--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anyway -- because we are readers, we…" description: "\"Anyway -- because we are readers, we don't have to wait for some communications executive to decide what we should think about next -- and how we shoul..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/kurt-vonnegut-41_books_anyway-because-we-are-readers-we-don-t-h_982526.jpg" --- # Anyway -- because we are readers, we don't have to wait… ![“Anyway -- because we are readers, we don't have to wait for some communications executive to decide what we should think about next -- and how we should think about it. We can fill our heads with anything from aardvarks to zucchinis -- at any time of night or day.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/kurt-vonnegut-41_books_anyway-because-we-are-readers-we-don-t-h_982526.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/kurt-vonnegut-41_books_anyway-because-we-are-readers-we-don-t-h_982526.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/kurt-vonnegut-41_books_anyway-because-we-are-readers-we-don-t-h_982526.jpg) > “Anyway -- because we are readers, we don't have to wait for some communications executive to decide what we should think about next -- and how we should think about it. We can fill our heads with anything from aardvarks to zucchinis -- at any time of night or day.” [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. We control our thoughts by choosing what to read, not by waiting for authority to dictate them. **In simple terms:** Choose your own ideas. Key Takeaway Read widely, think independently. Themes independence knowledge choice Mood curious empowered Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - creative work - education - media consumption Key Concepts self‑directed learning information freedom Questions to Reflect On - What sources shape your thinking? - How do you balance guidance and autonomy? A Different Perspective Authority can still shape perception despite personal choice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Executives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executives/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/readers/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Readers don't work for writers. They work for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/readers-don-t-work-for-writers-they-work-for-themselves/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [To me, novels are a trip of discovery, and you discover things that you don't know and you assume that many of your readers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/to-me-novels-are-a-trip-of-discovery-and-you-discover-things-that-you/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > [“Some of us think with our heads, others with our hearts. Though neither is good or bad, it seems that one solves problems while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-p-mauro-sr/some-of-us-think-with-our-heads-others-with-our-hearts-though-neither/) [Anthony P. Mauro, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-p-mauro-sr/) > [Italians think with their heads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matteo-salvini/italians-think-with-their-heads/) [Matteo Salvini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matteo-salvini/) > [“Readers don't want to read about somebody else having powerful emotions. . . . Readers want to become somebody else for a few hours,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-ingermanson/readers-don-t-want-to-read-about-somebody-else-having-powerful/) [Randy Ingermanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-ingermanson/) > [Our readers get what we do, and I don't think about what it's going to look like to the outside world. I don't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-portnoy/our-readers-get-what-we-do-and-i-don-t-think-about-what-it-s-going-to/) [Dave Portnoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-portnoy/) > [Bloggers intent on self-expression which renders no service to readers don't get read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-gutkind/bloggers-intent-on-self-expression-which-renders-no-service-to/) [Lee Gutkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-gutkind/) > [“Don't tell me about the Press. I know \*exactly\* who reads the papers. The Daily Mirror is read by the people who think they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-jay/don-t-tell-me-about-the-press-i-know-exactly-who-reads-the-papers-the/) [Antony Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-jay/) > [“She still loves the feel of a new book. While she appreciates the convenience of those thin, slick e-readers, they don't give her the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/she-still-loves-the-feel-of-a-new-book-while-she-appreciates-the/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [When readers don't like the book, it's usually because they feel that romantic love is pass or somehow needs more irony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baxter/when-readers-don-t-like-the-book-it-s-usually-because-they-feel-that/) [Charles Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baxter/) > [Readers don't grow in trees. But they are grown-in places where they are fertilized with lots of print, and above all, read to daily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-trelease/readers-don-t-grow-in-trees-but-they-are-grown-in-places-where-they/) [Jim Trelease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-trelease/) > [We notice things that don't work. We don't notice things that do. We notice computers, we don't notice pennies. We notice e-book readers, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/we-notice-things-that-don-t-work-we-don-t-notice-things-that-do-we/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [As much as I encourage communication with my readers, I don't want reviews from them, simply because I don't need to be hamstrung in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/as-much-as-i-encourage-communication-with-my-readers-i-don-t-want/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [Don't worry about how pretty (the story) sounds, how lilting it is, and the imagery, and the metaphor, all that. Most readers don't care.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mcmillan/don-t-worry-about-how-pretty-the-story-sounds-how-lilting-it-is-and/) [Terry McMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mcmillan/) > [There are probably some readers who don't want a great American writer to acknowledge that cleaning out the bottom drawer of the refrigerator has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumaan-alam/there-are-probably-some-readers-who-don-t-want-a-great-american/) [Rumaan Alam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumaan-alam/) ## 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 Books quotes > [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/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Anyway -- because we are readers, we don't have to wait for some communications executive to decide what we should think about next -- and how we should think about it. We can fill our heads with anything from aardvarks to zucchinis -- at any time of night or day.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/anyway-because-we-are-readers-we-don-t-have-to-wait-for-some/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/anyway-because-we-are-readers-we-don-t-have-to-wait-for-some/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/kurt-vonnegut-41_books_anyway-because-we-are-readers-we-don-t-h_982526.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/kurt-vonnegut-41_books_anyway-because-we-are-readers-we-don-t-h_982526.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/kurt-vonnegut-41_books_anyway-because-we-are-readers-we-don-t-h_982526.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Anyway -- because we are readers, we don't have to wait for some communications executive to decide what we…” — 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": "Anyway -- because we are readers,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/anyway-because-we-are-readers-we-don-t-have-to-wait-for-some/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/anyway-because-we-are-readers-we-don-t-have-to-wait-for-some/#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 } } ] } ```