--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only nut cases want to be president. This…" description: "\"Only nut cases want to be president. This was true even in high school. Only clearly disturbed people ran for class president.\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49b/kurt-vonnegut-41_cases_only-nut-cases-want-to-be-president-this_3043033.jpg" --- # Only nut cases want to be president. This was true even in… ![“Only nut cases want to be president. This was true even in high school. Only clearly disturbed people ran for class president.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49b/kurt-vonnegut-41_cases_only-nut-cases-want-to-be-president-this_3043033.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49b/kurt-vonnegut-41_cases_only-nut-cases-want-to-be-president-this_3043033.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49b/kurt-vonnegut-41_cases_only-nut-cases-want-to-be-president-this_3043033.jpg) > “Only nut cases want to be president. This was true even in high school. Only clearly disturbed people ran for class president.” [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. The speaker suggests that only those with unstable or extreme personalities seek leadership positions, even in trivial settings like school. **In simple terms:** Only unstable people aim for president roles. Key Takeaway Avoid seeking power for its own sake. Themes leadership psychology social dynamics Mood cynical critical Type observational satirical When to use this quote - school elections - political campaigns - organizational leadership Key Concepts authority instability motivation Questions to Reflect On - What drives people to seek leadership? - Can unstable traits be beneficial in leadership? A Different Perspective Not all leaders are incompetent; some are competent despite quirks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Class president](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class-president/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [There is a tragic flaw in our precious constitution, and I don't know what can be done to fix it. This is it: Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-is-a-tragic-flaw-in-our-precious-constitution-and-i-don-t-know/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [In the days when I used to tweet, I would encounter comments wishing death upon me. There were people who claimed they were sticking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andie-macdowell/in-the-days-when-i-used-to-tweet-i-would-encounter-comments-wishing/) [Andie MacDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andie-macdowell/) > [It's a folk singers job to comfort disturbed people and to disturb comfortable people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-guthrie/it-s-a-folk-singers-job-to-comfort-disturbed-people-and-to-disturb/) [Woody Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-guthrie/) > [We have, for whatever the reason, disturbed people... who sometimes do terrible, violent things, and sometimes those of us who serve in elected positions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brewer/we-have-for-whatever-the-reason-disturbed-people-who-sometimes-do/) [Jan Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brewer/) > [I think most people, in their lifetime, have seen somebody who has the ability to use force lord it over other individuals. I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-most-people-in-their-lifetime-have-seen-somebody-who-has-the/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [If I am no longer disturbed myself, I will deal less with disturbed people and with violent material. I don't regret having concerned myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/if-i-am-no-longer-disturbed-myself-i-will-deal-less-with-disturbed-2/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [I'm more disturbed when people expect me to be serious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-trillin/i-m-more-disturbed-when-people-expect-me-to-be-serious/) [Calvin Trillin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-trillin/) > [The percentage of mentally disturbed people in the United States is very high. 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But, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/early-on-i-played-one-or-two-disturbed-people-and-i-guess-i-must-have/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I was class president, on the cheerleading squad, in a competitive show choir, and in, like, six different clubs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lively/i-was-class-president-on-the-cheerleading-squad-in-a-competitive-show/) [Blake Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lively/) ## 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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