Brian Eno: "I want to rethink surrender"

Brian Eno has called on people to reassess how they feel about the concepts of "control" and "surrender".

The musician and producer told The Guardian that artists and people should keep both notions in balance.

Eno said: "We've tended to dignify the controlling end of the spectrum. We have Nobel prizes for that end.

"We've tended to think of the surrender end as a luxury, a nice thing you add to your life when you've done the serious work of getting a job, getting your pension sorted out. I'm saying that's all wrong.

"Control and surrender have to be kept in balance. That's what surfers do - take control of the situation, then be carried, then take control."

He added: "In the last few thousand years, we've become incredibly adept technically. We've treasured the controlling part of ourselves and neglected the surrendering part.

"I want to rethink surrender as an active verb. It's not just you being escapist; it's an active choice. I'm not saying we've got to stop being such controlling beings.

"I'm not saying we've got to be back-to-the-earth hippies. I'm saying something more complex. I set up situations that involve abandoning control and finding out what happens."