ETA: Okay, I’ve recently found out that this quote is not Vonnegut, although he did write something similar to this in a letter to schoolchildren. That letter was posted to three–ring’s blog with her commentary posted below. Her commentary was copy-pasted to Facebook as being written by Vonnegut, and it’s been passed around that way ever since. Proof here.
I’m fixing this post with proper attribution. I did do a quick web search before posting this, but apparently it was too quick. Bleagh.
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This is a nice anecdote, and it’s meaningful and valuable in its own right, but it’s not Vonnegut.
The source seems to be this 2020 Tumblr post, where the OP text is someone’s own anecdote following a Kurt Vonnegut extract. I guess someone’s read the post and got confused as to where his bit ends.
The actual excerpt does read much more like Vonnegut.
Funnily enough, even though the quote is misattributed, the sentiment is basically the same as what Vonnegut was saying, albeit less eloquent.
Thanks for catching this! I fixed it. What’s remarkable is that apparently a lot of people don’t want to believe that this isn’t Vonnegut, which is why it slipped past me when I did a web search on it earlier.
I’ve tried contacting multiple places that have published this quote to have them retract it with no results. I’ve also contacted Snopes twice with no reply.
I was once contacted by someone who wanted to know my source for the quote because they were tracking Vonnegut’s archeology experience in his biography and wouldn’t believe me when I said it was about my own life.
Well, the person who posted this has a hobby, mainly posting quotes by famous people, who are not famous at all, so as a circular argument the quote works quite well 🤪
Linus Torvalds said something similar in an interview, don’t think it was that long ago.
He took up building guitar pedals as a hobby. He doesn’t even play guitar. But it was something different from coding. He wanted to understand analog circuits better, and so that’s the vehicle he chose.
But what he said about it was the best part – it’s important to have a hobby where it’s okay to suck. Failure has to be an option.
If sucking at it means that bad things will happen, then it is no longer a hobby.
OR you only do things if you can make money at them.
I got a degree in Music History, and had been in the music business for many years, but I could never enjoy playing music myself, because I wasn’t able to play at a high enough level.
During Covid, I was so bored that I picked up the guitar again, and I was finally able to start enjoying it, because I had no expectations of making money at it. It was purely a time killer, that eventually became a joy. It also gave me a distraction from eating, and I’ve lost over 100 pounds.
Music had become a career path to me, and I had to learn to just love it again.
You lost over 100 lbs!? As long as you’re not unhealthily underweight, that’s absolutely incredible!
Thanks, still got about 30-50 to go. It’s getting tougher.
I had a somewhat similar revelation. Remember those “demotivational” posters making fun of the motivational posters that were all over schools? (At least in the U.S.) There was one that really stuck with me when I saw it:
“Mediocrity - if you can’t learn to so something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly”
It was kinda life changing.
That moment when your brain goes “This…but unironically”.
It’s a great quote, and I really resonate with it.
I play basketball. I win by tricking my body into doing exercise.
This is something I’ve wrestled with my whole life. My parents had high expectations for me, and I mostly met them. But it’s left me unable to enjoy many of my hobbies because I’m just not good at them. It’s not great.
Bros out here doing archeology at 15 and thinks he’s a loser. Ah, to be a teenager again… Would suck! I just wanna replay my late 30s for NG+
Thank-you for sharing this.
The next time I play DOTA I’ll quote this as soon as I lose the round for the whole team. It’ll probably make them stop and think.
After all why wouldn’t I try to reason with my team of buffoons in a MOBA
Shout out to archaeologists. Haven’t met one I don’t like my 5 years in the field. I’ve met some that I didn’t like to work for, but outside of work, socially solid people.
Of course I’m sure there are some, just haven’t met them yet
I think some jobs make it impossible to not zoom out.
I was playing racquetball with a group of colleagues. I finished playing and was sitting outside the courts cooling down when one of the managers came out of his game. I asked if he was happy and he said he was because he won. I asked if he had to win to be happy and he said, “yes.” I feel sorry for him.
Smart man. He has a great lecture about the shapes of stories on the youtubes too.
something something Danganronpa
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