I pity the Jews trying to get through life with only half a Bible. That's like trying to get from here to San Francisco with a road map that stops at Dubuque, Iowa. Kurt Vonnegut More Quotes by Kurt Vonnegut More Quotes From Kurt Vonnegut Future generations will look back on TV as the lead in the water pipes that slowly drove the Romans mad. Kurt Vonnegut mad water funny We could have saved the earth, but we were too damned cheap. Kurt Vonnegut environment nature earth We have such a young culture that there is an opportunity to contribute wonderful new myths to it, which will be accepted. Kurt Vonnegut writing opportunity culture The things other people have put into my head, at any rate, do not fit together nicely, are often useless and ugly, are out of proportion with one another, are out of proportion with life as it really is outside my head. Kurt Vonnegut useless together people Well, it's an ancestral tribe. These were immigrants from north of Germany who came here about the time of the Civil War, but anyway, these people called themselves free thinkers. They were impressed, incidentally, by Darwin. They're called Humanists now; people who aren't so sure that the Bible is the Word of God. Kurt Vonnegut germany war people Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water. Kurt Vonnegut glasses writing character His response was to fight it with the only weapons at hand—passive resistance and open displays of contempt. Kurt Vonnegut passive-resistance fighting hands What antidote can there be for an idea that popular and poisonous? Revenge provides revenge, which is sure to provide revenge, forming an endless chain of human misery. Here's the antidote: Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Amen. Kurt Vonnegut forgiveness revenge ideas There is a strong feeling in the Middle West that the artist is not pulling his own weight no matter how hard he may work, that the other people are doing the real stuff. Kurt Vonnegut strong artist real Live by the harmless untruths that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy. Kurt Vonnegut healthy kind brave There's only one me, and I'm stuck with him. Kurt Vonnegut greatest-love individuality love I think that novels that leave out technology misrepresent life as badly as Victorians misrepresented life by leaving out sex. Kurt Vonnegut technology sex thinking Beware of "grandfalloons" and "foma". A "grandfalloon" is a proud and meaningless association of human beings. "Foma" are harmless truths intended to comfort simple souls. Kurt Vonnegut soul simple comfort The biggest laughs are based on the biggest disappointments and the biggest fears. Kurt Vonnegut disappointment writing laughing We are all experiments in enthusiasms, narrow and preordained. Kurt Vonnegut experiments enthusiasm Never schedule a board meeting on Wednesday because it kills two weekends. Kurt Vonnegut weekend business two I've often thought there ought to be a manual to hand to little kids, telling them what kind of planet they're on, why they don't fall off it, how much time they've probably got here, how to avoid poison ivy, and so on. Kurt Vonnegut kids hands fall What passes for culture in my head is really a bunch of commercials. Kurt Vonnegut bunch culture What's going to happen is, very soon, we're going to run out of petroleum, and everything depends on petroleum. And there go the school buses. There go the fire engines. The food trucks will come to a halt. This is the end of the world. Kurt Vonnegut fire running school I'm an old guy, and I was protesting during the Vietnam War. We killed fifty Asians for every loyal American. Every artist worth a damn in this country was terribly opposed to that war, finally, when it became evident what a fiasco and meaningless butchery it was. We formed sort of a laser beam of protest. Every painter, every writer, every stand-up comedian, every composer, every novelist, every poet aimed in the same direction. Afterwards, the power of this incredible new weapon dissipated. Kurt Vonnegut artist war country
