--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And here, according to Trout, was the…" description: "\"“And here, according to Trout, was the reason human beings could not reject ideas because they were bad: \"Ideas on Earth were badges of friendship or e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/kurt-vonnegut-41_friendship_and-here-according-to-trout-was-the-reas_1128453.jpg" --- # And here, according to Trout, was the reason human beings… ![“And here, according to Trout, was the reason human beings could not reject ideas because they were bad: "Ideas on Earth were badges of friendship or enmity. Their content did not matter. Friends agreed with friends, in order to express friendliness. Enemies disagreed with enemies, in order to…” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/kurt-vonnegut-41_friendship_and-here-according-to-trout-was-the-reas_1128453.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/kurt-vonnegut-41_friendship_and-here-according-to-trout-was-the-reas_1128453.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/kurt-vonnegut-41_friendship_and-here-according-to-trout-was-the-reas_1128453.jpg) > ““And here, according to Trout, was the reason human beings could not reject ideas because they were bad: "Ideas on Earth were badges of friendship or enmity. Their content did not matter. Friends agreed with friends, in order to express friendliness. Enemies disagreed with enemies, in order to express enmity. "The ideas Earthlings held didn't matter for hundreds of thousands of years, since they couldn't do much about them anyway. Ideas might as well be badges as anything. "They even had a saying about the futility of ideas: 'If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.' "And then Earthlings discovered tools. Suddenly agreeing with friends could be a form of suicide or worse. But agreements went on, not for the sake of common sense or decency or self-preservation, but for friendliness. "Earthlings went on being friendly, when they should have been thinking instead. And even when they built computers to do some thinking for them, they designed them not so much for wisdom as for friendliness. So they were doomed. Homicidal beggars could ride.”” [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. The passage critiques how humans cling to ideas for social bonding rather than truth, leading to irrational loyalty and missed progress. **In simple terms:** People often follow ideas for belonging, not truth Key Takeaway Question why you hold ideas. Themes social conformity irrationality progress Mood critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political discourse - technology development - education - personal belief systems Key Concepts Groupthink cognitive bias philosophy of knowledge Questions to Reflect On - What ideas do you keep for social reasons? - How can you prioritize truth over belonging? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑seated social habits is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enmity Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enmity-ideas-3087773/) [Friendliness Earthlings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendliness-earthlings-3087774/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Friendship Enmity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship-enmity-460200/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ideas Earthlings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-earthlings-3087775/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Reject Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reject-ideas-2297678/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“Ideas on Earth were badges of friendship or enmity. Their content did not matter. Friends agreed with friends, in order to express friendliness. Enemies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/ideas-on-earth-were-badges-of-friendship-or-enmity-their-content-did/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I will continue to reject ideas that have no place in the Republican Party or the U.S. Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-will-continue-to-reject-ideas-that-have-no-place-in-the-republican/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [I don't abandon stories once I've started working on them. 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A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) ## 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. 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