“I was now at a university in New York, a professor of existential psychology with the not inconsiderable thesis that magic, dread, and the perception of death were the roots of motivation.”

—  Norman Mailer , book An American Dream

Stephen Rojack, in Ch. 1
An American Dream (1965)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "I was now at a university in New York, a professor of existential psychology with the not inconsiderable thesis that ma…" by Norman Mailer?
Norman Mailer photo
Norman Mailer 165
American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, film m… 1923–2007

Related quotes

Ayn Rand photo

“Psychologically, the choice "to think or not" is the choice "to focus or not." Existentially, the choice "to focus or not" is the choice "to be conscious or not." Metaphysically, the choice "to be conscious or not" is the choice of life or death.”

Ayn Rand (1905–1982) Russian-American novelist and philosopher

Source: The Virtue of Selfishness: A New Concept of Egoism

Madame Nhu photo

“Jones, Howard (2003). Death of a Generation: How the Assassinations of Diem and JFK Prolonged the Vietnam War. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195052862.”

Madame Nhu (1924–2011) First lady of South Vietnam

Sources

Marilyn Ferguson photo

“There are heroes in education, as there have always been heroes, trying to transcend the limits of the old structure; but their efforts are too often thwarted by peers, administrators, parents. Mario Fantini, former Ford consultant on education, now at the State University of New York, said bluntly, The psychology of becoming has to be smuggled into the schools.”

Marilyn Ferguson (1938–2008) American writer

The Aquarian Conspiracy (1980), Chapter Nine, Flying and Seeing: New Ways to Learn

Terry Pratchett photo

“Unseen University had never admitted women, muttering something about problems with the plumbing, but the real reason was an unspoken dread that if women were allowed to mess around with magic they would probably be embarrassingly good at it…”

Terry Pratchett book The Light Fantastic

Source: The Light Fantastic

Jack McDevitt photo

“Maybe the universe doesn’t approve of places like New York.”

Jack McDevitt (1935) American novelist, Short story writer

Source: Academy Series - Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchins, The Engines of God (1994), Chapter 30 (p. 408)

Larry Wall photo

“(To someone at New York University) If you consistently take an antagonistic approach, however, people are going to start thinking you're from New York.”

Larry Wall (1954) American computer programmer and author, creator of Perl

[10187@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV, 1990]
Usenet postings, 1990

Don DeLillo photo

“I want to immerse myself in American magic and dread.”

Don DeLillo book White Noise

Source: White Noise (1984), Ch. 5

“The fellow who is able to get the grants and contracts is the fellow who gets the doctoral students. Each student publishes two or three papers on his thesis, in each of which he cites his professor's work. Then he goes on and does his own subsequent work, in which, of course, he cites those thesis papers which were coauthorised by his professor.”

Robert E. Machol (1917–1998) American systems engineer

Robert Machol in: " Now it is to be cited or perish http://books.google.com/books?id=wHphHUhDk7wC&pg=PA491." New Scientist. Vol. 67, nr. 964. August 28, 1974. p. 491

Piero Manzoni photo

“The foundations of the universal value of art are given to us now by psychology. This is the common base that enables us to sink its roots to the origins before man and to discover the primary myths of humanity. The artist must confront these myths and reduce them, by means of amorphous and confused materials, to clear images. Since these are atavistic forces that have their origins in the subconscious, the work of art takes on a magical significance.”

Piero Manzoni (1933–1963) Italian artist

Source: For the Discovery of a Zone of Images', Piero Manzoni, 1957, pp. 16-17

Robert Charles Wilson photo

“And death?
I don’t fear death.
I dread the absence of it.”

Robert Charles Wilson (1953) author

Divided by Infinity (p. 195)
The Perseids and Other Stories (2000)

Related topics