# Amusing Ourselves to Death, Postman

> Source: https://ollybritton.com/notes/books/amusing-ourselves-to-death/ · Updated: 2024-10-04 · Tags: book, notes

![amusing-ourselves-to-death.jpg](https://ollybritton.com/assets/attachments/img/amusing-ourselves-to-death.jpg)

> "Postman distinguishes the [Orwellian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orwellian "Orwellian") vision of the future, in which [totalitarian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totalitarianism "Totalitarianism") governments seize individual rights, from that offered by [Aldous Huxley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldous_Huxley "Aldous Huxley") in _[Brave New World](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World "Brave New World"),_ where people medicate themselves into bliss, thereby voluntarily sacrificing their rights. Drawing an analogy with the latter scenario, Postman sees [television](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television "Television")'s entertainment value as a present-day "[soma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soma_(Brave_New_World) "Soma (Brave New World)")", the fictitious pleasure drug in _Brave New World_, by means of which the citizens' rights are exchanged for consumers' entertainment." – ["Amusing Ourselves to Death"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusing_Ourselves_to_Death) on Wikipedia.

---
Olly Britton — https://ollybritton.com. Machine-readable index: https://ollybritton.com/llms.txt