
Vonnegut’s Asterisk (2013) - bryanrasmussen
https://axelhow.com/2013/01/19/vonnegut-asterisk/
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Quekid5
One of my favorite quotes by him (well, technically a character of his):

> "Be careful what you pretend to be because you are what you pretend to be."

Seems quite apropos these days (also!) in which quite a few people who've
dabbled in the "trolling for the lulz!" pond have ended up drowning,
metaphorically speaking.

~~~
timoth3y
Was that from Mother Night? That is an amazing book.

By pretending to be a Nazi to spy for the allies, he turned out to be very
good at being a Nazi.

It's a dizzying trip around the age-old question of are we defined by what's
in our hearts or by our actions, or perhaps our actions are the clearest
indicator of what's in our hearts.

~~~
scarecrowbob
That was my primary takeaway from Mother Night.

I have found the idea that there isn't some authentic, secret me that no one
really knows to be very useful in my life. Many of us have large discrepancies
between how we see ourselves and how other people see us, and I have seen a
lot of people file off the gear teeth in the clockwork of their minds (to use
another idea from Vonnegut); fantasizing that there is a "real" us that other
people just can't see is a useful tool for doing that kind of work.

As I understand it our human being ness is largely bound to how other folks
perceive us, and when we get feedback from others it's important to listen to
how they seem to understand us... that's been a hard thing to learn and apply,
but it's been useful in changing that feedback into (hopefully positive)
changes to how I treat other people.

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twog
Vonnegut is the author that I wish I was, and was a major influence on my
reading, thinking and creating. Strongly recommend picking up a few of his
novels, you wont be able to put them down. My favorites are Slaughterhouse
Five, Cats Cradle, Breakfast of Champions and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

~~~
ticmasta
I agree that everyone should _try_ and read Vonnegut but don't expect everyone
to enjoy it or find in it the awakening I sure did.

I think his writing really clicks with a particular type of person at a
particular time in their life; if either is not quite right it seems reactions
range from disinterest to hostility.

I discovered Sirens of Titan and Player Piano in high school and loved them
immediately (unlike so much assigned reading) but I'm not sure I'd feel the
same if I was to read them for the first time at this stage in my life. For
instance, I still enjoy re-reading Hocus Pocus or Jailbird but not so much
Slaughterhouse Five. I can't precisely say why, but so it goes...

~~~
johnmc408
I kinda had the same feeling with Slaughterhouse Five as you. I know with
music this has happened to me...but some albums, if I listen to them enough, I
start to really like them. Maybe you should try reading SH5 a few times and
see how it settles in...the first time reading it was soo good...

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dsiegel2275
I have a cereal bowl that has this image printed within it. I can figuratively
and literally eat the "Breakfast Of Champions" with it.

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kolbe
For those who don't know, that's not an asterisk.

~~~
ticmasta
It sure looks like the Greendale Community College flag to me...

~~~
labster
_E pluribus anus_

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brownkonas
I don’t seek vengeance but when I am redeemed : “Ting-a-Ling , you son of a
...” runs through my soul. Thanks Mr. Vonnegut.

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scarecrowbob
I dunno if it is authentic, but I own a paperback copy of Slaughterhouse-5
signed "With Love, Billy".

~~~
JKCalhoun
I have a letter he sent me (embarrassing story actually). Someone asked me if
he had signed the letter with an asterisk. Didn't know that was a thing of
his. (I mean I had read the book but didn't know he used it when he signed his
name ... sometimes?)

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labster
My only regret is that I have but one asterisk for my country.

