--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As an old, old man, Trout would be asked…" description: "\"“As an old, old man, Trout would be asked by Dr. Thor Lembrig, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, if he feared the future. He would give this..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/kurt-vonnegut-41_feared_as-an-old-old-man-trout-would-be-asked-b_2678530.jpg" --- # As an old, old man, Trout would be asked by Dr. Thor… ![“As an old, old man, Trout would be asked by Dr. Thor Lembrig, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, if he feared the future. He would give this reply: 'Mr. Secretary-General, it is the past which scares the bejesus out of me.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/kurt-vonnegut-41_feared_as-an-old-old-man-trout-would-be-asked-b_2678530.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/kurt-vonnegut-41_feared_as-an-old-old-man-trout-would-be-asked-b_2678530.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/kurt-vonnegut-41_feared_as-an-old-old-man-trout-would-be-asked-b_2678530.jpg) > ““As an old, old man, Trout would be asked by Dr. Thor Lembrig, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, if he feared the future. He would give this reply: 'Mr. Secretary-General, it is the past which scares the bejesus out of me.”” [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 past can be more terrifying than the future. **In simple terms:** Past can scare more than future. Key Takeaway Reflect on past experiences to understand fear. Themes memory fear time Mood wry thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - therapy - historical analysis - personal reflection Key Concepts literature psychology Questions to Reflect On - What past event haunts you? - How can you reframe past fears? A Different Perspective Focusing on past may hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feared/) [Feared Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feared-future-2561135/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Man Trout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-trout-1840096/) [Nations Feared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations-feared-2561136/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trout Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trout-asked-282869/) ## Related quotes > [“What Dad didn't understand was that no matter how much he hated or feared the future, it was coming, and there was only one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/what-dad-didn-t-understand-was-that-no-matter-how-much-he-hated-or/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“As a younger man, Trout would have sneered at the sign about brotherhood—posted on the rim of a bomb crater, as anyone could see.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/as-a-younger-man-trout-would-have-sneered-at-the-sign-about/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“She was a widow, and he stripped himself naked while she went to fetch some of her husband's clothes. 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