Earthlings went on being friendly, when they should have been thinking instead.

Earthlings went on being friendly, when they should have been thinking instead.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. ↗

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Stoicism

The Daily Stoic

Ryan Holiday & Stephen Hanselman

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Stoicism

Meditations

Marcus Aurelius · translated by Gregory Hays

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Mind & meaning

Man's Search for Meaning

Viktor E. Frankl

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Attribution & collection notes

Author or tradition: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Attribution: attributed
Country attributed: Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.
Historical period: Date unknown

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01Undated

A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. / quote

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02Undated

America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves. To quote the American humorist Kin Hubbard, 'It ain’t no disgrace to be poor, but it might as well be.' 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 the American poor. They mock themselves and glorify their betters. The meanest eating or drinking establishment, owned by a man who is himself poor, is very likely to have a sign on its wall asking this cruel question: 'if you’re so smart, why ain’t you rich?' There will also be an American flag no larger than a child’s hand – glued to a lollipop stick and flying from the cash register.Americans, like human beings everywhere, believe many things that are obviously untrue. Their most destructive untruth is that it is very easy for any American to make money. They will not acknowledge how in fact hard money is to come by, and, therefore, those who have no money blame and blame and blame themselves. This inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly and privately, than any other ruling class since, say Napoleonic times. Many novelties have come from America. The most startling of these, a thing without precedent, is a mass of undignified poor. They do not love one another because they do not love themselves.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. / quote

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03Undated

Love is where you find it. I think it is foolish to go around looking for it, and I think it can be poisonous. I wish that people who are conventionally supposed to love each other would say to each other, when they fight, 'Please — a little less love, and a little more common decency'.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. / quote

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04Undated

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? 'I love you, too'.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. / quote

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