Experiment Quote by Walker Percy
““Thought Experiment: You are a native of New York City, you live in New York, work in New York, travel about the city with no particular emotion except a mild boredom, unease, exasperation, and dislike especially for, say, Times Square and Brooklyn, and a longing for a Connecticut farmhouse. Later you become an astronaut and wander in space for years. You land on a strange, unexplored (you think) planet. There you find a road sign with an arrow, erected by a previous astronaut in the manner of GIs in World War II: 'Brooklyn 9.6 light-years.' Explain your emotion.””
About This Quote
Source Thought Experiment: The Astronaut's Dilemma, 1970s
A city‑dweller turned astronaut feels alienation and longing for rural simplicity when confronting an unfamiliar planet, highlighting existential dislocation.
In simple terms: Space travel intensifies yearning for familiar, simple life.
Key Takeaway
Seek grounding in familiar values amidst novelty.
Themes
existentialism
alienation
longing
place
identity
Mood
contemplative
melancholic
thought‑provoking
Type
philosophical
hypothetical
When to use this quote
- Adjusting to a new planet
- interpreting alien signs
- coping with boredom
- finding meaning in isolation
Key Concepts
Urban ennui
space exploration
rural nostalgia
significance of home
Questions to Reflect On
- How does environment shape personal identity?
- Can longing for the familiar hinder adaptation to new worlds?
A Different Perspective
The scenario is highly speculative and may not reflect real astronaut experiences.
![“[In art] you are telling the reader or the listener or the viewer something he already knows but which he doesn't quite know that he knows, so that in the action of communication he experiences a recognition, a feeling that he has been there before, a shock of recognition.” quote by Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3f1/walker-percy-1958_action_in-art-you-are-telling-the-reader-or-the_116938.jpg)
