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Advice from Kurt Vonnegut
August 4, 2011
Here's to the bridge-builders, the hand-holders, the light-bringers, those extraordinary souls wrapped in ordinary lives who quietly weave threads of humanity into an inhumane world.
-L.R. Knost, American author and child-development researcher
-L.R. Knost, American author and child-development researcher
- Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.
- Do one thing every day that scares you.
- Sing.
- Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
- Floss.
- Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
- Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
- Keep your old love letters.
- Throw away your old bank statements.
- Stretch.
- Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
- Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.
- Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
- Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
- Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
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Comments (12)
Displaying All 12 CommentsUnited Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA, United States
So it really wasn't Kurt Vonnegut's words after all (Exchange Every Day 8/4/11). Sad about the hoax but kudos to Mary Schmich.
http://www.wesselenyi.com/speech.htm
United States
It was not Anna Quinlan either. Michelle has it right. It is a hoax, an urban legend, but a wonderful thought provoking poem. A 10 second search is all it takes to verify this is not a Kurt Vonnegut speech.
If you listen to Baz Luhrmann you may have heard this, if not, go to Youtube and search Sunscreen you can hear Baz Luhrmann reciting this very poem/speech/thought.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI
Enjoy.
Ivy Academy
Beijing, Beijing, China
Do 10 seconds of research and you will find that this is not Kurt Vonnegut.
United States
Now, this sounds like Kurt Vonnegut!
"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward."
United States
Here's the story as I understand it. The hoax started when journalist Mary Schmich wrote an article about her fantasy commencement speech, which was published in the Chicago Tribune. An unknown prankster sent it out onto the internet with the label "Kurt Vonnegut's Commencement Address at MIT". When Vonnegut read it, he replied "It was quite witty, but not my wittiness." It's still a great quote, though.
United States
That wasn't Kurt V.-- I rememember when that speech was passed along the web. As I recall it was actually made by Anna Quinlan.
Temple Beth Israel Preschool
United States
As much as I too have appreciated Kurt Vonnegut's writing, I don't think this speech was his, or anyone's, at MIT. You might want to check out Urban Legends to verify it.
www.snopes.com/quotes/vonnegut.asp
United States
This is a lovely piece and I have admired it for years- but it was not written by Kurt Vonnegut and Kurt was never a commencement speaker at MIT.
The real author is a journalist named Mary Schmich who did try to undo this hoax but it took on a life of its own. At least it is an example of the power of the internet for spreading something positive!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wear_Sunscreen
United States
I, too, think this speech is quite clever. However, it was a widespread internet hoax attributed to Kurt Vonnegut. Although Vonnegut was an iconic writer and journalist himself, he was not the commencement speaker at MIT in 1997 and did not write this. It was written by Chicago Tribune columnist, Mary Schmich.
www.snopes.com/quotes/vonnegut.asp
United States
I think this is the commencement address that Kurt Vonnegut never made. Of course he made a number of others (Rice U. for example) but I believe this is the one that swept the internet as a Vonnegut speech but that was later determined to be false. I'll have to check the internet to find the story!!
Anyway, Kurt Vonnegut was not only a great talent but a really good human being, with lots of quotable things to say.
Mexican Eskimo
New Orleans, LA, United States
I love exchange and the daily dose of wisdom dropped like clockwork into my inbox. I've used lines from 'Wear Sunscreen' myself in deciding what to do with my life (esp. "Live in Northern California... but leave before it makes you soft.")
But yes, as Carie comments above, wisdom, but not Vonnegut wisdom. This is a good breakdown of the confusion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wear_Sunscreen
Keep it coming Exchange!
Anker Frankoni
www.mexicaneskimo.com
United States
This speech was not given by Kurt Vonnegut at MIT's commencement, and has become a legend because of the hoax that it WAS delivered by Mr. Vonnegut. Mr. Vonnegut is one of my favorite authors as well, so I was excited when I read that these words that I've heard other places before came from him. Though the words are powerful and no less true, they did not come from him. His name shows up nowhere on the "Past Commencement Speakers" list between 1980 and today, and with a cursory search one can discover that newspaper columnist Mary Schmich was, in fact, the author of this advice.
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