--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human beings in there took turns standing…" description: "\"“Human beings in there took turns standing or lying down. The legs of those who stood were like fence posts driven into a warm, squirming, farting, sig..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ed/kurt-vonnegut-41_fence-post_human-beings-in-there-took-turns-standin_1044705.jpg" --- # Human beings in there took turns standing or lying down… ![“Human beings in there took turns standing or lying down. The legs of those who stood were like fence posts driven into a warm, squirming, farting, sighing earth. The queer earth was a mosaic of sleepers who nestled like spoons.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ed/kurt-vonnegut-41_fence-post_human-beings-in-there-took-turns-standin_1044705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ed/kurt-vonnegut-41_fence-post_human-beings-in-there-took-turns-standin_1044705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ed/kurt-vonnegut-41_fence-post_human-beings-in-there-took-turns-standin_1044705.jpg) > ““Human beings in there took turns standing or lying down. The legs of those who stood were like fence posts driven into a warm, squirming, farting, sighing earth. The queer earth was a mosaic of sleepers who nestled like spoons.”” [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. Human existence is a chaotic mosaic of varied postures, reflecting the absurdity and diversity of life. **In simple terms:** Life is a strange mix of positions. Key Takeaway Accept life's absurdity. Themes absurdity diversity human condition Mood darkly humorous thought‑provoking Type literary satirical When to use this quote - philosophy - art critique - social commentary Key Concepts mosaic metaphor bodily imagery Questions to Reflect On - How does the imagery affect your view of humanity? - What does the “farting earth” suggest about our world? A Different Perspective The vivid description may be overly grotesque for some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fence post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fence-post/) [Indignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indignity/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Pows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pows/) [Queer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queer/) [Squalor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/squalor/) ## Related quotes > [“Like many human beings, he took the least sign of conversation as his cue to make noise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/like-many-human-beings-he-took-the-least-sign-of-conversation-as-his/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“But on Kwajalein, the guards sought to deprive them of something that had sustained them even as all else had been lost: dignity. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-hillenbrand/but-on-kwajalein-the-guards-sought-to-deprive-them-of-something-that/) [Laura Hillenbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-hillenbrand/) > [The final effort came when our reconnaissance team reported contact with the POWs and their guards by radio near midnight at a pre-arranged crossing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-gritz/the-final-effort-came-when-our-reconnaissance-team-reported-contact/) [Bo Gritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-gritz/) > [“At last, somebody in line steps forward. “I can commit,” he says. He’s a tall, lean young man with a rifle slung over his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-lane/at-last-somebody-in-line-steps-forward-i-can-commit-he-says-he-s-a/) [Summer Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-lane/) > [It was necessary to bluff the Japanese camp commanders, with whatever authority I could muster, that I had come officially to ensure that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-burchett/it-was-necessary-to-bluff-the-japanese-camp-commanders-with-whatever/) [Wilfred Burchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-burchett/) > [“In spite of everything, all the POWs except for the Russians were receiving food parcels and medication from the International Red Cross. The Soviet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-timofeeva-egorova/in-spite-of-everything-all-the-pows-except-for-the-russians-were/) Anna Timofeeva-Egorova > [“The organization of the camps in the east revealed a contempt for life, the life of Slavs and Asians and Jews anyway, that made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-organization-of-the-camps-in-the-east-revealed-a-contempt-for/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“As the prisoners’ commanding officer and senior medical officer, Dorrigo Evans reported to Major Nakamura that four men had died the day before, two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/as-the-prisoners-commanding-officer-and-senior-medical-officer/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [“The combat during the war was only a part of the horror. When soldiers came home, they were faced with new challenges, new fights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-picca/the-combat-during-the-war-was-only-a-part-of-the-horror-when-soldiers/) Helen Picca > [Still I was concerned that politics would get between us and our POWs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-gritz/still-i-was-concerned-that-politics-would-get-between-us-and-our-pows/) [Bo Gritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-gritz/) > [Without territory, it does not even have the resources to provide detention facilities for prisoners, even if it were interested in holding captured POWs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yoo/without-territory-it-does-not-even-have-the-resources-to-provide/) [John Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yoo/) > [The PoWs went through something so horrible, you don't know who's coming back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gideon-raff/the-pows-went-through-something-so-horrible-you-don-t-know-who-s/) [Gideon Raff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gideon-raff/) > [I remember the Korean War very well. And I remember the soldiers who were POWs who supposedly were "brainwashed," quote, unquote, who gave in,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-remember-the-korean-war-very-well-and-i-remember-the-soldiers-who/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [In the winter of 1973, the American POWs held captive in Vietnam were released according to the terms of the Paris Peace Accords.