Gratitude Quote by William S. Burroughs
““While in general I avoid the use of torture - torture locates the opponent and mobilizes resistance - the threat of torture is useful to induce in the subject the appropriate feeling of helplessness and gratitude to the interrogator for withholding it. And torture can be employed to advantage as a penalty when the subject is far enough along with the treatment to accept punishment as deserved. To this end I devised several forms of disciplinary procedure. One was known as the Switchboard. Electric drills that can be turned on at any time are clamped against the subject's teeth; and he is instructed to operate an arbitrary switchboard, to put certain connections in certain sockets in response to bells and lights. Every time he makes a mistake the drills are turned on for twenty seconds. The signals are gradually speeded up beyond his reaction time. Half an hour on the Switchboard and the subject breaks down like an overloaded thinking machine.””
About This Quote
The author describes a fictional torture device used to break a subject’s will, portraying it as a tool for control and punishment.
In simple terms: A brutal method is used to force compliance and induce helplessness.
Key Takeaway
Beware of using extreme coercion as a control method.
Themes
psychology
control
violence
Mood
dark
critical
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- interrogation techniques
- authoritarian regimes
- ethical debates
Key Concepts
coercion
power dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the ethical limits of coercion?
- Can fear truly ensure loyalty?
A Different Perspective
Such cruelty is morally reprehensible and often ineffective long‑term.
