'¦the analogy between the noises we make when these noises do not symbolize anything which exists, and the worthless checks we write when our bank balance is zero'¦
- Alfred KorzybskiIt is now no mystery that some quite influential '˜philosophers' were '˜mentally' ill.
- Alfred KorzybskiLet us repeat the two crucial negative premises as established firmly by all human experience: (1) Words are not the things we are speaking about; and (2) There is no such thing as an object in absolute isolation.
- Alfred KorzybskiThus, we see that one of the obvious origins of human disagreement lies in the use of noises for words.
- Alfred KorzybskiWe should not be surprised that we find meaningless noises in the foundation of many old '˜philosophies', and that from them arise most of the old '˜philosophical' fights and arguments.
- Alfred KorzybskiWhatever you say it is, it isn`t.
- Alfred Korzybski'¦a few philosophers really do important work. This applies to the so called '˜critical philosophy' and to the theory of knowledge or epistemology. This class of workers I call epistemologists to avoid the disagreeable implications of the term '˜philosopher'.
- Alfred KorzybskiIn the rough, a symbol is a sign that stands for something'¦ Before a noise, etc., may become a symbol, something must exist for the symbol to symbolize.
- Alfred KorzybskiIf a psychiatric and scientific inquiry were to be made upon our rulers, mankind would be appalled at the disclosures.
- Alfred KorzybskiIf we consider that all we deal with represents constantly changing sub-microscopic, interrelated processes which are not, and cannot be '˜identical with themselves', the old dictum that '˜everything is identical with itself' becomes in (today's understanding of the universe) a principle invariably false to facts.
- Alfred Korzybski