Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut

Novelist, Satirist

Kurt Vonnegut was an American author known for his satirical novels, particularly 'Slaughterhouse-Five', which critiques war and explores human existence.

People Thinking Writing War Men Slaughterhouse Five
Born
November 11, 1927
Died
April 11, 2007
Quotes
978
Rank
#85

About Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut — Life and Legacy

Kurt Vonnegut was a significant American author whose works blend satire, science fiction, and social commentary. He is best known for 'Slaughterhouse-Five', a semi-autobiographical novel that reflects on his experiences as a prisoner of war during the bombing of Dresden in World War II. Vonnegut's core ideas often revolve around the absurdity of war and the human condition, expressed through a unique blend of humor and tragedy. His famous phrase 'So it goes' encapsulates a resigned acceptance of life's unpredictability and the inevitability of death, illustrating his belief in the absurdity of existence. Vonnegut challenged conventional narratives about war and morality, often highlighting the contradictions within human nature. His insights remain relevant today, prompting readers to confront the complexities of humanity and the often absurd nature of life.

Quote collection

Kurt Vonnegut quotes (page 1 of 49)

978 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.

Kurt Vonnegut Novelist, Satirist
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"For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us never mention the Beatitudes (Matthew 5). But, often with tears in their eyes, they demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings. And of course, that's Moses, not Jesus. I haven't heard one of them demand that the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere. "Blessed are the merciful" in a courtroom? "Blessed are the peacemakers" in the Pentagon? Give me a break!"

Christian Jesus Blessed
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Kurt Vonnegut Novelist, Satirist
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"True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country."

Funny Running Country
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"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be."

Life Happiness Wisdom
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"There is a tragic flaw in our precious constitution, and I don't know what can be done to fix it. This is it: Only nut cases want to be president."

Nuts President Done
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"I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center."

Want Kind Standing On The Edge
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Kurt Vonnegut Novelist, Satirist
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"He didn't look like a soldier at all. He looked like a filthy flamingo."

Soldier Looks Flamingos
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"Any reviewer who expresses rage and loathing for a novel is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae."

Writing Editors Rejection
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Kurt Vonnegut Novelist, Satirist
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"Perhaps I am the turtle, able to live simply anywhere, even underwater for short periods, with my home on my back."

Home Turtles Underwater
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Kurt Vonnegut Novelist, Satirist
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"The prostitutes worked for a pimp now. He was splendid and cruel. He was a god to them. He took their free will away from them, which was perfectly all right. They didn't want it anyway. It was as though they had surrendered themselves to Jesus, for instance, so they could live unselfishly and trustingly-except that they had surrendered to a pimp instead."

Jesus Stupidity Pimp
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Kurt Vonnegut Novelist, Satirist
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"About astrology and palmistry: they are good because they make people vivid and full of possibilities. They are communism at its best. Everybody has a birthday and almost everybody has a palm."

Hands Astrology People
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"Human beings will be happier - not when they cure cancer or get to Mars or eliminate racial prejudice or flush Lake Erie but when they find ways to inhabit primitive communities again. That's my utopia."

Cancer Lakes Community
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Kurt Vonnegut Novelist, Satirist
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"We are here on Earth to fart around. Don't let anybody tell you any different."

Hipster Religion Different
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Kurt Vonnegut Novelist, Satirist
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"Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies - "God damn it, you've got to be kind.""

Summer Baby Hipster
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Kurt Vonnegut Novelist, Satirist
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"America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves... It is in fact a crime for an American to be poor, even though America is a nation of poor. Every other nation has folk traditions of men who were poor but extremely wise and virtuous, and therefore more estimable than anyone with power and gold. No such tales are told by American poor. They mock themselves and glorify their betters."

Wise Hate Men
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"Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own."

Thinking People Use
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Kurt Vonnegut Novelist, Satirist
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"During the Vietnam War, which lasted longer than any war we've ever been in - and which we lost - every respectable artist in this country was against the war. It was like a laser beam. We were all aimed in the same direction. The power of this weapon turns out to be that of a custard pie dropped from a stepladder six feet high."

Country War Artist
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Kurt Vonnegut Novelist, Satirist
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"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward."

Funny Smile Laughter
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"Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before."

Inspirational Education Teenager
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"Perhaps, when we remember wars, we should take off our clothes and paint ourselves blue and go on all fours all day long and grunt like pigs. That would surely be more appropriate than noble oratory and shows of flags and well-oiled guns."

War Gun Pigs
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Kurt Vonnegut Novelist, Satirist
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"Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college."

Writing College Creative
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