--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly…" description: "\"Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John.\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/kurt-vonnegut-41_john_call-me-jonah-my-parents-did-or-nearly-d_3089341.jpg" --- # Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called… ![“Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/kurt-vonnegut-41_john_call-me-jonah-my-parents-did-or-nearly-d_3089341.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/kurt-vonnegut-41_john_call-me-jonah-my-parents-did-or-nearly-d_3089341.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/kurt-vonnegut-41_john_call-me-jonah-my-parents-did-or-nearly-d_3089341.jpg) > “Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John.” [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 humorous reflection on identity and parental expectations, suggesting names shape but do not define us. **In simple terms:** Names influence identity but don't control destiny. Key Takeaway Embrace who you are beyond labels. Themes identity family self‑acceptance Mood reflective light‑hearted Type literary humorous When to use this quote - personal growth - family dynamics - self‑discovery Key Concepts naming social expectations Questions to Reflect On - How do you define yourself beyond your given name? - What role do family expectations play in your self‑image? A Different Perspective Names are socially assigned and can cause confusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Jonah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jonah/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [Jack? . . . No, there is very little music in the name Jack, if any at all, indeed. It does not thrill. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/jack-no-there-is-very-little-music-in-the-name-jack-if-any-at-all/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Of course I love you, So let's have a kid. Who will say exactly What its parents did; "Of course I love you, So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/of-course-i-love-you-so-let-s-have-a-kid-who-will-say-exactly-what/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Jonah-John-if I had been a Sam, I would have been a Jonah still-not because I have been unlucky for others, but because somebody or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/jonah-john-if-i-had-been-a-sam-i-would-have-been-a-jonah-still-not/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [A great swindle of our time is the assumption that science has made religion obsolete. All science has damaged is the story of Adam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/a-great-swindle-of-our-time-is-the-assumption-that-science-has-made/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [CJ is my nickname. It stands for Cameron, and my middle name is John.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cj-adams/cj-is-my-nickname-it-stands-for-cameron-and-my-middle-name-is-john/) CJ Adams > [My friends call me Keith, but you can call me John.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-moon/my-friends-call-me-keith-but-you-can-call-me-john/) [Keith Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-moon/) > [Doc has been my name all my life, and John is my middle name. I'm proud of all my names - Malcolm John Michael…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-john/doc-has-been-my-name-all-my-life-and-john-is-my-middle-name-i-m-proud/) [Dr. John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-john/) > [One day, the infielders were having a pretty bad time and were making some bad throws to me at first base. After digging a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-mize/one-day-the-infielders-were-having-a-pretty-bad-time-and-were-making/) Johnny Mize > [When I was very young, it was all, 'Here's little Johnny,' and I got stuck with it, but I prefer John. There comes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-mathis/when-i-was-very-young-it-was-all-here-s-little-johnny-and-i-got-stuck/) [Johnny Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-mathis/) > [Another part of what gave me a questioning, rabble-rousing, activist heart and soul is that when all these heavy events went down, my parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/another-part-of-what-gave-me-a-questioning-rabble-rousing-activist/) [Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/) > [I have so much respect for when my parents did. They did not raise me talking about money and I would have disappointed them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dries-mertens/i-have-so-much-respect-for-when-my-parents-did-they-did-not-raise-me/) [Dries Mertens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dries-mertens/) > [My father said it himself in an interview many years ago: 'Husband and wife failed, but mother and father didn't.' I've got a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-dylan/my-father-said-it-himself-in-an-interview-many-years-ago-husband-and/) [Jakob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-dylan/) > [As the middle class is predated upon with an ever greater malicious intensity, their children stand to lose more and harder than their parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/as-the-middle-class-is-predated-upon-with-an-ever-greater-malicious/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [My parents did not encourage romances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-robards/my-parents-did-not-encourage-romances/) [Karen Robards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-robards/) > [When there's so much freedom - financially and otherwise - smart kids get themselves into trouble. My parents did a good job of sheltering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-peck/when-there-s-so-much-freedom-financially-and-otherwise-smart-kids-get/) [Ethan Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-peck/) ## 