Cat Quote by Kurt Vonnegut
“One thing I found out was that we need extended families. We need gangs. And, of course, if they're tribes and clans and so forth have been dispersed by the industrial revolution by people looking for work wherever they can find it. And a nuclear family, a man, a woman and kids and a dog and cat is no survival scheme at all. Horribly vulnerable.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Joy of Living” by Kurt Vonnegut, 1975
Modern society’s nuclear family is vulnerable; extended families, tribes, or gangs provide survival and support.
In simple terms: Extended kinship offers resilience.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate broader community ties.
Themes
community
survival
family structures
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
sociological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- urban living
- migration
- social policy
Key Concepts
sociology
collectivism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we rebuild community bonds?
- What role do extended families play today?
A Different Perspective
Changing norms may resist tribal concepts.
![“We [people] all need each other. Gangs do try to fill that void - but they can't do what healthy, balanced, and coherent families and communities can do. Let's strengthen our core relationships from the start - and all the way through a young person's life. This is the best way to avoid the growth…” quote by Luis J. Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5f3/luis-j-rodr-guez-15197_balanced_we-people-all-need-each-other-gangs-do-t_933688.jpg)
![“Thomas Jefferson High School [..] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on the subject of human liberty.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/73a/kurt-vonnegut-41_freedom_thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-sc_9727.jpg)
