-easy-to-dismiss-someone-who-believes-in-unconventional/) [Benjamin E. Zeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-e-zeller/) > [“The older we get, the more difficult it is to find other people who can give us the love our parents denied us. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/the-older-we-get-the-more-difficult-it-is-to-find-other-people-who/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [I happen to be privileged enough to be in on the fact that we have been visited on this planet, and the UFO phenomenon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/i-happen-to-be-privileged-enough-to-be-in-on-the-fact-that-we-have/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [“In general, I feel the UFO phenomenon is beyond our ken. One of the dimensions that I believe is connected with it is psychic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-fowler/in-general-i-feel-the-ufo-phenomenon-is-beyond-our-ken-one-of-the/) [Raymond E. Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-fowler/) > [But the UFO phenomenon simply does not behave like extraterrestrial visitors. It actually molds itself in order to fit a given culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ankerberg/but-the-ufo-phenomenon-simply-does-not-behave-like-extraterrestrial/) [John Ankerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ankerberg/) > [After investigating the UFO phenomenon all over the world, after studying thousands of pages of released government documents, and interviewing eyewitnesses and insiders, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hesemann/after-investigating-the-ufo-phenomenon-all-over-the-world-after/) [Michael Hesemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hesemann/) > [From my studies of old and recent reports, and from direct involvement with several UFO investigations, I have become convinced that there is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-maccabee/from-my-studies-of-old-and-recent-reports-and-from-direct-involvement/) [Bruce Maccabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-maccabee/) > [“The UFO phenomenon and saga, the first contacts with aliens from extraordinarily advanced civilizations beyond our solar system, and extraterrestrials’ messages, all started with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximillien-de-lafayette/the-ufo-phenomenon-and-saga-the-first-contacts-with-aliens-from/) [Maximillien de Lafayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximillien-de-lafayette/) ## More by Richard Dolan > [“There is scarcely a person on Earth who has not heard of UFOs; many believe in them. Few, however, can say much about them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dolan/there-is-scarcely-a-person-on-earth-who-has-not-heard-of-ufos-many/) [Richard Dolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dolan/) [Explore all 2 Richard Dolan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dolan/) ## More Repression quotes > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Repression will provoke rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-williamson/repression-will-provoke-rebellion/) [Hugh Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-williamson/) > [ “repression, which “proceeds from the self-respect of the ego … \[the person\] has set up an ideal in himself by which he measures his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sandler/repression-which-proceeds-from-the-self-respect-of-the-ego-the-person/) [Joseph Sandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sandler/) > [ \[As in the case of\] alcohol prohibition, illegality has driven organized crime, sent countless people to jail, and killed many thousands. Repression does not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-branson/as-in-the-case-of-alcohol-prohibition-illegality-has-driven-organized/) [Sam Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-branson/) > [One mechanism of repression is the grand jury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/one-mechanism-of-repression-is-the-grand-jury/) [Michael Parenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-parenti/) > [“We could not be fulfilled if we weren't inauthentic some of the time—inauthentic, that is, in relation to such things as our passing desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/we-could-not-be-fulfilled-if-we-weren-t-inauthentic-some-of-the-time/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [What makes power hold good, what makes it accepted, is simply the fact that it doesn't only weigh on us as a force that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/what-makes-power-hold-good-what-makes-it-accepted-is-simply-the-fact/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [“Often, her mate is the child of a narcissist, already indoctrinated to regard exploitation and disregard as love. Others lured by the narcissistic aura…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-golomb/often-her-mate-is-the-child-of-a-narcissist-already-indoctrinated-to/) [Elan Golomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-golomb/) > [“Converting the Internet into a system of surveillance thus guts it of its core potential. Worse, it turns the Internet into a tool of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/converting-the-internet-into-a-system-of-surveillance-thus-guts-it-of/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Bras are a ludicrous invention; but if you make bralessness a rule, you're just subjecting yourself to yet another repression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/bras-are-a-ludicrous-invention-but-if-you-make-bralessness-a-rule-you/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > [It was right after Woodrow Wilson's first serious post-World War I repression, which deported thousands of people, effectively destroyed unions and independent press, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-was-right-after-woodrow-wilson-s-first-serious-post-world-war-i/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Israel should have exploited the repression of the demonstrations in China, when world attention focused on that country, to carry out mass expulsions among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-netanyahu/israel-should-have-exploited-the-repression-of-the-demonstrations-in/) [Benjamin Netanyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-netanyahu/) > [To play a repressed gay man, I had to explore what life was like in an era of sexual repression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-play-a-repressed-gay-man-i-had-to-explore-what-life-was-like-in-an/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [Let's face it: much of what we truly value in life is rooted in our experience of repression and conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/let-s-face-it-much-of-what-we-truly-value-in-life-is-rooted-in-our/) [Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/) > [Nonviolent action involves opposing the opponent's power, including his police and military capacity, not with the weapons chosen by him but by quite different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-sharp/nonviolent-action-involves-opposing-the-opponent-s-power-including/) [Gene Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-sharp/) [Browse all 397 Repression quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repression/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Setting aside the truth value of the UFO phenomenon, it is an interesting sociological reality that so many people are unwilling to discuss the most - and at times traumatic - experience of their lives. 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