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the instinct of non-freedom has been characteristic of human nature from ancient times,
Maternal Norm.
the afternoon personal hour
the big Musical Tower was playing the March of the United State
The Numbers, hundreds, thousands of Numbers in light blue unifs (probably a derivativ...
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Even the thoughts! It is because nobody is one, but one of.
How funny she is. But what could I say to her? She was with me only yesterday and she knows as well as I that our next sexual day is day after tomorrow.
Home at last! I rushed to the house office, handed over to the controller on duty my pink ticket, and received a certificate permitting the use of the curtains. This right exists in our State only for the sexual days. Normally we live surrounded by transparent walls which seem to be knitted of sparkling air; we live beneath the eyes of everyone, always bathed in light. We have nothing to conceal from one another; besides, this mode of living makes the difficult and exalted task of the Guardians much easier. Without it many bad things might happen.
Time to get up. To the right and to the left as in mirrors, to the right and to the left through the glass walls I see others like myself, other rooms like my own, other clothes like my own, movements like mine, duplicated thousands of times.
if human liberty is equal to zero, man does not commit any crime. That is clear. The way to rid man of criminality is to rid him of freedom.
Yes, you want to encircle the infinite with a wall, and you fear to cast a glance behind the wall. Yes, sir! And if ever you should glance beyond the wall, you would be dazzled and close your eyes—yes—”
And we children would yell the prescribed texts after him with all our lung power.
But they served their nonsensical, unknown god; we serve our rational god, whom we know most thoroughly.
Two Hundred Years’ War—a magnificent celebration of the victory of all over one, of the sum over the individual!
I knew a letter, after she had read it, must go through the Bureau of Guardians (I think it is unnecessary to explain in detail this natural order of things); I would receive it not later than twelve o’clock.
fifty is the number of chewing movements required by the law of the State for every piece of food.
“We” is from “God,” “I,” from the devil.
“And tomorrow!” She breathed the words through sparkling white clenched teeth. “Tomorrow, nobody knows what … do you understand? Neither I nor anyone else knows; it is unknown! Do you realize what a joy it is? Do you realize that all that was certain has come to an end? Now … things will be new, improbable, unforeseen!”
Today “Mephi” broke out on the walls like a rash.
Is it not clear to you that what you are planning is a revolution? Absurd, because a revolution is impossible! Because our—I speak for myself and for you—our revolution was the last one. No other revolutions may occur. Everybody knows that.” A mocking, sharp triangle of brows. “My dear, you are a mathematician, are you not? More than that, a philosopher-mathematician? Well, then, name the last number.” “What is … I … I cannot understand, which last?” “The last one, the highest, the largest.” “But I-330, that’s absurd! Since the number of numbers is infinite, how can there be a last one?” “And
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FANCY. It is a worm that gnaws black wrinkles on one’s forehead. It is a fever that drives one to run further and further,
She told me something about the children: that they were all led in one herd to the Operation; that it was necessary to bind them afterward with ropes;
“Happiness … well? … Desires are tortures, aren’t they? It is clear, therefore, that happiness is when there are no longer any desires, not a single desire any more.