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 John quotes > [Anytime I get the chance to sing or work with Michael John, it is such an incredibly fertile and incredibly creative and safe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/anytime-i-get-the-chance-to-sing-or-work-with-michael-john-it-is-such/) [Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/) > [If you have John Terry, Frank Lampard on the pitch, they've seen everything in football. And it gives you a good feeling because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-schurrle/if-you-have-john-terry-frank-lampard-on-the-pitch-they-ve-seen/) [Andre Schurrle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-schurrle/) > [“Are you even listening to yourself right now? You sound like you’re from the nineteen hundreds, not the two thousands." I pointed at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelin-lamontagne/are-you-even-listening-to-yourself-right-now-you-sound-like-you-re/) [Katelin LaMontagne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelin-lamontagne/) > [“As his ears rang and his heart broke for her, he stayed strong against the gale force she let loose. After all, there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/as-his-ears-rang-and-his-heart-broke-for-her-he-stayed-strong-against/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [I love 'Fishing With John' so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-posey/i-love-fishing-with-john-so-much/) [Parker Posey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-posey/) > [I feel very confident that that information should be sufficient for the members of the Senate to make an informed decision about John Roberts'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-gonzales/i-feel-very-confident-that-that-information-should-be-sufficient-for/) [Alberto Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-gonzales/) > [Well, I don't know how they define that. But they have this Texas blues thing blown kinda out of proportion. I am a Long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hunter/well-i-don-t-know-how-they-define-that-but-they-have-this-texas-blues/) [John Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hunter/) > [Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Neil Young and Bob Dylan are my main influences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-simpson/jack-johnson-john-mayer-neil-young-and-bob-dylan-are-my-main/) [Cody Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-simpson/) > [“What’s wrong with you?” John asks suspiciously. I give him a ‘what chu talkin’ ‘bout Willis?’ look and he explains. “You just woke up.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelin-lamontagne/what-s-wrong-with-you-john-asks-suspiciously-i-give-him-a-what-chu/) [Katelin LaMontagne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelin-lamontagne/) > [When the 2008 victory of Barack Obama and the defeat of grumpy old John McCain began looking, um, inevitable, I started fielding inquiries about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/when-the-2008-victory-of-barack-obama-and-the-defeat-of-grumpy-old/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [I am indeed a fan of John le Carre's novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/i-am-indeed-a-fan-of-john-le-carre-s-novels/) [Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/) > [My favorite moment of the whole thing was when John Belushi suggested that I get a hold of all the blues records I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-cropper/my-favorite-moment-of-the-whole-thing-was-when-john-belushi-suggested/) [Steve Cropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-cropper/) > [I never really got on that well with Yoko anyway. Strangely enough, I only started to get to know her after John's death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/i-never-really-got-on-that-well-with-yoko-anyway-strangely-enough-i/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [I myself am consummately middle class. We grew up in upper-middle-class suburbs in Oklahoma City, and thats very much the same ethos as what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-bailey/i-myself-am-consummately-middle-class-we-grew-up-in-upper-middle/) [Blake Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-bailey/) > [At 19 years old, when I came out of St. John's, I was fresh out the 'hood. I was fresh out of Queensbridge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/metta-world-peace/at-19-years-old-when-i-came-out-of-st-john-s-i-was-fresh-out-the-hood/) [Metta World Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/metta-world-peace/) Browse all 905 John quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/call-me-jonah-my-parents-did-or-nearly-did-they-called-me-john/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "John" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/call-me-jonah-my-parents-did-or-nearly-did-they-called-me-john/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/kurt-vonnegut-41_john_call-me-jonah-my-parents-did-or-nearly-d_3089341.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/kurt-vonnegut-41_john_call-me-jonah-my-parents-did-or-nearly-d_3089341.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/kurt-vonnegut-41_john_call-me-jonah-my-parents-did-or-nearly-d_3089341.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John.” — 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": "Call me Jonah. My parents did,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/call-me-jonah-my-parents-did-or-nearly-did-they-called-me-john/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/call-me-jonah-my-parents-did-or-nearly-did-they-called-me-john/#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 } } ] } ```