--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have also told them not to work for…" description: "\"“I have also told them not to work for companies which make massacre machinery, and to express contempt for people who think we need machinery like tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/kurt-vonnegut-41_contempt_i-have-also-told-them-not-to-work-for-co_306922.jpg" --- # I have also told them not to work for companies which make… ![“I have also told them not to work for companies which make massacre machinery, and to express contempt for people who think we need machinery like that.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/kurt-vonnegut-41_contempt_i-have-also-told-them-not-to-work-for-co_306922.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/kurt-vonnegut-41_contempt_i-have-also-told-them-not-to-work-for-co_306922.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/kurt-vonnegut-41_contempt_i-have-also-told-them-not-to-work-for-co_306922.jpg) > ““I have also told them not to work for companies which make massacre machinery, and to express contempt for people who think we need machinery like that.”” [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. Encourages refusing employment with companies producing weapons and despising those who support such tools **In simple terms:** Refuse to work for weapon makers and reject their supporters Key Takeaway Choose ethical employment and speak against harmful industries Themes ethics responsibility activism Mood determined concerned Type ethical activist When to use this quote - job search - activist campaigning - consumer choices - public speaking Key Concepts moral philosophy social conscience Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance livelihood with conscience? - What actions can individuals take to oppose harmful industries? A Different Perspective Some may argue economic survival outweighs moral stance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contempt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contempt/) ## Related quotes > [We are all shot through with enough motives to make a massacre, any day of the week that we want to give them their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/we-are-all-shot-through-with-enough-motives-to-make-a-massacre-any/) [Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/) > [The media has contempt for people that voted for Trump. They have no desire to understand who they are. They already think they know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-media-has-contempt-for-people-that-voted-for-trump-they-have-no/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't hold any contempt for people who are practicing law. I know how hard it is, I know how hard they work, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/i-don-t-hold-any-contempt-for-people-who-are-practicing-law-i-know/) [Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/) > [I hate going to L.A. and dealing with the contempt people have for television and television actors. Its unbelievable the kind of attitude people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/i-hate-going-to-l-a-and-dealing-with-the-contempt-people-have-for/) [Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/) > [I have been brought up and trained to have the utmost contempt for people who get drunk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-have-been-brought-up-and-trained-to-have-the-utmost-contempt-for/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Contempt for happiness is usually contempt for other people's happiness, and is an elegant disguise for hatred of the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/contempt-for-happiness-is-usually-contempt-for-other-people-s/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The people whose necks hurt when I write about the Middle East tend to live in Brooklyn or Boca Raton: the kind of Zionist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/the-people-whose-necks-hurt-when-i-write-about-the-middle-east-tend/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [I had been brought up and trained to have the utmost contempt for people who got drunk - and I would have liked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-had-been-brought-up-and-trained-to-have-the-utmost-contempt-for/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“Why? Why this unreasonable anger at the sight of others who are happy or content, this growing contempt for people and the desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/why-why-this-unreasonable-anger-at-the-sight-of-others-who-are-happy/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [You know, I've been around the ruling class all my life, and I've been quite aware of their total contempt for the people of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/you-know-i-ve-been-around-the-ruling-class-all-my-life-and-i-ve-been/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I hate going to L.A. and dealing with the contempt people have for television and television actors. It's unbelievable the kind of attitude people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/i-hate-going-to-l-a-and-dealing-with-the-contempt-people-have-for-2/) [Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/) > [“I feel absolutely no loyalty to Serbian, Croatian, or Bosnian national causes. I have no other emotion but utter contempt for people who helped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrej-gruba-i/i-feel-absolutely-no-loyalty-to-serbian-croatian-or-bosnian-national/) [Andrej Grubačić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrej-gruba-i/) > [I have a deep-seated distrust and even contempt for people who are driven by ambition to conquer the world … those who cannot control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-leiter/i-have-a-deep-seated-distrust-and-even-contempt-for-people-who-are/) [Saul Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-leiter/) > [“The article is about what you’d expect: one third contempt for people who take religion seriously (except as a cudgel to shame conservatives), one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-j-o-meara/the-article-is-about-what-you-d-expect-one-third-contempt-for-people/) [James J. O'Meara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-j-o-meara/) > [“Originality breeds contempt. People will be jealous (in other words, 'hate') and the first thing out of their mouth is 'they don't get it'.