--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A saint is a person who behaves decently…" description: "\"A saint is a person who behaves decently in a shockingly indecent society.\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/kurt-vonnegut-41_behave_a-saint-is-a-person-who-behaves-decently_2456984.jpg" --- # A saint is a person who behaves decently in a shockingly… ![“A saint is a person who behaves decently in a shockingly indecent society.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/kurt-vonnegut-41_behave_a-saint-is-a-person-who-behaves-decently_2456984.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/kurt-vonnegut-41_behave_a-saint-is-a-person-who-behaves-decently_2456984.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/kurt-vonnegut-41_behave_a-saint-is-a-person-who-behaves-decently_2456984.jpg) > “A saint is a person who behaves decently in a shockingly indecent society.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A saint is defined by maintaining decency in a society that is largely immoral and chaotic. **In simple terms:** Decent behavior in a corrupt world. Key Takeaway Uphold integrity despite societal decay. Themes ethics society integrity Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - activism - community service - personal conduct Key Concepts moral courage social critique virtue Questions to Reflect On - Can you remain decent without sacrificing self? - What risks come with moral integrity? A Different Perspective Being decent can be socially isolating. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave/) [Indecent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indecent/) [Indecent Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indecent-society-618770/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saint/) [Saint Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saint-person-618769/) [Shockingly Indecent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shockingly-indecent-618771/) ## Related quotes > [You meet saints everywhere. They can be anywhere. They are people behaving decently in an indecent society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-meet-saints-everywhere-they-can-be-anywhere-they-are-people/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The mark of a saint is not perfection, but consecration. A saint is not a person without faults, but a man who has given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-westcott/the-mark-of-a-saint-is-not-perfection-but-consecration-a-saint-is-not/) [Brooke Westcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-westcott/) > [A saint is a person who gives of themself without asking for anything in return. That's how simple it is to be a saint.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-james-olmos/a-saint-is-a-person-who-gives-of-themself-without-asking-for-anything/) [Edward James Olmos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-james-olmos/) > [“A saint is a person who is reborn from his grave where he was trapped by living in himself. The time has come for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woo-myung/a-saint-is-a-person-who-is-reborn-from-his-grave-where-he-was-trapped/) [Woo Myung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woo-myung/) > [“There is always someone judgin you, no matter how good a person you are. Hell you could be saint, and still there would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-montes/there-is-always-someone-judgin-you-no-matter-how-good-a-person-you/) [E.L. Montes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-montes/) > [A saint is a person who does almost everything any other decent person does, only somewhat better and with a totally different motive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coventry-patmore/a-saint-is-a-person-who-does-almost-everything-any-other-decent/) [Coventry Patmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coventry-patmore/) > [Being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/being-a-humanist-means-trying-to-behave-decently-without-expectation/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I don't see how an article of clothing can be indecent. A person, yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-don-t-see-how-an-article-of-clothing-can-be-indecent-a-person-yes/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Wherever I see some mystique, be it virtue or family, faith or fatherland, there I must commit some indecent act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/witold-gombrowicz/wherever-i-see-some-mystique-be-it-virtue-or-family-faith-or/) [Witold Gombrowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/witold-gombrowicz/) > [“Decent is the last way I want you," she said, skimming her fingers over my stomach, my lower stomach. My lower lower stomach, AKA…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/decent-is-the-last-way-i-want-you-she-said-skimming-her-fingers-over/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [I will keep that a secret as it was so indecent I doubt she was in her normal state of mind when she made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/i-will-keep-that-a-secret-as-it-was-so-indecent-i-doubt-she-was-in/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) > [“She can't wear that dress! It's indecent. Her ass is hangin' out." ... "Son, take my advice, you gotta get this girl in hand.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/she-can-t-wear-that-dress-it-s-indecent-her-ass-is-hangin-out-son/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [No one should tolerate indecent behaviour; it's an absolute no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-shroff/no-one-should-tolerate-indecent-behaviour-it-s-an-absolute-no/) [Jackie Shroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-shroff/) > [There are certain times I don't want my picture taken. If my wife's stepping out of a car and it looks like it's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-darin/there-are-certain-times-i-don-t-want-my-picture-taken-if-my-wife-s/) [Bobby Darin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-darin/) > [It takes one time to show someone how you feel about them...it's called indecent exposure or whatever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/it-takes-one-time-to-show-someone-how-you-feel-about-them-it-s-called/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Behave quotes > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) [Burne Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burne-hogarth/) > [You can behave as badly as you like in America. Nobody notices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/you-can-behave-as-badly-as-you-like-in-america-nobody-notices/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“Then Olympus it is. But do try to behave. I know it’s hard for you, but… (Delphine) I won’t piss on the floor. (Jericho)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/then-olympus-it-is-but-do-try-to-behave-i-know-it-s-hard-for-you-but/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The possibility of saying anything about a thing rests on the assumption that it preserves its identity, or continues to be the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-possibility-of-saying-anything-about-a-thing-rests-on-the/) [Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/) > [Why does man behave like perfect idiot? This is the problem I wish to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-szent-gyorgyi/why-does-man-behave-like-perfect-idiot-this-is-the-problem-i-wish-to/) [Albert Szent-Gyorgyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-szent-gyorgyi/) > [This is a time in my life where I'm gonna behave like an elegant human being. Or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/this-is-a-time-in-my-life-where-i-m-gonna-behave-like-an-elegant/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [Most people, even in simple risky situations, don't behave the way the theory of utility would have them behave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-raiffa/most-people-even-in-simple-risky-situations-don-t-behave-the-way-the/) [Howard Raiffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-raiffa/) > [As a club, we have an educational purpose: to give back to those people who love Arsenal so that they learn moral values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/as-a-club-we-have-an-educational-purpose-to-give-back-to-those-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [What astonishes many of us is not so much that human nature is fundamentally corrupt; we are astonished rather that it does not behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-irving-seiden/what-astonishes-many-of-us-is-not-so-much-that-human-nature-is/) [Morton Irving Seiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-irving-seiden/) > [Do we behave out of fear of punishment, or out of the demands of our heart? For me, it is the latter, as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-we-behave-out-of-fear-of-punishment-or-out-of-the-demands-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you are in hard labor, remember that the length of labor is usually proportional to the number of people around. Avoid the presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-odent/when-you-are-in-hard-labor-remember-that-the-length-of-labor-is/) [Michel Odent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-odent/) > [The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room, each believing himself in mortal peril from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-superpowers-often-behave-like-two-heavily-armed-blind-men-feeling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For political and bureaucratic reasons, governments at all levels are telling far less to the public than to insiders about how to prepare for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/for-political-and-bureaucratic-reasons-governments-at-all-levels-are/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) [Browse all 1,587 Behave quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A saint is a person who behaves decently in a shockingly indecent society.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/a-saint-is-a-person-who-behaves-decently-in-a-shockingly-indecent/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behave" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/a-saint-is-a-person-who-behaves-decently-in-a-shockingly-indecent/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/kurt-vonnegut-41_behave_a-saint-is-a-person-who-behaves-decently_2456984.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/kurt-vonnegut-41_behave_a-saint-is-a-person-who-behaves-decently_2456984.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfd/kurt-vonnegut-41_behave_a-saint-is-a-person-who-behaves-decently_2456984.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A saint is a person who behaves decently in a shockingly indecent society.” — Kurt Vonnegut", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kurt Vonnegut", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A saint is a person who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/a-saint-is-a-person-who-behaves-decently-in-a-shockingly-indecent/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/a-saint-is-a-person-who-behaves-decently-in-a-shockingly-indecent/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```