--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Squatting on old bones and excrement and…" description: "\"Squatting on old bones and excrement and rusty iron, in a white blaze of heat, a panorama of naked idiots stretches to the horizon. Complete silence - ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/william-s-burroughs-528_agony_squatting-on-old-bones-and-excrement-and_2934936.png" --- # Squatting on old bones and excrement and rusty iron, in a… ![“Squatting on old bones and excrement and rusty iron, in a white blaze of heat, a panorama of naked idiots stretches to the horizon. Complete silence - their speech centres are destroyed - except for the crackle of sparks and the popping of singed flesh as they apply electrodes up and down the…” quote by William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/william-s-burroughs-528_agony_squatting-on-old-bones-and-excrement-and_2934936.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/william-s-burroughs-528_agony_squatting-on-old-bones-and-excrement-and_2934936.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/william-s-burroughs-528_agony_squatting-on-old-bones-and-excrement-and_2934936.png) > “Squatting on old bones and excrement and rusty iron, in a white blaze of heat, a panorama of naked idiots stretches to the horizon. Complete silence - their speech centres are destroyed - except for the crackle of sparks and the popping of singed flesh as they apply electrodes up and down the spine. White smoke of burning flesh hangs in the motionless air. A group of children have tied an idiot to a post with barbed wire and built a fire between his legs and stand watching with bestial curiosity as the flames lick his thighs. His flesh jerks in the fire with insect agony.” [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. A grotesque scene depicting extreme cruelty and dehumanization, reflecting societal decay and voyeuristic violence. **In simple terms:** Violence and cruelty are grotesque. Key Takeaway Recognize and reject dehumanizing behavior. Themes violence dehumanization societal decay Mood horrific critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - war zones - extreme media - abuse of power Key Concepts psychology morality media influence Questions to Reflect On - What does this cruelty reveal about society? - How can we prevent such dehumanization? A Different Perspective Graphic detail may desensitize readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agony/) [Air](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air/) [Barbed wire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbed-wire/) [Bones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bones/) [Burning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burning/) [Burning Flesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burning-flesh-1181796/) [Centre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centre/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Flames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flames/) [Flesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flesh/) [Flesh Hangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flesh-hangs-4345440/) [Flesh Jerks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flesh-jerks-4345442/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Heat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heat/) [Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horizon/) [Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/) [Insects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insects/) [Iron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iron/) [Jerk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jerk/) [Legs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legs/) [Naked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naked/) [Naked Idiots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naked-idiots-4345441/) [Panorama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/panorama/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sparks/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Spine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spine/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Thighs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thighs/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [Wire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wire/) ## Related quotes > [“The darkness is thick enough to conceal the worst crimes, leaving behind nothing but the fading stench of burning flesh that creeps into our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-nickelsen/the-darkness-is-thick-enough-to-conceal-the-worst-crimes-leaving/) [Ingrid Nickelsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-nickelsen/) > [“It was all I could do to keep from lunging across the table and pressing my shuttering lips against his burning flesh. My palms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-brown/it-was-all-i-could-do-to-keep-from-lunging-across-the-table-and/) [Jennifer L. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-brown/) > [“She was already in his palace, in his life. He couldn't go back--and wouldn't even if he could. She was so close to him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hoyt/she-was-already-in-his-palace-in-his-life-he-couldn-t-go-back-and/) [Elizabeth Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hoyt/) > [“It was an endless labyrinth of burning flesh, where we are propelled ever forward by the swelling of blisters; and where we gasp for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-blackwell/it-was-an-endless-labyrinth-of-burning-flesh-where-we-are-propelled/) [Felix Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-blackwell/) > [I can smell burning flesh... and I hope to God it's human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/i-can-smell-burning-flesh-and-i-hope-to-god-it-s-human/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [Part of the magic of the experience lay in the sheer beauty of the setting: the breathtaking sight of the high mountains, the sweep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jaworski/part-of-the-magic-of-the-experience-lay-in-the-sheer-beauty-of-the/) [Joseph Jaworski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jaworski/) > [“Guardi me o il panorama?