--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It didn't matter much what Dwayne said…" description: "\"“It didn't matter much what Dwayne said. It hadn't mattered much for years. It didn't matter much what most people in Midland City said out loud, excep..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/kurt-vonnegut-41_black-person_it-didn-t-matter-much-what-dwayne-said-i_2447085.jpg" --- # It didn't matter much what Dwayne said. It hadn't mattered… ![“It didn't matter much what Dwayne said. It hadn't mattered much for years. It didn't matter much what most people in Midland City said out loud, except when they were talking about money or structures or travel or machinery - or other measurable thins. Every person had a clearly defined part to…” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/kurt-vonnegut-41_black-person_it-didn-t-matter-much-what-dwayne-said-i_2447085.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/kurt-vonnegut-41_black-person_it-didn-t-matter-much-what-dwayne-said-i_2447085.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e35/kurt-vonnegut-41_black-person_it-didn-t-matter-much-what-dwayne-said-i_2447085.jpg) > ““It didn't matter much what Dwayne said. It hadn't mattered much for years. It didn't matter much what most people in Midland City said out loud, except when they were talking about money or structures or travel or machinery - or other measurable thins. Every person had a clearly defined part to play - as a black person, a female high school drop-out, a Pontiac dealer, a gynecologist, a gas-conversion burner installer. If a person stopped living up to expectations, because of bad chemicals or one thing or another, everybody went on imagining that the person was living up to expectations anyway. That was the main reason the people in Midland City were so slow to detect insanity in their associates. Their imaginations insisted that nobody changed much from day to day. Their imaginations were flywheels on the ramshackle machinery of awful truth.”” [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 cling to fixed roles and ignore signs of mental decline, assuming continuity despite evidence. **In simple terms:** People ignore mental decline, assuming roles stay the same. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about others' mental health. Themes social roles denial mental health community perception stigma Mood reflective critical concerned Type observational analytical cautionary When to use this quote - workplace - family gatherings - neighborhood watch - healthcare settings Key Concepts identity cognitive bias social conformity Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize subtle changes in someone's behavior? - What biases prevent you from seeing mental health issues? A Different Perspective Assumes everyone fits neatly into stereotypes, overlooking individual complexity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-person/) [Day to day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-to-day/) [Didn Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-matter/) [Dwayne Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dwayne-said-537918/) [Hadn Mattered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hadn-mattered-537919/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Matter People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter-people/) [People Midland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-midland-537917/) ## Related quotes > [“It didn’t matter much what Dwayne said. It hadn’t mattered much for years. It didn’t matter much what most people in Midland City said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/it-didn-t-matter-much-what-dwayne-said-it-hadn-t-mattered-much-for/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Can I ask you something weird?” Dwayne inquired. “Does it pertain?” “Yes.” “Fine, but hurry. I’m due in the agency in ten.” “Don’t speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-peterman/can-i-ask-you-something-weird-dwayne-inquired-does-it-pertain-yes/) [Robyn Peterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-peterman/) > [People in Midland are real nice folks: I can't prove that with statistics, but I know West Texas, and it's just a fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/people-in-midland-are-real-nice-folks-i-can-t-prove-that-with/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Imagine what you'd do if it absolutely didn't matter what people thought of you. Got it? Good. 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The only thing that matters is that you are happy with who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-doesn-t-matter-what-other-people-think-about-you-the-only-thing/) [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. 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Every person had a clearly defined part to play - as a black person, a female high school drop-out, a Pontiac dealer, a gynecologist, a gas-conversion burner installer. If a person stopped living up to expectations, because of bad chemicals or one thing or another, everybody went on imagining that the person was living up to expectations anyway. That was the main reason the people in Midland City were so slow to detect insanity in their associates. Their imaginations insisted that nobody changed much from day to day. 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