The world is like a ride at an amusement park. And when you choose to go on it, you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round. It has thrills and chills and it's very brightly coloured and it's very loud and it's fun, for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: is this real, or is this just a ride? And other people have remembered, and they come back to us. They say, 'Hey, don't worry, don't be afraid ever, because - this is just a ride.' And we : kill those people. 'Shut him up. We have a lot invested in this ride. Shut him up. Look at my furrows of worry. Look at my big bank account and my family. This just has to be real.' It's just a ride. But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok. Jesus, murdered; Martin Luther King, murdered; Malcolm X, murdered; Gandhi, murdered; John Lennon, murdered; Reagan : wounded. But it doesn't matter, because - it's just a ride. And we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money. A choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Life feels real and intense due to our perception, but it may be temporary like an amusement park ride. Those who realize this often face resistance from others invested in the illusion.
- In plain terms
- Life is temporary like a ride, and people who say it aren just get silenced.
- What can you take from it?
- Remember life is temporary to reduce fear and worry.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What if life is just a ride?
- Who tries to silence truth in your life?
Another view
The metaphor oversimplifies complex existential questions about reality.
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