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessia-esse/guardi-me-o-il-panorama/) [Alessia Esse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessia-esse/) > [...for thousands of years human history has been a magnificently futile conflict, a wonderfully staged panorama of triumphs and tragedies based on the resolute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/for-thousands-of-years-human-history-has-been-a-magnificently-futile/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [This dim coolness of my room was to the broad daylight of the street what the shadow is to the sunbeam, that is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/this-dim-coolness-of-my-room-was-to-the-broad-daylight-of-the-street/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [The mind should turn into a serene and stormless lake, where is reflected the complete panorama of the starry sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samael-aun-weor/the-mind-should-turn-into-a-serene-and-stormless-lake-where-is/) [Samael Aun Weor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samael-aun-weor/) > [Speciation does not necessarily promote evolutionary change; rather, speciation 'gathers in' and guards evolutionary change by locking and stabilization for sufficient geological time within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/speciation-does-not-necessarily-promote-evolutionary-change-rather/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [To the person who desires nothing and does not get entangled in desires, the manifold changes of nature are one panorama of beauty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/to-the-person-who-desires-nothing-and-does-not-get-entangled-in/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As the skies appear to a man, so is his mind. Some see only clouds there; some, prodigies and portents; some rarely look up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-the-skies-appear-to-a-man-so-is-his-mind-some-see-only-clouds/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [It is the first vision that counts. The artist has only to remain true to his dream and it will possess his work in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pinkham-ryder/it-is-the-first-vision-that-counts-the-artist-has-only-to-remain-true/) [Albert Pinkham Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pinkham-ryder/) > [But whatever you do, take neither yourselves nor your fellow-creatures too seriously. There is tragedy enough in our daily routine, but there is room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/but-whatever-you-do-take-neither-yourselves-nor-your-fellow-creatures/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) ## 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 Agony quotes > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“aaron would not come out aaron entered into agony.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/aaron-would-not-come-out-aaron-entered-into-agony/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [ “\[W\]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves-to-the-discovery-that-some-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [As we look upon that agony and those tearful prayers, let us not only look with thankfulness; but let that kneeling Saviour teach us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/as-we-look-upon-that-agony-and-those-tearful-prayers-let-us-not-only/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [Love masters agony; the soul that seemed Forsaken feels her present God again And in her Father's arms Contented dies away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keble/love-masters-agony-the-soul-that-seemed-forsaken-feels-her-present/) [John Keble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keble/) > [I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-have-seen-war-i-have-seen-war-on-land-and-sea-i-have-seen-blood/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [“Anger was a reliable defense, but one that allowed no chance of final victory. Anger was a medicine but never a cure, briefly numbing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/anger-was-a-reliable-defense-but-one-that-allowed-no-chance-of-final/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [The cure is in the house, not brought by other hands from distant places, but by its own, in agony and blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/the-cure-is-in-the-house-not-brought-by-other-hands-from-distant/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-lie-is-told-in-kindness-i-don-t-believe-it-ever-works/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [The young man shivered. He rolled the stock themes of fantasy over in his mind: cars and stockbrokers and commuters, housewives and police, agony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-young-man-shivered-he-rolled-the-stock-themes-of-fantasy-over-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Being ill like this combines shock - this time I will die - with a pain and agony that are unfamiliar, that wrench me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-brodkey/being-ill-like-this-combines-shock-this-time-i-will-die-with-a-pain/) [Harold Brodkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-brodkey/) > [One often learns more from ten days of agony than ten years of contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/one-often-learns-more-from-ten-days-of-agony-than-ten-years-of/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [There’s been a problem, a problem eating away at me from the inside out. I’ve become weak, I’ve shown human compassion, and it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane/there-s-been-a-problem-a-problem-eating-away-at-me-from-the-inside/) [Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane/) > [Pay special attention to their agony so I might take some pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/pay-special-attention-to-their-agony-so-i-might-take-some-pleasure/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Die, enemies of Ra!" Sekhemet yelled. "Perish in agony!" "She's almost as annoying as you," I told Horus. "Impossible," Horus said. "No one bests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/die-enemies-of-ra-sekhemet-yelled-perish-in-agony-she-s-almost-as/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) [Browse all 813 Agony quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agony/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Squatting on old bones and excrement and rusty iron, in a white blaze of heat, a panorama of naked idiots stretches to the horizon. Complete silence - their speech centres are destroyed - except for the crackle of sparks and the popping of singed flesh as they apply electrodes up and down the spine. White smoke of burning flesh hangs in the motionless air. A group of children have tied an idiot to a post with barbed wire and built a fire between his legs and stand watching with bestial curiosity as the flames lick his thighs. His flesh jerks in the fire with insect agony.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William S. 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