Consciousness Quote by Tor Norretranders
““Consciousness is not about information but about its opposite: order. Consciousness is not a complex phenomenon; it is what consciousness is _about_ that is complex. It is presumably this fact that is the reason many scientists over the decades have tended to perceive information as something involving order and organization. Because consciousness is about an experience of order and organization. Because consciousness is a state that does not process much information - consciously. Consciousness consists of information no more than a person who consumes large amounts of food can be said to consist of food. Consciousness is nourished by information the same way the body is nourished by food. But human beings do not consist of hot dogs; they consist of hot dogs that have been eaten. Consciousness does not consist of hots dogs but consists of hot dogs that have been apprehended. That is far less complex.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood, 2011
Consciousness is defined by the perception of order, not by raw information; it is a simple experience of organized patterns.
In simple terms: Consciousness is about order, not just data.
Key Takeaway
Seek clarity and organization to understand consciousness.
Themes
philosophy
cognition
information theory
order
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- meditation
- learning
- data analysis
- creative thinking
Key Concepts
entropy
perception
complexity
mind-body analogy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does order shape conscious experience?
- Can information be meaningful without organization?
A Different Perspective
Complexity may be underappreciated in simple explanations.
![“[Higher-order consciousness] involves the ability to construct a socially based selfhood, to model the world in terms of the past and the future, and to be directly aware.” quote by James David Lewis-Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/23a/james-david-lewis-williams-144_identity_higher-order-consciousness-involves-the_1713895.jpg)
