"In the Belgian air force a general supposedly saw a UFO, tracked it with his plane, photographed it with his wing cameras. And I believe it because I said to myself why would this person, not getting paid for this, do it unless it actually happened or he thought it happened"
About this Quote
The intent is less "aliens are real" than "it is reasonable to take this seriously". Stack's subtext leans on the cultural authority of institutions: air forces don't daydream, generals don't prank, aircraft cameras don't lie. In the late Cold War and post-Roswell media climate, that appeal to uniformed professionalism was rocket fuel for UFO narratives. It lets the paranormal borrow the aura of the state.
The logic is also revealingly American: people don't do things "unless" they're paid, lying, or sincere. That frames sincerity as near-proof. It's a tight little psychological trick - reverse-engineering truth from presumed incentives - that sidesteps the messier possibilities: misidentification, faulty equipment, institutional pressure, or the simple human urge to make meaning out of ambiguous stimuli.
Stack, an actor, understands the real engine here: not certainty, but plausibility. He invites you to inhabit the moment where "he thought it happened" becomes enough to keep the mystery alive.
Quote Details
| Topic | Reason & Logic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Stack, Robert. (2026, January 16). In the Belgian air force a general supposedly saw a UFO, tracked it with his plane, photographed it with his wing cameras. And I believe it because I said to myself why would this person, not getting paid for this, do it unless it actually happened or he thought it happened. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/in-the-belgian-air-force-a-general-supposedly-saw-97049/
Chicago Style
Stack, Robert. "In the Belgian air force a general supposedly saw a UFO, tracked it with his plane, photographed it with his wing cameras. And I believe it because I said to myself why would this person, not getting paid for this, do it unless it actually happened or he thought it happened." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/in-the-belgian-air-force-a-general-supposedly-saw-97049/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"In the Belgian air force a general supposedly saw a UFO, tracked it with his plane, photographed it with his wing cameras. And I believe it because I said to myself why would this person, not getting paid for this, do it unless it actually happened or he thought it happened." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/in-the-belgian-air-force-a-general-supposedly-saw-97049/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

