--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No matter how corrupt, greedy, and…" description: "\"No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious & charitable institutions may become, the m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/kurt-vonnegut-41_charitable_no-matter-how-corrupt-greedy-and-heartle_1021464.jpg" --- # No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our… ![“No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious & charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/kurt-vonnegut-41_charitable_no-matter-how-corrupt-greedy-and-heartle_1021464.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/kurt-vonnegut-41_charitable_no-matter-how-corrupt-greedy-and-heartle_1021464.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/kurt-vonnegut-41_charitable_no-matter-how-corrupt-greedy-and-heartle_1021464.jpg) > “No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious & charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful.” [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. Even when institutions corrupt, music remains a source of beauty and hope. **In simple terms:** Music endures despite societal decay. Key Takeaway Seek solace in music when disillusioned. Themes art corruption hope Mood hopeful defiant Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political protest - personal healing - community gatherings - media critique Key Concepts aesthetic resilience cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - How does music inspire resistance? - What role should art play in activism? A Different Perspective Music can be co-opted by the same corrupt forces. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Charitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charitable/) [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Corrupt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corrupt/) [Corrupt Greedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corrupt-greedy-2279645/) [Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Greedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greedy/) [Heartless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heartless/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Institutions Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions-music-2279646/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-wonderful-1454444/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) ## Related quotes > [“No matter how corrupt or greedy our government is, our corporations, our media, our religious and charitable institutions may come, the music will still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr/no-matter-how-corrupt-or-greedy-our-government-is-our-corporations/) [Kurt Vonnegut Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr/) > [“Life sometimes reminds us that it is sometimes heartless by giving something or someone we really need to someone who does not need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/life-sometimes-reminds-us-that-it-is-sometimes-heartless-by-giving/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Music is a wonderful way of getting in touch with the stillness within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/music-is-a-wonderful-way-of-getting-in-touch-with-the-stillness-within/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [That really was a lot of the appeal of 'Rumours.' The music was wonderful, but the music was also authentic because it was two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/that-really-was-a-lot-of-the-appeal-of-rumours-the-music-was/) [Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/) > [Music is wonderful. Especially if there's some kind of content to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-harry/music-is-wonderful-especially-if-there-s-some-kind-of-content-to-it/) [Debbie Harry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-harry/) > [The power of music is a wonderful thing. It can make us happy, make us cry. It can make us forget and make us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-stansfield/the-power-of-music-is-a-wonderful-thing-it-can-make-us-happy-make-us/) [Lisa Stansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-stansfield/) > [Music is a wonderful way of healing and helping get through things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-wilson/music-is-a-wonderful-way-of-healing-and-helping-get-through-things/) [Cindy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-wilson/) > [The power of live music is vast. Live music is a wonderful way to spend some time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/the-power-of-live-music-is-vast-live-music-is-a-wonderful-way-to/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Creating music is a wonderful way to celebrate our devotion for Lord Shiva.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amish-tripathi/creating-music-is-a-wonderful-way-to-celebrate-our-devotion-for-lord/) [Amish Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amish-tripathi/) > [That's why I love playing shows, you've got thousands of people sharing their personal passion for the music with each other, it's such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/that-s-why-i-love-playing-shows-you-ve-got-thousands-of-people/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [I know that people think of me in terms of Latin music and that's wonderful, that's my heritage, that's who I am, but there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/i-know-that-people-think-of-me-in-terms-of-latin-music-and-that-s/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) > [When I had my television show, 'Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters,' it was my high hope to convert people to country music. