--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What if it turns out there really are…" description: "\"“What if it turns out there really are witches and vampires and werewolves living right here alongside us? After all, what better disguise could there ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64f/sergei-lukyanenko-4246_complacency_what-if-it-turns-out-there-really-are-wi_2039215.png" --- # What if it turns out there really are witches and vampires… ![“What if it turns out there really are witches and vampires and werewolves living right here alongside us? After all, what better disguise could there be than to get your image enshrined in the culture of the mass media? Anything that's described in artistic terms and shown in the movies stops…” quote by Sergei Lukyanenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64f/sergei-lukyanenko-4246_complacency_what-if-it-turns-out-there-really-are-wi_2039215.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64f/sergei-lukyanenko-4246_complacency_what-if-it-turns-out-there-really-are-wi_2039215.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64f/sergei-lukyanenko-4246_complacency_what-if-it-turns-out-there-really-are-wi_2039215.png) > ““What if it turns out there really are witches and vampires and werewolves living right here alongside us? After all, what better disguise could there be than to get your image enshrined in the culture of the mass media? Anything that's described in artistic terms and shown in the movies stops being frightening and mysterious. For real horror you need the spoken word, you need an old grandpa sitting on a bench, scaring the grandkids in the evening: 'And then the Master of the house came to him and said: "I won't let you go, I'll tie you up and bind you tight and you'll rot under the fallen branches!"' That's the way to make people wary of anomalous phenomena! Kids sense that, you know–it's no wonder they love telling stories about the Black Han and the Coffin on Wheels. But modern literature, and especially the movies, it all just dilutes that instinctive horror. How can you feel afraid of Dracula, if he's been killed a hundred times? How can you be afraid of aliens, if our guys always squelch them? Yes, Hollywood is the great luller of human vigilance. A toast–to the death of Hollywood, for depriving us of a healthy fear of the unknown!”” [Sergei Lukyanenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-lukyanenko/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern media sanitizes monsters, turning fearsome myths into harmless entertainment, eroding instinctive caution toward the unknown. **In simple terms:** Media makes monsters safe, reducing real fear. Key Takeaway Seek genuine, unsettling stories to preserve vigilance. Themes media myths fear culture vigilance Mood reflective critical concerned Type philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - film criticism - parental guidance - creative writing - storytelling workshops - educational curricula Key Concepts cultural conditioning psychology of horror media influence Questions to Reflect On - How does media exposure change our perception of danger? - Can we balance entertainment with genuine caution? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on media can desensitize, but some still crave authentic dread. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid Aliens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-aliens-3785999/) [Afraid Dracula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-dracula-3785998/) [Complacency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacency/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear of the unknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-of-the-unknown/) [Frightening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightening/) [Healthy fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy-fear/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Living right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-right/) [Mass media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-media/) [Modern literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-literature/) [Monsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters/) [Scaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scaring/) [Scaring Grandkids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scaring-grandkids-3786000/) [Spoken word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoken-word/) ## Related quotes > [What if it turns out there really are witches and vampires and werewolves living right here alongside us? 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Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-k-scott/) > [Courage is the facing of a challenge with a healthy fear, not being fearless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-stroud/courage-is-the-facing-of-a-challenge-with-a-healthy-fear-not-being/) [Les Stroud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-stroud/) > [The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-and possibly teh bogey man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-and-possibly-teh-bogey/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [Be carefree yet careful: While you should work on overcoming unnecessary worrying, have a healthy fear of danger and sensibly guard yourself from harm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelig-pliskin/be-carefree-yet-careful-while-you-should-work-on-overcoming/) [Zelig Pliskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelig-pliskin/) ## More by Sergei Lukyanenko > [Why was is that the Light acted through lies, and the Darkness acted though the truth? 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Only you have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-lukyanenko/of-course-we-got-drunk-semyon-said-it-s-okay-to-get-drunk-anton-if/) [Sergei Lukyanenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-lukyanenko/) > [“And no doubt you’re quite happy for her to slave away at the cooker, wash the nappies, get no sleep for nights on end”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-lukyanenko/and-no-doubt-you-re-quite-happy-for-her-to-slave-away-at-the-cooker/) [Sergei Lukyanenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-lukyanenko/) [Explore all 105 Sergei Lukyanenko quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-lukyanenko/) ## More Complacency quotes > [“Complacency delivered us into the hands of evil greedy men like Cheney.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-rumzi/complacency-delivered-us-into-the-hands-of-evil-greedy-men-like-cheney/) [Sonia Rumzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-rumzi/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Don't let your success of today lay you into complacency for tomorrow. For that is the worst form of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/don-t-let-your-success-of-today-lay-you-into-complacency-for-tomorrow/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician's objective. Election and power are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/one-of-the-reasons-people-hate-politics-is-that-truth-is-rarely-a/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [We are the best the show, others weak hold. Just to get complacency / which does not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/we-are-the-best-the-show-others-weak-hold-just-to-get-complacency/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [“It’s a fallacy that this generation does not know how to love as its predecessor did. 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The sorrow of disappointment arises in the complacency of satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zicheng-hong/in-the-mind-engaged-in-struggling-with-hardship-one-always-finds/) [Zicheng Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zicheng-hong/) > [Complacency is a creeping danger. Unless wisdom sets in, you will never come to your senses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jey-lopez/complacency-is-a-creeping-danger-unless-wisdom-sets-in-you-will-never/) [Jey Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jey-lopez/) > [I have spoken about what we can do as citizens, what we can do as a responsive citizenry, and this is where we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-have-spoken-about-what-we-can-do-as-citizens-what-we-can-do-as-a/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [“Listen to Mr. Complacency long enough and he'll convince you that what you really, really need is a nap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-and-brett-harris/listen-to-mr-complacency-long-enough-and-he-ll-convince-you-that-what/) [Alex and Brett Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-and-brett-harris/) > [I always say, complacency is the kiss of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-redstone/i-always-say-complacency-is-the-kiss-of-death/) [Shari Redstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-redstone/) [Browse all 437 Complacency quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacency/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What if it turns out there really are witches and vampires and werewolves living right here alongside us? After all, what better disguise could there be than to get your image enshrined in the culture of the mass media? Anything that's described in artistic terms and shown in the movies stops being frightening and mysterious. For real horror you need the spoken word, you need an old grandpa sitting on a bench, scaring the grandkids in the evening: 'And then the Master of the house came to him and said: \"I won't let you go, I'll tie you up and bind you tight and you'll rot under the fallen branches!\"' That's the way to make people wary of anomalous phenomena! Kids sense that, you know–it's no wonder they love telling stories about the Black Han and the Coffin on Wheels. But modern literature, and especially the movies, it all just dilutes that instinctive horror. How can you feel afraid of Dracula, if he's been killed a hundred times? How can you be afraid of aliens, if our guys always squelch them? Yes, Hollywood is the great luller of human vigilance. 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