--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would not be interested in writing if I…" description: "\"I would not be interested in writing if I didn't feel that what I wrote was an act of good citizenship or an attempt, at any rate, to be a good citizen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizenship_i-would-not-be-interested-in-writing-if_3097628.jpg" --- # I would not be interested in writing if I didn't feel that… ![“I would not be interested in writing if I didn't feel that what I wrote was an act of good citizenship or an attempt, at any rate, to be a good citizen.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizenship_i-would-not-be-interested-in-writing-if_3097628.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizenship_i-would-not-be-interested-in-writing-if_3097628.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizenship_i-would-not-be-interested-in-writing-if_3097628.jpg) > “I would not be interested in writing if I didn't feel that what I wrote was an act of good citizenship or an attempt, at any rate, to be a good citizen.” [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. He writes only when he believes his work serves the public good and reflects civic responsibility. **In simple terms:** Writing should serve society. Key Takeaway Write with purpose and civic intent. Themes civic duty writing responsibility Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - journalism - community activism - educational essays Key Concepts ethics public service literary purpose Questions to Reflect On - How does your work contribute to community? - Can art influence civic values? A Different Perspective Writing may not always change policy directly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Citizenship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizenship/) [Citizenship Attempt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizenship-attempt-5353759/) [Didn Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-feel/) [Feel Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-wrote-2853431/) [Good citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-citizen/) [Good citizenship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-citizenship/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-didn-419431/) ## Related quotes > [I consider writing an act of good citizenship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-consider-writing-an-act-of-good-citizenship/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [For me, how I feel about what I wrote down turns into a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geddy-lee/for-me-how-i-feel-about-what-i-wrote-down-turns-into-a-song/) [Geddy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geddy-lee/) > [Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts itself off from its youth severs its lifeline; it is condemned to bleed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/young-people-must-be-included-from-birth-a-society-that-cuts-itself-2/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [The real breeders of discontent and alien doctrines of government and philosophies subversive of good citizenship are such as these who take the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-lewis/the-real-breeders-of-discontent-and-alien-doctrines-of-government-and/) [John L. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-lewis/) > [Applied good taste is a mark of good citizenship. Ugliness is a from of anarchy.. ugly cities, ugly advertising, ugly lives produce bad citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-beall/applied-good-taste-is-a-mark-of-good-citizenship-ugliness-is-a-from/) [Lester Beall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-beall/) > [Certainly I'm participating in an already established and awesome tradition, but it's a tradition that sort of shoots up and through the mainstream in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lidia-yuknavitch/certainly-i-m-participating-in-an-already-established-and-awesome/) [Lidia Yuknavitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lidia-yuknavitch/) > [The Society or Fraternity of Freemasons is more in the nature of a system of Philosophy or of moral and social virtues taught by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-howard-taft/the-society-or-fraternity-of-freemasons-is-more-in-the-nature-of-a/) [William Howard Taft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-howard-taft/) > [At the 1894 ALA conference it was fairly well agreed that the primary goal of the public library must be to teach good citizenship.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mattson/at-the-1894-ala-conference-it-was-fairly-well-agreed-that-the-primary/) [Kevin Mattson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mattson/) > [Good citizenship and defending democracy means living up to the ideals and values that make this country great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/good-citizenship-and-defending-democracy-means-living-up-to-the/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The test of good citizenship is loyalty to country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bainbridge-colby/the-test-of-good-citizenship-is-loyalty-to-country/) [Bainbridge Colby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bainbridge-colby/) > [I have long had a tendency to tie marksmanship to morality. The essence of good marksmanship is self-control, and self-control is the essence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/i-have-long-had-a-tendency-to-tie-marksmanship-to-morality-the/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [There are so many intellectual and moral angels battling for rationalism, good citizenship, and pure spirituality; so many and such eminent ones, so very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/there-are-so-many-intellectual-and-moral-angels-battling-for/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [There is no patent recipe for getting good citizenship. You get it by applying the old, old rules of decent conduct, the rules in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-is-no-patent-recipe-for-getting-good-citizenship-you-get-it-by/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [In the future, we will play games while floating naked in a tank of warm, sensory-depriving gelatin. Games will be distributed chemically, into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/in-the-future-we-will-play-games-while-floating-naked-in-a-tank-of/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [... happily the Government of the United States... gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/happily-the-government-of-the-united-states-gives-to-bigotry-no/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) ## 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 Citizenship quotes > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [If you don't plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-arthur/if-you-don-t-plan-to-live-the-christian-life-totally-committed-to/) [Kay Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-arthur/) > [Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in bonds of fraternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/let-us-at-all-times-remember-that-all-american-citizens-are-brothers/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [There can be a debate on the Citizenship Amendment Act, but why should we shelter someone who has come to India illegally from outside?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-thackeray/there-can-be-a-debate-on-the-citizenship-amendment-act-but-why-should/) [Raj Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-thackeray/) > [Motherland is our property and we have right to handle our properties as pleased. The jokes about death for the sake of the motherland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/motherland-is-our-property-and-we-have-right-to-handle-our-properties/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Your best friends are your principles, if you havent them, dont look for another friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/your-best-friends-are-your-principles-if-you-havent-them-dont-look/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [The point I wish plainly to bring before you on this occasion is the individuality of each human soul--our Protestant idea, the right of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/the-point-i-wish-plainly-to-bring-before-you-on-this-occasion-is-the/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [A strong saying is not afraid of criticism, because it includes all the answers to criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/a-strong-saying-is-not-afraid-of-criticism-because-it-includes-all/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [“Encouraging Robert E. Lee to take a job as college president, "You might be presenting to the world in such a position an example…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-nelson-pendleton/encouraging-robert-e-lee-to-take-a-job-as-college-president-you-might/) [William Nelson Pendleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-nelson-pendleton/) > [“What constitutes an American? Not color nor race nor religion. Not the pedigree of his family nor the place of his birth. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ickes/what-constitutes-an-american-not-color-nor-race-nor-religion-not-the/) [Harold Ickes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ickes/) > [In an age of interdependence, global citizenship - based on trust and sense of shared responsibility - is a crucial pillar of progress. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/in-an-age-of-interdependence-global-citizenship-based-on-trust-and/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Strengthening our identity is one way of reinforcing people's confidence and sense of citizenship and well-being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/strengthening-our-identity-is-one-way-of-reinforcing-people-s/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/we-are-not-to-simply-bandage-the-wounds-of-victims-beneath-the-wheels/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) [Browse all 793 Citizenship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizenship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I would not be interested in writing if I didn't feel that what I wrote was an act of good citizenship or an attempt, at any rate, to be a good citizen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-would-not-be-interested-in-writing-if-i-didn-t-feel-that-what-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Citizenship" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-would-not-be-interested-in-writing-if-i-didn-t-feel-that-what-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizenship_i-would-not-be-interested-in-writing-if_3097628.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizenship_i-would-not-be-interested-in-writing-if_3097628.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizenship_i-would-not-be-interested-in-writing-if_3097628.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I would not be interested in writing if I didn't feel that what I wrote was an act of good citizenship or an…” — 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 would not be interested in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-would-not-be-interested-in-writing-if-i-didn-t-feel-that-what-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-would-not-be-interested-in-writing-if-i-didn-t-feel-that-what-i/#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 } } ] } ```