39 Kurt Vonnegut Quotes About Life, Love & More
“Kurt Vonnegut” by “Professor Bop“, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Born on November 11, 1922, Kurt Vonnegut was a successful American writer. In his glorious career of more than 50 years, he wrote & published 14 novels. He is famous for his satirical and science-fiction style of literature. Apart from these novels, Kurt also wrote three short story collections, five non-fiction novels and five plays.
He went to Cornell University for his graduation. From there, he was sent to fight in World War II in Europe. During that time, he had to face real difficulties. Germans caught hold of him during the Battle of Bulge. And he was fortunate enough to survive the bombing in Dresden. Many of his works depict his views on war and the incidents he faced.
His famous works include ‘Cat’s Cradle’, ‘Breakfast of Champions’ and ‘Welcome to the Monkey House’. He started his career by writing short stories. In 1952, he wrote his first novel, ‘Player Piano’. His other novel, ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ written in 1969 was a bestseller. He became popular and gained fame through it.
If you are a fan of him, you will surely enjoy these Kurt Vonnegut quotes. His work is proof that he was indeed a master of words. We have curated a list of some of his famous quotes.
Kurt Vonnegut Quotes About Life
Kurt faced challenging times in his life. And he always had a satirical viewpoint on everything. Here are some Kurt Vonnegut quotes inspired by his life.
“People aren’t supposed to look back. I’m certainly not going to do it anymore.”
KURT VONNEGUT
SOURCE: SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE
“Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as I’ve said before, bugs in amber.”
KURT VONNEGUT
SOURCE: FACEBOOK POST
“Just because you can read, write, and do a little math, doesn’t mean that you’re entitled to conquer the universe.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“The bounties of space, of infinite outwardness, were three—empty heroics, low comedy, and pointless death.”
KURT VONNEGUT
SOURCE: THE SIRENS OF TITAN
“Enjoy the little things in life, because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“There is no order in the world around us. We must adapt ourselves to the requirements of chaos instead.”
KURT VONNEGUT
SOURCE: CONVERSATIONS WITH KURT VONNEGUT
“You meet saints everywhere. They can be anywhere.”
KURT VONNEGUT
SOURCE: MAY PEACE BE WITH YOU
“What a fool I would have been to let self-respect interfere with my happiness!”
KURT VONNEGUT
SOURCE: BLUEBEARD: A NOVEL
“Live by the format that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy.”
KURT VONNEGUT
Kurt Vonnegut Quotes About Love
Kurt had some distinct ideas about love. He had his own ideology about true love and why someone falls in love. Read on to these Kurt Vonnegut quotes on love to get some insights.
“A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.”
KURT VONNEGUT
SOURCE: SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE
“I will tell you how to win love: wear nice clothing and smile all the time. Learn the words to all the latest songs.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“If somebody says, ‘I love you’ to me, I feel as though I had a pistol pointed at my head. What can anybody reply under such conditions but that which the pistol holder requires?”
KURT VONNEGUT
“There is love enough in this world for everybody, if people will just look.”
KURT VONNEGUT
SOURCE: CAT’S CRADLE: A NOVEL
“No matter what I was really, no matter what I really meant, uncritical love was what I needed.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“My life is nothing but room for you.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“Americans are forever searching for love in forms it never takes, in places it can never be. It must have something to do with the vanished frontier.”
KURT VONNEGUT
Kurt Vonnegut Quotes On Writing
Kurt’s literary style has been unique in its own way. He used to give a satirical bend in his work. And this is the reason why people fall in love with his writing. Below are some Kurt Vonnegut quotes on writing.
“If you want to make people laugh or cry about little black marks on sheets of white paper, what is that but a practical joke? All the great story lines are great practical jokes that people fall for over and over again.”
KURT VONNEGUT
SOURCE: TO THE PARIS REVIEW SPRING 1977
“When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the students to make their characters want something right away—even if it’s only a glass of water.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“My reason for writing is unfortunately in line with Hitler’s and Stalin’s: I think writers should serve their society.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“People need good lies. There are too many bad ones.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action.”
KURT VONNEGUT
SOURCE: BAGOMBO SNUFF BOX
“Somebody gets into trouble, then gets out of it again. People love that story. They never get tired of it.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“I think writers are the most important members of society, not just potentially but actually.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“When I write, I feel like an armless, legless man with a crayon in his mouth.”
KURT VONNEGUT
Kurt Vonnegut Death Quotes
While German soldiers captured Kurt during the war, he closely experienced death during that time. His writings revolve around life and death as well. His work depicts war and death most appropriately. Here are some Kurt Vonnegut quotes about death.
“Give me knowledge or give me death!“
KURT VONNEGUT
“And even if wars didn’t keep coming like glaciers, there would still be plain old death.”
KURT VONNEGUT
SOURCE: SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE
“Before you kill somebody, make absolutely sure he isn’t well connected.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“It is a very mixed blessing to be brought back from the dead.”
KURT VONNEGUT
SOURCE: VONNEGUT BY THE DOZEN
“Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter could be said to remedy anything.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“The nicest veterans… the kindest and funniest ones, the ones who hated war the most, were the ones who’d really fought.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“You’ll forget it when you’re dead, and so will I. When I’m dead, I’m going to forget everything—and I advise you to do the same.”
KURT VONNEGUT
“We cannot get rid of mankind’s fleetingly wicked wishes. We can get rid of the machines that make them come true. I give you a holy word: Disarm.”
KURT VONNEGUT
Kurt had a productive career in writing. Many people look upon his words of wisdom. His writing style influenced several writers out there. To honor his work in the field of literature, Charles W. Jules, an astronomer, named an asteroid in Kurt’s name on his 77th birthday. His clever use of words, satire, irony, captures the minds and hearts of readers.
These Kurt Vonnegut quotes are just a glimpse of the gems created by him. We hope you have enjoyed reading these. Share this article with someone who loves to read satirical thoughts. Let us know which one is your favorite among these.
You can also check out these 30 Emily Dickinson Quotes About Death, Love & More!
