“Every sickness has an alien quality, a feeling of invasion and loss of control that is evident in the language we use about it.”

“The loss of quality that is so evident at every level of spectacular language, from the objects it glorifies to the behavior it regulates, stems from the basic nature of a production system that shuns reality. The commodity form reduces everything to quantitative equivalence. The quantitative is what it develops, and it can develop only within the quantitative.”

“One alien is a curiosity, two are an invasion.”

“We always assumed the aliens would have to at least be alive to invade. Not even H.G. Wells expected an invasion of ghosts.”

“Attention is like energy in that without it no work can be done, and in doing work is dissipated. We create ourselves by how we use this energy. Memories, thoughts and feelings are all shaped by how use it. And it is an energy under control, to do with as we please; hence attention is our most important tool in the task of improving the quality of experience.”

“The more you discipline yourself to use your time well, the happier you will feel and the better will be the quality of your life in every area.”