Exhibitionists Quote by Kurt Vonnegut
““...simply moderate giftedness has been made worthless by the printing press and radio and television and satellites and all that. A moderately gifted person who would have been a community treasure a thousand years ago has to give up, has to go into some other line of work, since modern communications put him or her into daily competition with nothing but world's champions… A moderately gifted person has to keep his or her gifts all bottled up until, in a manner of speaking, he or she gets drunk at a wedding and tap-dances on the coffee table like Fred Astaire or Ginger Rogers. We have a name for him or her. We call him or her an "exhibitionist." How do we reward such an exhibitionist? We say to him or her the next morning, "Wow! Were you ever drunk last night!””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on media impact, 1970s
Modern mass media saturates talent, making moderate gifts seem insignificant and forcing people to hide or overperform.
In simple terms: Media makes average talent feel worthless, pushing people to extreme displays.
Key Takeaway
Find value beyond competition.
Themes
media
talent
competition
self‑esteem
societal pressure
Mood
reflective
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
observational
When to use this quote
- career planning
- creative expression
- social media use
- public performance
- personal branding
Key Concepts
cultural saturation
comparative success
identity crisis
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we recognize quiet excellence?
- What spaces nurture modest talent?
A Different Perspective
Not everyone thrives on exhibition; some prefer quiet contribution.
![“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)
