Aldous Huxley: quotes, aphorisms, works, short biography and interesting life stories

Table of contents:

Aldous Huxley: quotes, aphorisms, works, short biography and interesting life stories
Aldous Huxley: quotes, aphorisms, works, short biography and interesting life stories

Video: Aldous Huxley: quotes, aphorisms, works, short biography and interesting life stories

Video: Aldous Huxley: quotes, aphorisms, works, short biography and interesting life stories
Video: Why art is important | Katerina Gregos | TEDxGhent 2024, December
Anonim

Aldous Huxley is a famous writer from England. The man who gave the world the greatest dystopian novel "Brave New World", where he rethought many familiar things in our lives. Aldous Huxley quotes fly around the world. This man was a good satirist, pacifist and humanist.

Short biography

The future writer was born in the UK, in 1894 in Godalming. His family consisted of scientists. He was the grandson of one of the most prominent biologists. The mother left the boy early when he was 13 years old. 3 years passed, and Aldous developed eye diseases, which caused his vision to deteriorate. Because of this, he was exempted from joining the ranks of soldiers during the First World War.

Photograph by Aldous Huxley
Photograph by Aldous Huxley

At 17, Aldous Huxley wrote his first novel. However, it was not published. The guy was interested in literature and studied it at Oxford College. Three years later, Huxley realized that writing was his calling.

After some time, namely in 1937, the writer moved to Los Angeles in order to improve his eyesight with the help of the local climate. He took his wife and friend Gerald with him. Gerda. In the state of California, his creativity began to flourish, where he began to carefully analyze the entire human essence.

After a while, he met Jidu Krishnamurti, who influenced the writer. Aldous began to take an interest in mysticism. This was reflected in some creations, such as The Eternal Philosophy. However, being carried away by mysticism, the man could not call himself a believer. He was considered an agnostic.

In 1953 he coined a new word "pshodelic". What does it mean "expands the consciousness of a person." In the 60s he met at home with M. Erickson to conduct psychological research on consciousness. Aldous Huxley's views on the world around him have changed due to the use of substances. His statements were large-scale, and also managed to be deposited in the minds of many people.

Before he died, he had a fire in his house, where almost all the materials burned down. The famous writer died on November 22, 1963 in Los Angeles, like his mother, from cancer. Before he died, he asked his wife for an LSD injection. Ignoring the doctors' remarks, she complied with the request. Thanks to this, Huxley died peacefully and without suffering.

Aldous Huxley with people
Aldous Huxley with people

The work of Aldous Huxley

Written by a man during the period of separation of modernism and realism. The most famous work of this author is "Brave New World". In it, he shows one of the options for the development of society. Aldous Huxley quotes from Brave New World:

  • "If a person is satisfied, then there is no excitement in him."
  • "If the masses are in power, then the biggestthe value is happiness.”
  • "Abusive and harsh tone is used by people who are unsure of their superiority."
  • "When used correctly, a word can strike like an x-ray."
  • "If a person is not like everyone else, then he will always be alone."
  • "It's not only those who wish evil that hurt, but also those who don't."

Features of works

To many people, the author sinks into the soul. Plus, his books are easy to read. About the works of Aldous Huxley, reviews are only positive from reading people. In his novels, the writer talks about what progress can lead to, how terrible people can be in a developed society. He also touches on the themes of pacifism. What made Aldous Huxley famous? "Brave New World" - a work that brought fame to the author.

A man participated in experiments on the effect of mescaline (a natural hallucinogen) on the human mind. This was reflected even in the work of the writer. The work "Island" Aldous Huxley created a completely opposite dystopia and his style of writing. The book is written in the genre of utopia.

Aldous Huxley at the table
Aldous Huxley at the table

Aldous Huxley: quotes and aphorisms

This man really had a lot of interesting thoughts. They are found not only in famous works. Sometimes Huxley could just amaze with his thoughts:

  • "An intellectual is a person who sees a lot of interesting things in the world besides sex."
  • "I'm all for satire. People are too serious.”
  • "I believe that morality is a straita shirt to restrict other people's freedom. Because people don't believe in themselves.”
  • "Democracy claims that power is dangerous for people, it should not give a person too long and too much."
  • "People have failed to vulgarize only death."
  • "The biggest enemy of life is anarchy."

Interesting facts from life

In the biography of most famous writers there are some interesting events. Aldous Huxley was no exception. He had many interesting life stories:

  1. His mother died of cancer when Aldous was 14 years old. The writer died of the same disease.
  2. Brother Huxley committed suicide. This affected the writer's psyche.
  3. The man was a college teacher teaching a man with the pseudonym George Orwell. Aldous was a good teacher and the students liked him.
  4. Positive attitude towards hallucinogenic substances, participated in the experiment of a psychiatrist to find out the effect of mescaline on humans.
  5. Before he died, he asked his wife to inject LSD at a dosage of 100 micrograms.
  6. Aldous Huxley writer
    Aldous Huxley writer

How Aldous Huxley conveys civilization

In the dystopian Brave New World, the author shows people who want to be like each other. This is what society dictates. From a very young age, this quality is brought up in people. One of Aldous Huxley's quotes: “Sameness. Generality. Stability.”

There is no such thing as "love" and "family" in the world. Only entertainment develops, and art stands still. Objects of the environmentreality is completely artificial and using electronic materials. If a person is sad, then he can take the drug soma. For people, this lifestyle has become the norm.

Cover for dystopia
Cover for dystopia

Farewell piece

One of the latest creations of the author is the novel "The Island". The genre is utopia. It describes the world of the future. With great scope and realism. In Aldous Huxley's book "The Island" there is no storyline, as such. It tells the reader about a world in which there is no art. There is only a primitive substitute for this. However, all the people there are used to this state of affairs.

The inhabitants of the city do not know what tragedy, drama, feelings are. People are calm and stable. No worries. And if a person becomes ill inside, then he can take soft drugs. The entire population is polygamous. Everyone can choose any partner whenever they want. It is brought up from the very childhood of people. Quotes by Aldous Huxley from "The Island":

  • "You can't tell your heart or your hormones."
  • “Everyone has an idea of uniqueness in their head. However, in reality, each person is an obstacle to the process of entropy.”
  • "If a smart man got to the fools, then he will not become a ruler there."
  • Aldous Huxley family
    Aldous Huxley family

Aldous Huxley made such a contribution to world literature and consciousness of people. The writer will undoubtedly be remembered for a very long time. Quotes by Aldous Huxley will find their application throughout the hundreds of years of human existence. Because people shouldn'tforget what some events in the world can lead to. For example, such as technological progress.

Recommended: