--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But I realized something. About art. And…" description: "\"“But I realized something. About art. And psychiatry. They're both self-perpetuating systems. Like religion. All three of them promise you a sense of i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/samuel-r-delany-2591_art_but-i-realized-something-about-art-and-p_1625160.png" --- # But I realized something. About art. And psychiatry… ![“But I realized something. About art. And psychiatry. They're both self-perpetuating systems. Like religion. All three of them promise you a sense of inner worth and meaning, and spend a lot of time telling you about the suffering you have to go through to achieve it. As soon as you get a problem…” quote by Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/samuel-r-delany-2591_art_but-i-realized-something-about-art-and-p_1625160.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/samuel-r-delany-2591_art_but-i-realized-something-about-art-and-p_1625160.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/samuel-r-delany-2591_art_but-i-realized-something-about-art-and-p_1625160.png) > ““But I realized something. About art. And psychiatry. They're both self-perpetuating systems. Like religion. All three of them promise you a sense of inner worth and meaning, and spend a lot of time telling you about the suffering you have to go through to achieve it. As soon as you get a problem in any one of them, the solution it gives is always to go deeper into the same system. They're all in rather uneasy truce with one another in what's actually a mortal battle. Like all self-reinforcing systems. At best, each is trying to encompass the other two and define them as sub-groups. You know: religion and art are both forms of madness and madness is the realm of psychiatry. Or, art is the study and praise of man and man's ideals, so therefore a religious experience just becomes a brutalized aesthetic response and psychiatry is just another tool for the artist to observe man and render his portraits more accurately. And the religious attitude I guess is that the other two are only useful as long as they promote the good life. At worst, they all try to destroy one another. Which is what my psychiatrist, whether he knew it or not, was trying, quite effectively, to do to my painting. I gave up psychiatry too, pretty soon. I just didn't want to get all wound up in any systems at all.”” [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art, religion, and psychiatry act as self‑reinforcing systems promising meaning, yet they trap individuals in deeper cycles of suffering and control. **In simple terms:** These three fields promise meaning but can trap you. Key Takeaway Beware of systems that trap you. Themes philosophy psychology creativity Mood reflective critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - creative work - spiritual practice - therapy sessions Key Concepts self‑reinforcement meaning‑seeking systemic control Questions to Reflect On - Do you see any positive aspects of these systems? - How can one navigate them without losing self? A Different Perspective Such systems can also provide genuine insight and growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Psychiatry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-psychiatry-325408/) [Behaviour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behaviour/) [Gave Psychiatry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gave-psychiatry-325410/) [Good life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-life/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Psychiatry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychiatry/) [Psychiatry Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychiatry-art-325407/) [Psychiatry Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychiatry-self-325411/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-experience/) [Response Psychiatry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response-psychiatry-325409/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [But I realized something. 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About art. And psychiatry. They're both self-perpetuating systems. Like religion. All three of them promise you a sense of inner worth and meaning, and spend a lot of time telling you about the suffering you have to go through to achieve it. As soon as you get a problem in any one of them, the solution it gives is always to go deeper into the same system. They're all in rather uneasy truce with one another in what's actually a mortal battle. Like all self-reinforcing systems. At best, each is trying to encompass the other two and define them as sub-groups. You know: religion and art are both forms of madness and madness is the realm of psychiatry. Or, art is the study and praise of man and man's ideals, so therefore a religious experience just becomes a brutalized aesthetic response and psychiatry is just another tool for the artist to observe man and render his portraits more accurately. And the religious attitude I guess is that the other two are only useful as long as they promote the good life. At worst, they all try to destroy one another. Which is what my psychiatrist, whether he knew it or not, was trying, quite effectively, to do to my painting. I gave up psychiatry too, pretty soon. I just didn't want to get all wound up in any systems at all.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel R. Delany" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/but-i-realized-something-about-art-and-psychiatry-they-re-both-self/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/but-i-realized-something-about-art-and-psychiatry-they-re-both-self/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/samuel-r-delany-2591_art_but-i-realized-something-about-art-and-p_1625160.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/samuel-r-delany-2591_art_but-i-realized-something-about-art-and-p_1625160.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/samuel-r-delany-2591_art_but-i-realized-something-about-art-and-p_1625160.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But I realized something. About art. And psychiatry. They're both self-perpetuating systems. Like religion…” — Samuel R. 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