--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Admittedly, a homosexual can be…" description: "\"Admittedly, a homosexual can be conditioned to react sexually to a woman, or to an old boot for that matter. In fact, both homo - and heterosexual expe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/william-s-burroughs-528_heterosexual_admittedly-a-homosexual-can-be-condition_1249069.jpg" --- # Admittedly, a homosexual can be conditioned to react… ![“Admittedly, a homosexual can be conditioned to react sexually to a woman, or to an old boot for that matter. In fact, both homo - and heterosexual experimental subjects have been conditioned to react sexually to an old boot, and you can save a lot of money that way.” quote by William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/william-s-burroughs-528_heterosexual_admittedly-a-homosexual-can-be-condition_1249069.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/william-s-burroughs-528_heterosexual_admittedly-a-homosexual-can-be-condition_1249069.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/william-s-burroughs-528_heterosexual_admittedly-a-homosexual-can-be-condition_1249069.jpg) > “Admittedly, a homosexual can be conditioned to react sexually to a woman, or to an old boot for that matter. In fact, both homo - and heterosexual experimental subjects have been conditioned to react sexually to an old boot, and you can save a lot of money that way.” [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sexual responses can be conditioned to non‑human objects through repeated exposure, showing the plasticity of desire. **In simple terms:** Desire can be trained to any stimulus. Key Takeaway Recognize how conditioning shapes preferences. Themes psychology sexuality conditioning Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - research labs - therapy - advertising - personal relationships Key Concepts behaviorism neuroscience social influence Questions to Reflect On - What are the moral limits of conditioning desire? - Can consent be truly informed in such experiments? A Different Perspective Ethical concerns arise when manipulating sexual behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heterosexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heterosexual/) [Homosexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexual/) [Homosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexuality/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [ “\[T\]here is no such thing as a homosexual or a heterosexual person. There are only homo- or heterosexual acts. Most people are a mixture… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/t-here-is-no-such-thing-as-a-homosexual-or-a-heterosexual-person/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [There is no such thing as a homosexual or a heterosexual person. There are only homo- or heterosexual acts. Most people are a mixture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-homosexual-or-a-heterosexual-person-there/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [There are some heterosexuals that have heterosexual behavior that is appalling sexually, that is deviant and bad and not really moral and Christ-like and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/there-are-some-heterosexuals-that-have-heterosexual-behavior-that-is/) [Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/) > [“When selecting a one-night stand, a heterosexual woman who is materialistic is a trillion times more likely to choose a sexually unattractive poor man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/when-selecting-a-one-night-stand-a-heterosexual-woman-who-is/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“In homosexual sex you know exactly what the other person is feeling, so you are identifying with the other person completely. In heterosexual sex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/in-homosexual-sex-you-know-exactly-what-the-other-person-is-feeling/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [Too perfect to be sexually attractive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/too-perfect-to-be-sexually-attractive/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [I miss you so much your absence causes me, at times, accute pain. I don't mean sexually. I mean in connection with my writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-miss-you-so-much-your-absence-causes-me-at-times-accute-pain-i-don/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“He’s like the most dangerous species of American there is: heterosexual white male who didn’t get what he wanted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hill/he-s-like-the-most-dangerous-species-of-american-there-is/) [Nathan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hill/) > [I think when you fall in love, whether you're heterosexual, transgender, gay, lesbian, whatever, straight, you feel like it's happening to you for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-think-when-you-fall-in-love-whether-you-re-heterosexual-transgender/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [Do You Put I'm Heterosexual On Your Resume'? So If You're Homosexual Why Is It So Important ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquez-brown/do-you-put-i-m-heterosexual-on-your-resume-so-if-you-re-homosexual/) [Marquez Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquez-brown/) > [Gay men should not adopt the sophomoric model of heterosexual dating; gay men should always have sex first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rechy/gay-men-should-not-adopt-the-sophomoric-model-of-heterosexual-dating/) [John Rechy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rechy/) > [Heterosexual marriage is the heart of our civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/heterosexual-marriage-is-the-heart-of-our-civilization/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [“heterosexual male who works in this building. Much to the chagrin of the members”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-siegel/heterosexual-male-who-works-in-this-building-much-to-the-chagrin-of/) [Sheldon Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-siegel/) > [being homosexual doesn't determine a man's whole character any more than being heterosexual does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/being-homosexual-doesn-t-determine-a-man-s-whole-character-any-more/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [Heterosexual intercourse is the pure, formalized expression of contempt for women's bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/heterosexual-intercourse-is-the-pure-formalized-expression-of/) [Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/) ## More by William S. Burroughs > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“Well as, one judge said to the other, 'Be just and if you can't be just be arbitrary.' Regret cannot observe customary obscenities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/well-as-one-judge-said-to-the-other-be-just-and-if-you-can-t-be-just/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say 'I want to see the manager.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/after-one-look-at-this-planet-any-visitor-from-outer-space-would-say/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [For seven days she lay in bed looking sullenly at the ceiling as though resenting the death she had cultivated for so many years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/for-seven-days-she-lay-in-bed-looking-sullenly-at-the-ceiling-as/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [When you stop growing you start dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/when-you-stop-growing-you-start-dying/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [Life is a cutup. And to pretend that you write or paint in a timeless vacuum is just simply . . . not .