Vonnegut Quote by Kurt Vonnegut
““So it goes." Unlike many of these quotes, the repeated refrain from Vonnegut's classic Slaughterhouse-Five isn't notable for its unique wording so much as for how much emotion—and dismissal of emotion—it packs into three simple, world-weary words that simultaneously accept and dismiss everything. There's a reason this quote graced practically every elegy written for Vonnegut over the past two weeks (yes, including ours): It neatly encompasses a whole way of life. More crudely put: "Shit happens, and it's awful, but it's also okay. We deal with it because we have to.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Slaughterhouse-Five, 1969
The phrase captures acceptance of life's randomness and suffering while maintaining resilience.
In simple terms: Accept that bad things happen, but keep going.
Embrace life's absurdity with stoic resolve.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- daily setbacks
- personal loss
- global crises
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance acceptance and action?
- When is it okay to dismiss emotions?
May downplay seriousness of serious events.