--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The dream is a spontaneous happening and…" description: "\"The dream is a spontaneous happening and therefore dangerous to a control system set-up by the non-dreamers\" — William S. Burroughs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/william-s-burroughs-528_dangerous_the-dream-is-a-spontaneous-happening-and_3000829.png" --- # The dream is a spontaneous happening and therefore… ![“The dream is a spontaneous happening and therefore dangerous to a control system set-up by the non-dreamers” quote by William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/william-s-burroughs-528_dangerous_the-dream-is-a-spontaneous-happening-and_3000829.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/william-s-burroughs-528_dangerous_the-dream-is-a-spontaneous-happening-and_3000829.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecb/william-s-burroughs-528_dangerous_the-dream-is-a-spontaneous-happening-and_3000829.png) > “The dream is a spontaneous happening and therefore dangerous to a control system set-up by the non-dreamers” [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. Dreams are spontaneous and unpredictable, challenging controlled, rational systems. **In simple terms:** Dreams resist structured control. Key Takeaway Embrace spontaneity over rigid planning. Themes creativity dreams control Mood curious reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - artistic creation - problem solving - personal reflection - innovation Key Concepts psychoanalysis philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate dream insights into work? - What balance between spontaneity and structure works for you? A Different Perspective May conflict with goal‑oriented planning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreamer/) [Dreamers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreamers/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Spontaneous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spontaneous/) ## Related quotes > [Birth is a dream, spontaneous and innate. Death, on the other hand, is a slow, false, divine calamity. It is like love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-moffett/birth-is-a-dream-spontaneous-and-innate-death-on-the-other-hand-is-a/) [Kevin Moffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-moffett/) > [“Don't share your dreams with everyone and don't be angry with non-dreamers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/don-t-share-your-dreams-with-everyone-and-don-t-be-angry-with-non/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [America is not so much a nightmare as a non-dream. The American non-dream is precisely a move to wipe the dream out of existence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/america-is-not-so-much-a-nightmare-as-a-non-dream-the-american-non/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [One of the things that's great about doing a show over and over again... is that you have to find ways to make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe-neuwirth/one-of-the-things-that-s-great-about-doing-a-show-over-and-over-again/) [Bebe Neuwirth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bebe-neuwirth/) > [There's no place for impractical dreamers around here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-s-no-place-for-impractical-dreamers-around-here/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [Because of Obama ... DREAMers who are American in every way except on paper no longer live under the shadow of deportation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nydia-velazquez/because-of-obama-dreamers-who-are-american-in-every-way-except-on/) [Nydia Velazquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nydia-velazquez/) > [The music we do is for people to enjoy, dance and sing to it. Dreamers - keep on dreaming and keep working hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bad-bunny/the-music-we-do-is-for-people-to-enjoy-dance-and-sing-to-it-dreamers/) [Bad Bunny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bad-bunny/) > [“There are dreamers and there are realists in this world. You'd think the dreamers would find the dreamers, and the realists would find the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/modern-family/there-are-dreamers-and-there-are-realists-in-this-world-you-d-think/) Modern Family > [“People who are achievers were once dreamers; but not all dreamers eventually become achievers. Before a person gets to become who he/she was meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/people-who-are-achievers-were-once-dreamers-but-not-all-dreamers/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“I drove away, as always, thinking of you. I do not believe that we can stop them, Samori, because they must ultimately stop themselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/i-drove-away-as-always-thinking-of-you-i-do-not-believe-that-we-can/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [To all the other dreamers out there, don't ever stop or let the world's negativity disenchant you or your spirit. If you surround yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-green/to-all-the-other-dreamers-out-there-don-t-ever-stop-or-let-the-world/) [Adam Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-green/) > [To recognize great talent, we must encourage dreamers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-west/to-recognize-great-talent-we-must-encourage-dreamers/) Benjamin West > [“I am a M.A.G.I.C. child.. Motivated And Growing In Christ! …I hope you too are a M.A.G.I.C. dreamer!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/i-am-a-m-a-g-i-c-child-motivated-and-growing-in-christ-i-hope-you-too/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Immolation is the fate of true, chaste dreamers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fritz/immolation-is-the-fate-of-true-chaste-dreamers/) Daniel Fritz > [“They had been dreamers. Her father always said that this was why they had been easy to conquer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/they-had-been-dreamers-her-father-always-said-that-this-was-why-they/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) ## 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 Dangerous quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-temptations-of-god-were-always-more-dangerous-for-mankind-than/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/) [Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The more people that learn about you, even if you're an underdog, then you can come under fire a lot and the more attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/the-more-people-that-learn-about-you-even-if-you-re-an-underdog-then/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. 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