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/in-the-winter-of-1973-the-american-pows-held-captive-in-vietnam-were/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [“At least 30,000, possibly more, German POWs may have died in French captivity, of starvation and malnutrition, of disease and neglect and mistreatment. Around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-taylor/at-least-30-000-possibly-more-german-pows-may-have-died-in-french/) [Frederick Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-taylor/) ## 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 Fence post quotes > [“Charles Snow had been as spiritually curious as a fence post, and Pete doubted that his father had ever changed in any meaningful way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smith-henderson/charles-snow-had-been-as-spiritually-curious-as-a-fence-post-and-pete/) [Smith Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smith-henderson/) > [“Brod’s life was a slow realization that the world was not for her, and that for whatever reason, she would never be happy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/brod-s-life-was-a-slow-realization-that-the-world-was-not-for-her-and/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [He has the vocal modulation of a railway-station announcer, the expressive power of a fence-post and the charisma of a week-old head of lettuce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fintan-o-toole/he-has-the-vocal-modulation-of-a-railway-station-announcer-the/) Fintan O'Toole > [“Brod's life was a slow realization that the world was not for her, and that for whatever reason, she would never be happy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/brod-s-life-was-a-slow-realization-that-the-world-was-not-for-her-and-2/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [“Installing a Vertical Frame MATERIALS To construct a vertical frame, you need: two 5-foot electrical conduit pipes (1/2-inch diameter); one 4-foot conduit pipe (1/2-inch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-bartholomew/installing-a-vertical-frame-materials-to-construct-a-vertical-frame/) [Mel Bartholomew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-bartholomew/) > [Things change when you learn to loosen your grip. I think one way and the future is desperate. I think another way everything is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-finn/things-change-when-you-learn-to-loosen-your-grip-i-think-one-way-and/) [Tim Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-finn/) > [Historically, Hollywood comedy has arrived in skinny envelopes. From fence post Buster Keaton to herky-jerky Jerry Lewis to wiry nerve-bundle Woody Allen to hung-loose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/historically-hollywood-comedy-has-arrived-in-skinny-envelopes-from/) [James Wolcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolcott/) > [“The application of this knife, the division of the world into parts and the building of this structure, is something everybody does. All the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirsig-robert-m/the-application-of-this-knife-the-division-of-the-world-into-parts/) Pirsig, Robert M > [“How often ... do we pass by a need, a life that could be changed with the smallest bit of effort? And it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/how-often-do-we-pass-by-a-need-a-life-that-could-be-changed-with-the/) [Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/) > [“When I finally made it across the dune, I found her gazing at the ocean and holding a weathered fence post as if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-colson/when-i-finally-made-it-across-the-dune-i-found-her-gazing-at-the/) Emily Colson > [Everything in Russia is made of cement - phone booths, fence posts and light bulbs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-frazier/everything-in-russia-is-made-of-cement-phone-booths-fence-posts-and/) [Ian Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-frazier/) > [“I fell in love with you when you crashed into my fence post and chased after my chickens and fell down in the mud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-andre/i-fell-in-love-with-you-when-you-crashed-into-my-fence-post-and/) [Bella Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-andre/) > [“I exhausted myself trying to take it all in, noting every little variation and departure from how things were supposed to be. My notion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-johnston/i-exhausted-myself-trying-to-take-it-all-in-noting-every-little/) Wayne Johnston > [Anytime you see a turtle up on top of a fence post, you know he had some help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-haley/anytime-you-see-a-turtle-up-on-top-of-a-fence-post-you-know-he-had/) [Alex Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-haley/) > [“I might like to have someone courting me. But it would have to be someone who is a square shooter and who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/i-might-like-to-have-someone-courting-me-but-it-would-have-to-be/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) [Browse all 29 Fence post quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fence-post/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Human beings in there took turns standing or lying down. 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