What Facts About Burning Man Do Virgin Burners Not Believe Until They Go?

This question originally appeared on Quora.

By Ben Newman, Burner Since 2009

That the dust will find its way into everything.

That your parents and the parents of your friends represent such a tiny fraction of all the possible kinds of adulthood.

The extent to which advertising and the notion that everyone is "selling something" permeate American society.

Just how radical the concept of "radical self-reliance" is, and how terminally, obliviously, contentedly dependent most members of society are.

How much more thought you could have put into your costumes.

How much more deeply you could be invested in everything that you do.

That the hours you spend waiting in line at the gates could be pure anticipatory glee, if only you knew what was waiting for you.

That a piece of art could make you want to quit your job and spend your life with a welding torch.

That boredom is always your fault.

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