--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our world is endangered by the absence of…" description: "\"Our world is endangered by the absence of good ideas\" — Terence McKenna" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b9/terence-mckenna-287_absence_our-world-is-endangered-by-the-absence-o_2250876.png" --- # Our world is endangered by the absence of good ideas ![“Our world is endangered by the absence of good ideas” quote by Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b9/terence-mckenna-287_absence_our-world-is-endangered-by-the-absence-o_2250876.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b9/terence-mckenna-287_absence_our-world-is-endangered-by-the-absence-o_2250876.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b9/terence-mckenna-287_absence_our-world-is-endangered-by-the-absence-o_2250876.png) > “Our world is endangered by the absence of good ideas” [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests that lack of innovative thinking threatens societal health. **In simple terms:** Good ideas protect the world. Key Takeaway Foster creativity. Themes innovation environment future risk Mood thoughtful concerned Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - policy making - technology development - artistic expression Key Concepts Cognitive diversity systems thinking Questions to Reflect On - How can you encourage novel ideas in your community? - What barriers block creative thinking? A Different Perspective Ideas alone aren't enough without action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Dmt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dmt/) [Good ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-ideas/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Mind blowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-blowing/) [Our world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-world/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [You are an explorer, and you represent our species, and the greatest good you can do is to bring back a new idea, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/you-are-an-explorer-and-you-represent-our-species-and-the-greatest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/nature-loves-courage-you-make-the-commitment-and-nature-will-respond-2/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The mystery is in the body and the way the body works itself into nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-mystery-is-in-the-body-and-the-way-the-body-works-itself-into/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Our world is in crisis because of the absence of consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/our-world-is-in-crisis-because-of-the-absence-of-consciousness/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [“Today, amphibians enjoy the dubious distinction of being the world’s most endangered class of animals; it’s been calculated that the group’s extinction rate could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kolbert/today-amphibians-enjoy-the-dubious-distinction-of-being-the-world-s/) [Elizabeth Kolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kolbert/) > [Psychedelics are probably responsible for every aspect of human evolution apart from the decline in bodyhair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/psychedelics-are-probably-responsible-for-every-aspect-of-human/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The whole of the Amazonian narcotic complex, as it's called in the old literature, is based on activation of DMT by one strategy or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-whole-of-the-amazonian-narcotic-complex-as-it-s-called-in-the-old/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [DMT is a reliable method for crossing in to a dimension that human beings have debated the existence of for 50.000 years. Is there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/dmt-is-a-reliable-method-for-crossing-in-to-a-dimension-that-human/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What happens with DMT is you leap over all the barriers in the first few seconds. Unlike mushrooms where over hours and hours on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-happens-with-dmt-is-you-leap-over-all-the-barriers-in-the-first/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [DMT seems to argue, convincingly I might add, that the world is made entirely of something, for want of a better word, we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/dmt-seems-to-argue-convincingly-i-might-add-that-the-world-is-made/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [ \[DMT\] raises all the questions in a hurry. It's so intense and so oriented toward the other and the visual and the hallucinogenic that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/dmt-raises-all-the-questions-in-a-hurry-it-s-so-intense-and-so/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [DMT is the most powerful hallucinogen there is. If it gets stronger than that I don't want to know about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/dmt-is-the-most-powerful-hallucinogen-there-is-if-it-gets-stronger/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [It is true that when you smoke DMT, for example, at a sufficiently high and prepared dose, you get elves, everybody does. All you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/it-is-true-that-when-you-smoke-dmt-for-example-at-a-sufficiently-high/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The other night I searched (the Web) for 'self-transforming elf machines.' There were 36 hits! It surprised me. I sort of use the search…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-other-night-i-searched-the-web-for-self-transforming-elf-machines/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [If you go to Paris you know more about reality than people who don't. If you smoke DMT you know more about reality than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/if-you-go-to-paris-you-know-more-about-reality-than-people-who-don-t/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## More by Terence McKenna > [History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now it's over . . . in a sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-experience-and-now-it-s-over-in-a/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The history of man that you don't know is what your unconscious is made out of. 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We may not always be monkeys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-consciousness-we-may-not-always-be-monkeys/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What is happening here is we are living past the age, by the millions, living past the age where cultural values make any sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-is-happening-here-is-we-are-living-past-the-age-by-the-millions/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What history is, essentially, is a careening, out-of-control effort to find our way back to this state of primordial balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-history-is-essentially-is-a-careening-out-of-control-effort-to/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [And what is the primary datum? It's the felt presence of immediate experience. In other words, being here now is the primary datum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/and-what-is-the-primary-datum-it-s-the-felt-presence-of-immediate/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Our culture difinitely takes an egocentric dominator view. The fear of the psychedelic experience is quite literally the fear of losing control. Dominator types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/our-culture-difinitely-takes-an-egocentric-dominator-view-the-fear-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Every step into freedom contains within it the potential for greater bondage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/every-step-into-freedom-contains-within-it-the-potential-for-greater/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [This is the message of your life and my life - it’s that nothing lasts. Heraclitus said it: Panta Rhei. All flows, nothing lasts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/this-is-the-message-of-your-life-and-my-life-it-s-that-nothing-lasts/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I often like to think that our map of the world is wrong, that where we have centered physics, we should actually place literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-often-like-to-think-that-our-map-of-the-world-is-wrong-that-where/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Knowledge, or verbal facility, is no proof that you know what you're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/knowledge-or-verbal-facility-is-no-proof-that-you-know-what-you-re/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [No culture on earth is as heavily narcotized as the industrial West in terms of being inured to the consequences of maladaptive behavior. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/no-culture-on-earth-is-as-heavily-narcotized-as-the-industrial-west/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Man was not put on this planet to toil in the mud. Or the god who put us on this planet to toil in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/man-was-not-put-on-this-planet-to-toil-in-the-mud-or-the-god-who-put/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [If you take psychedelics and the Internet and music and put all of that together you have the basis for a new community that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/if-you-take-psychedelics-and-the-internet-and-music-and-put-all-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) [Explore all 745 Terence McKenna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## More Absence quotes > [Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/distance-sometimes-endears-friendship-and-absence-sweeteneth-it/) [James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/) > [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. 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