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-aaron-burkes/originality-breeds-contempt-people-will-be-jealous-in-other-words/) [Corey Aaron Burkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-aaron-burkes/) ## 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 Contempt quotes > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [The contempt for law and the contempt for the human consequences of lawbreaking go from the bottom to the top of American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-contempt-for-law-and-the-contempt-for-the-human-consequences-of/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Our security depends on having good relationships with our allies. Donald Trump mainly shows contempt for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wolfowitz/our-security-depends-on-having-good-relationships-with-our-allies/) [Paul Wolfowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wolfowitz/) > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [There is no real elevation of mind in a contempt of little things; it is, on the contrary, from too narrow views that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/there-is-no-real-elevation-of-mind-in-a-contempt-of-little-things-it/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [Boasting and bravado may exist in the breast even of the coward, if he is successful through a mere lucky hit; but a just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/boasting-and-bravado-may-exist-in-the-breast-even-of-the-coward-if-he/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Somebody once told me that if you laugh at a George Bush joke, or you send an email cartoon to your friends that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/somebody-once-told-me-that-if-you-laugh-at-a-george-bush-joke-or-you/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [Unless a man gives himself entirely to the Cross, in a spirit of humility and self-abasement; unless he casts himself down to be trampled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-the-evangelist/unless-a-man-gives-himself-entirely-to-the-cross-in-a-spirit-of/) [Mark the Evangelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-the-evangelist/) > [Much of the same sort of degraded and filthy talk can still be heard among the orc-minded; dreary and repetitive with hatred and contempt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/much-of-the-same-sort-of-degraded-and-filthy-talk-can-still-be-heard/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Contempt for an assailant is best shown by bravery in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/contempt-for-an-assailant-is-best-shown-by-bravery-in-action/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Statuettes of drunken sailors, velvet pictures of island maidens, plastic seashell lamps made in Taiwan. What contempt the people who think up souvenirs have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-johnson/statuettes-of-drunken-sailors-velvet-pictures-of-island-maidens/) [Diane Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-johnson/) > [Every person of any rank in the left, from voter on up to cabinet member to elected official in the Democrat Party, has contempt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/every-person-of-any-rank-in-the-left-from-voter-on-up-to-cabinet/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Those with a gift for action, for their part, often express contempt for those whose gifts are more reflective. Men of action like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/those-with-a-gift-for-action-for-their-part-often-express-contempt/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [“opprobrious term, employed to impose contempt upon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jabari-asim/opprobrious-term-employed-to-impose-contempt-upon/) [Jabari Asim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jabari-asim/) > [Heterosexual intercourse is the pure, formalized expression of contempt for women's bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/heterosexual-intercourse-is-the-pure-formalized-expression-of/) [Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/) [Browse all 1,034 Contempt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contempt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I have also told them not to work for companies which make massacre machinery, and to express contempt for people who think we need machinery like that.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-have-also-told-them-not-to-work-for-companies-which-make-massacre/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Contempt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-have-also-told-them-not-to-work-for-companies-which-make-massacre/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/kurt-vonnegut-41_contempt_i-have-also-told-them-not-to-work-for-co_306922.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/kurt-vonnegut-41_contempt_i-have-also-told-them-not-to-work-for-co_306922.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/kurt-vonnegut-41_contempt_i-have-also-told-them-not-to-work-for-co_306922.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have also told them not to work for companies which make massacre machinery, and to express contempt for…” — 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": "“I have also told them not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-have-also-told-them-not-to-work-for-companies-which-make-massacre/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-have-also-told-them-not-to-work-for-companies-which-make-massacre/#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 } } ] } ```