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/life-is-a-cutup-and-to-pretend-that-you-write-or-paint-in-a-timeless/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [When all lies, deceit, pretense is stripped away, what remains? The truth of a painting, or a book or a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/when-all-lies-deceit-pretense-is-stripped-away-what-remains-the-truth/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“There is no final enough of wisdom, experience - any fucking thing. No Holy Grail, No Final Satori, no solution. Just conflict. Only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-is-no-final-enough-of-wisdom-experience-any-fucking-thing-no/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“For John Dillinger In hope he is still alive Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1986 In hope he is still alive Thanks for the wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/for-john-dillinger-in-hope-he-is-still-alive-thanksgiving-day/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“Did I ever tell you about the man who taught his asshole to talk? His whole abdomen would move up and down, you dig,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/did-i-ever-tell-you-about-the-man-who-taught-his-asshole-to-talk-his/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [You need a good bedside manner with doctors or you will get nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/you-need-a-good-bedside-manner-with-doctors-or-you-will-get-nowhere/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [There couldn't be a society of people who didn't dream. They'd be dead in two weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-couldn-t-be-a-society-of-people-who-didn-t-dream-they-d-be-dead/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [I prefer cats to people, for the most part. Most people aren't cute at all, and if they are cute they very rapidly outgrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-prefer-cats-to-people-for-the-most-part-most-people-aren-t-cute-at/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [ \[Arab peoples\] are stuck back thousands of years and they think they're going to get out with a TV set. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/arab-peoples-are-stuck-back-thousands-of-years-and-they-think-they-re/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“It is not the intensity but the duration of pain that breaks the will to resist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/it-is-not-the-intensity-but-the-duration-of-pain-that-breaks-the-will/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Explore all 484 William S. Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## More Heterosexual quotes > [Heterosexual intercourse is the pure, formalized expression of contempt for women's bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/heterosexual-intercourse-is-the-pure-formalized-expression-of/) [Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/) > [being homosexual doesn't determine a man's whole character any more than being heterosexual does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/being-homosexual-doesn-t-determine-a-man-s-whole-character-any-more/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [“heterosexual male who works in this building. Much to the chagrin of the members”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-siegel/heterosexual-male-who-works-in-this-building-much-to-the-chagrin-of/) [Sheldon Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-siegel/) > [Heterosexual marriage is the heart of our civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/heterosexual-marriage-is-the-heart-of-our-civilization/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [Gay men should not adopt the sophomoric model of heterosexual dating; gay men should always have sex first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rechy/gay-men-should-not-adopt-the-sophomoric-model-of-heterosexual-dating/) [John Rechy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rechy/) > [Do You Put I'm Heterosexual On Your Resume'? So If You're Homosexual Why Is It So Important ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquez-brown/do-you-put-i-m-heterosexual-on-your-resume-so-if-you-re-homosexual/) [Marquez Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquez-brown/) > [I think when you fall in love, whether you're heterosexual, transgender, gay, lesbian, whatever, straight, you feel like it's happening to you for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-think-when-you-fall-in-love-whether-you-re-heterosexual-transgender/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [“He’s like the most dangerous species of American there is: heterosexual white male who didn’t get what he wanted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hill/he-s-like-the-most-dangerous-species-of-american-there-is/) [Nathan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hill/) > [I am the heterosexual Truman Capote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/i-am-the-heterosexual-truman-capote/) [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) > [Regardless of whether you're in a gay or heterosexual relationship, you're going to go through your ups and downs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-carrera/regardless-of-whether-you-re-in-a-gay-or-heterosexual-relationship/) [Carmen Carrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-carrera/) > [“Quite how a heterosexual couple hiring a female cleaner ends up as a betrayal of feminism isn't terribly clear- unless you believe running a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/quite-how-a-heterosexual-couple-hiring-a-female-cleaner-ends-up-as-a/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [People say, 'When did you decide you were gay?' and you think, 'When did you decide you were heterosexual?' It's not a decision: it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandi-toksvig/people-say-when-did-you-decide-you-were-gay-and-you-think-when-did/) [Sandi Toksvig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandi-toksvig/) > [“If heterosexual people can get married then gay and lesbian people can get married too”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-martin/if-heterosexual-people-can-get-married-then-gay-and-lesbian-people/) [Paul Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-martin/) > [Once you're heterosexual and comfortable with that, you don't need to take out an announcement every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bernhard/once-you-re-heterosexual-and-comfortable-with-that-you-don-t-need-to/) [Sandra Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bernhard/) > [The problem is that television executives have got it into their heads that if one presenter on a show is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed heterosexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-clarkson/the-problem-is-that-television-executives-have-got-it-into-their/) [Jeremy Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-clarkson/) [Browse all 176 Heterosexual quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heterosexual/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Admittedly, a homosexual can be conditioned to react sexually to a woman, or to an old boot for that matter. 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