Kurt Vonnegut

“As an old, old man, Trout would be asked by Dr. Thor Lembrig, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, if he feared the future. He would give this reply: 'Mr. Secretary-General, it is the past which scares the bejesus out of me.'”

“I think I am trying to make my head as empty as it was when I was born onto this damaged planet fifty years ago.”

“They say there are no atheists in foxholes, and this is a good argument against atheism. I think it's a better argument against foxholes.”

“Go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You wil get an an enormous reward. You will have created something.”

“We must be careful about what we pretend to be.”

“A lot of people believe that beauty is some kind of conspiracy—along with friendly laughter and peace.”

“Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style.”

“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were big things.”