If you want to understand a society, take a good look at the drugs it uses.… Except for pharmaceutical poison, there are essentially only two drugs that Western civilization tolerates: caffeine from Monday to Friday to energize you enough to make you a productive member of society, and alcohol from Friday to Monday to keep you too stupid to figure out the prison that you are living in.

About Bill Hicks

William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian and satirist. His material— encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy— was controversial and often steeped in dark comedy.

More quotations from Bill Hicks

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 door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one.

—Bill Hicks

We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.

—Bill Hicks

life death

If you don't believe drugs have done good things, then burn all your records, tapes, and cds, because every one of those artists who have made brilliant music and enhanced your lives? Rrrreal fucking high on drugs. The Beatles were so high they let Ringo sing a few songs.

—Bill Hicks

The world is like a ride in an amusement park. You think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down, round and round; it has thrills and chills; it's brightly colored, loud, and 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 remember. They come back to us and say, "Hey don't worry; don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride." We kill those people.

—Bill Hicks

Why do you only hear bad news about LSD? It's always the same story about some idiot who thought he could fly, so he jumped out a fifty-story window. Why don't we ever hear this news story? "Today a young man took LSD and realized that ego is an illusion and that we are all part of the universe experiencing itself subjectively; that death is just another journey, and love is the only reality. And now, here's sports.

—Bill Hicks

History

1 Jan 2016 Added
26 Oct 2026 Wording changed

Previous wording

If you want to understand a society, take a good look at the drugs it uses. . . . Except for pharmaceutical poison, there are essentially only two drugs that Western civilization tolerates: caffeine from Monday to Friday to energize you enough to make you a productive member of society, and alcohol from Friday to Monday to keep you too stupid to figure out the prison that you are living in.