--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It appeared to the Elders that the people…" description: "\"It appeared to the Elders that the people here would believe anything about themselves, no matter how preposterous, as long as it was flattering. To ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/kurt-vonnegut-41_animal_it-appeared-to-the-elders-that-the-peopl_429771.jpg" --- # It appeared to the Elders that the people here would… ![“It appeared to the Elders that the people here would believe anything about themselves, no matter how preposterous, as long as it was flattering. To make sure of this, they performed an experiment. They put the idea into Earthlings' heads that the whole Universe had been created by one big animal…” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/kurt-vonnegut-41_animal_it-appeared-to-the-elders-that-the-peopl_429771.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/kurt-vonnegut-41_animal_it-appeared-to-the-elders-that-the-peopl_429771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/kurt-vonnegut-41_animal_it-appeared-to-the-elders-that-the-peopl_429771.jpg) > “It appeared to the Elders that the people here would believe anything about themselves, no matter how preposterous, as long as it was flattering. To make sure of this, they performed an experiment. They put the idea into Earthlings' heads that the whole Universe had been created by one big animal who looked just like them. He sat on a throne with a lot of less fancy thrones all around him. When people died they got to sit on those other thrones forever because they were such close relatives of the Creator. The people down here just ate that up!” [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. People readily accept flattering myths, even absurd ones, when they reinforce self‑image. **In simple terms:** Flattering lies are easily believed. Key Takeaway Question the narratives you accept. Themes belief flattery mythmaking Mood critical skeptical Type philosophical satirical When to use this quote - political propaganda - marketing - personal relationships Key Concepts cognitive bias social influence Questions to Reflect On - Why do we prefer flattering stories? - How can we test the truth of comforting myths? A Different Perspective Blind acceptance can hinder critical thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Appeared Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appeared-elders-3789927/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Creator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creator/) [Earthlings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earthlings-284629/) [Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elders/) [Elders People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elders-people-3789928/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Fancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fancy/) [Flattering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattering/) [Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forever/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-believe/) [Sat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sat/) [Thrones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrones/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-created/) ## Related quotes > [“It would take another Earthling to explain it to you. Earthlings are the great explainers, explaining why the event is structured as it is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/it-would-take-another-earthling-to-explain-it-to-you-earthlings-are-2/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The Earthlings behaved at all times as though there were a big eye in the sky—as though that big eye were ravenous for entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-earthlings-behaved-at-all-times-as-though-there-were-a-big-eye-in/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Tralfamadorians, of course, say that every living creature and plant in the Universe is a machine. it amuses them that so many Earthlings are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/tralfamadorians-of-course-say-that-every-living-creature-and-plant-in/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The Earthlings did very well on paper. That was part of the rigging, of course. And religion got mixed up in it, too. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-earthlings-did-very-well-on-paper-that-was-part-of-the-rigging-of/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [That's one thing Earthlings might learn to do, if they tried hard enough: Ignore the awful times and concentrate on the good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/that-s-one-thing-earthlings-might-learn-to-do-if-they-tried-hard/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I have never really got used to being on this earth. Sometimes I think our presence here is due to a cosmic blunder, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-banville/i-have-never-really-got-used-to-being-on-this-earth-sometimes-i-think/) [John Banville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-banville/) > [“We're all Earthlings so Be kind to each other”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debby-feo/we-re-all-earthlings-so-be-kind-to-each-other/) [Debby Feo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debby-feo/) > [Ultimately, we actually all belong to only one tribe, to Earthlings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-tarter/ultimately-we-actually-all-belong-to-only-one-tribe-to-earthlings/) [Jill Tarter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-tarter/) > [To survive as a species on this planet, we're going to have to see ourselves as Earthlings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/to-survive-as-a-species-on-this-planet-we-re-going-to-have-to-see/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [Earthlings are confused, insecure. And some Earthlings have no heritage: that's what leads them to kill each other and rob 7-11 stores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-dale/earthlings-are-confused-insecure-and-some-earthlings-have-no-heritage/) [Dick Dale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-dale/) > [We need to radically and intelligently reduce human populations to fewer than one billion. We need to eliminate nationalism and tribalism and become Earthlings.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/we-need-to-radically-and-intelligently-reduce-human-populations-to/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [Earthlings went on being friendly, when they should have been thinking instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/earthlings-went-on-being-friendly-when-they-should-have-been-thinking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [First and foremost we are Earthlings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-may/first-and-foremost-we-are-earthlings/) [Elizabeth May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-may/) > [Mars is far more attractive as an outpost colony for earthlings than the moon is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/mars-is-far-more-attractive-as-an-outpost-colony-for-earthlings-than/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [Happy Earth Day fellow Earthlings! That we exist at all is rarity. I am reminded every living thing here is part of this fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-earth-day-fellow-earthlings-that-we-exist-at-all-is-rarity-i-am/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## 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 Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/) [Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It appeared to the Elders that the people here would believe anything about themselves, no matter how preposterous, as long as it was flattering. To make sure of this, they performed an experiment. They put the idea into Earthlings' heads that the whole Universe had been created by one big animal who looked just like them. He sat on a throne with a lot of less fancy thrones all around him. When people died they got to sit on those other thrones forever because they were such close relatives of the Creator. The people down here just ate that up!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/it-appeared-to-the-elders-that-the-people-here-would-believe-anything/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/it-appeared-to-the-elders-that-the-people-here-would-believe-anything/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/kurt-vonnegut-41_animal_it-appeared-to-the-elders-that-the-peopl_429771.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/kurt-vonnegut-41_animal_it-appeared-to-the-elders-that-the-peopl_429771.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/kurt-vonnegut-41_animal_it-appeared-to-the-elders-that-the-peopl_429771.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It appeared to the Elders that the people here would believe anything about themselves, no matter how…” — 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": "It appeared to the Elders that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/it-appeared-to-the-elders-that-the-people-here-would-believe-anything/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/it-appeared-to-the-elders-that-the-people-here-would-believe-anything/#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 } } ] } ```