A saying popularized in
the late '60s and early '70s by Dr.
Timothy Leary,
Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out was never a statement about working against society. Unfortunately for
Dr. Leary and the movement behind him, the press and conservative powers took it to mean "get
fucked up and sit in
hippie circles talking about peace,
man."
In reality, the saying means:
- Turn On - activate your neural and genetic equipment, in other words, use your mind and body, explore your mind and body.
- Tune In - interact harmoniously with the world around you, in other words, live and be peaceful, explore yourself and others peacefully.
- Drop Out - take an active, selective and graceful process of detachment from involuntary or unconscious commitments, in other words, leave what makes you unhappy or what prevents you from exploring yourself fully and instead seek what brings you peace.
Thanks to Dr. Leary's personal website, leary.com, now maintained posthumously, from which the above definition is taken. For more info on Dr. Leary, read
Timothy Leary.