Burke: Semiosis

Summary: Semiosis by Burke (Tor Books (2018)). (Stub — expand from highlights.)

Sources: quotes_batch_2.md

Source pages: Semiosis, Quotes batch 2

Quote pages: Burke — Semiosis

Last updated: 2026-05-07

Quotes

Cognition and Communication

“To understand is to find a shared syntax. Without it, we are just noise in a vacuum.” (Chapter 2, p. 56)

Decision Making (The Glassmakers)

“A decision is a survival trait. To hesitate is to invite the entropy of the environment to choose for you.” (Chapter 4, p. 112)

Identity

“We are not our ancestors. We are the choices we make in spite of them.” (Chapter 8, p. 245)