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mandrell/when-i-had-my-television-show-barbara-mandrell-and-the-mandrell/) [Barbara Mandrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mandrell/) > [The chief weapon of sea pirates, however, was their capacity to astonish. Nobody else could believe, until it was too late, how heartless and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-chief-weapon-of-sea-pirates-however-was-their-capacity-to/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Capitalists have done more good for society through their charitable giving, philanthropy and generosity than all their critics combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/capitalists-have-done-more-good-for-society-through-their-charitable/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Businesses acting as businesses, not as charitable donors, are the most powerful force for addressing the pressing issues society face(s)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-elumelu/businesses-acting-as-businesses-not-as-charitable-donors-are-the-most/) [Tony Elumelu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-elumelu/) ## 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 Charitable quotes > [Businesses acting as businesses, not as charitable donors, are the most powerful force for addressing the pressing issues society face(s)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-elumelu/businesses-acting-as-businesses-not-as-charitable-donors-are-the-most/) [Tony Elumelu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-elumelu/) > [Capitalists have done more good for society through their charitable giving, philanthropy and generosity than all their critics combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/capitalists-have-done-more-good-for-society-through-their-charitable/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Companies are not charitable enterprises: They hire workers to make profits. In the United States, this logic still works. In Europe, it hardly does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/companies-are-not-charitable-enterprises-they-hire-workers-to-make/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [The highest perfection of politeness is only a beautiful edifice, built, from the base to the dome, of ungraceful and gilded forms of charitable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-highest-perfection-of-politeness-is-only-a-beautiful-edifice/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Though the world may often appear to be more charitable than the church, it is crucial to remember that, for the church, the care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/though-the-world-may-often-appear-to-be-more-charitable-than-the/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [I am involved with so many charitable organizations. Lung Cancer because of my dad, Breast Cancer because as a woman and mother of two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-robbins/i-am-involved-with-so-many-charitable-organizations-lung-cancer/) [Lois Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-robbins/) > [As different as we are from one another, as unique as each one of us is, we are much more the same than we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/as-different-as-we-are-from-one-another-as-unique-as-each-one-of-us/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [Nowhere is wisdom more necessary than in the guidance of charitable impulses. Meaning well is only half our duty; Thinking right is the other,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gridley-howe/nowhere-is-wisdom-more-necessary-than-in-the-guidance-of-charitable/) [Samuel Gridley Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gridley-howe/) > [Our Heavenly Father is far more merciful, infinitely more charitable, than even the best of his servants, and the Everlasting Gospel is mightier in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-f-whitney/our-heavenly-father-is-far-more-merciful-infinitely-more-charitable/) [Orson F. Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-f-whitney/) > [ I mean, I think it would humanize Hillary \[Clinton\] incredibly to detail how she was involved in the family charitable organization. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-mean-i-think-it-would-humanize-hillary-clinton-incredibly-to-detail/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The Bush administration, they had two blue ribbon commissions about infrastructure finance that recommended a lot more money, and additionally the gas tax being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-lahood/the-bush-administration-they-had-two-blue-ribbon-commissions-about/) [Ray LaHood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-lahood/) > [Many people are alienated by faceless bureaucracy and what they see as an erosion of participatory democracy. Consequently, there has been a revival of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-prochaska/many-people-are-alienated-by-faceless-bureaucracy-and-what-they-see/) [Frank Prochaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-prochaska/) > [I have formed the Mahendra Singh Dhoni Charitable Trust which organises cricket tournaments in Jharkhand to identify promising cricketers so that we can help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahendra-singh-dhoni/i-have-formed-the-mahendra-singh-dhoni-charitable-trust-which/) [Mahendra Singh Dhoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahendra-singh-dhoni/) > [I have always seen the Clinton Foundation - yes, they do a lot of charitable good works. But by my lights, the charitable good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/i-have-always-seen-the-clinton-foundation-yes-they-do-a-lot-of/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [September 11 is one of our worst days but it brought out the best in us. It unified us as a country and showed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-alexander/september-11-is-one-of-our-worst-days-but-it-brought-out-the-best-in/) [Lamar Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-alexander/) [Browse all 293 Charitable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charitable/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious & charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/no-matter-how-corrupt-greedy-and-heartless-our-government-our/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Charitable" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/no-matter-how-corrupt-greedy-and-heartless-our-government-our/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/kurt-vonnegut-41_charitable_no-matter-how-corrupt-greedy-and-heartle_1021464.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/kurt-vonnegut-41_charitable_no-matter-how-corrupt-greedy-and-heartle_1021464.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/kurt-vonnegut-41_charitable_no-matter-how-corrupt-greedy-and-heartle_1021464.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious…” — 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": "No matter how corrupt, greedy, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/no-matter-how-corrupt-greedy-and-heartless-our-government-our/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/no-matter-how-corrupt-greedy-and-heartless-our-government-our/#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 } } ] } ```