--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That I was, in fact, a citizen of nowhere" description: "\"“That I was, in fact, a citizen of nowhere”\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63a/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizen_that-i-was-in-fact-a-citizen-of-nowhere_2845049.jpg" --- # That I was, in fact, a citizen of nowhere ![“That I was, in fact, a citizen of nowhere” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63a/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizen_that-i-was-in-fact-a-citizen-of-nowhere_2845049.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63a/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizen_that-i-was-in-fact-a-citizen-of-nowhere_2845049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63a/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizen_that-i-was-in-fact-a-citizen-of-nowhere_2845049.jpg) > ““That I was, in fact, a citizen of nowhere”” [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. Feeling rootless can stem from a lack of belonging, yet it also offers freedom to define oneself. **In simple terms:** Being a citizen of nowhere means freedom to choose identity. Key Takeaway Embrace freedom to craft your own belonging. Themes identity freedom belonging Mood contemplative hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - travel - remote work - expatriate life - creative pursuits Key Concepts Existentialism self‑definition Questions to Reflect On - How do you create community without a fixed place? - What freedoms does rootlessness grant? A Different Perspective Rootlessness can cause isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizen/) [Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact/) [Fact Citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact-citizen-3752442/) [Passport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passport/) ## Related quotes > [“What is crucial in the true state is not the fact that every citizen has the chance to devote himself to the universal interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/what-is-crucial-in-the-true-state-is-not-the-fact-that-every-citizen/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [I'm just a citizen of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-berwick/i-m-just-a-citizen-of-the-world/) [Jeff Berwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-berwick/) > [I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogenes/i-am-not-an-athenian-or-a-greek-but-a-citizen-of-the-world/) [Diogenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogenes/) > [I am privileged to be a citizen of the single greatest society in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-am-privileged-to-be-a-citizen-of-the-single-greatest-society-in-all/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I am a Citizen of the World, and my Nationality is Goodwill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/i-am-a-citizen-of-the-world-and-my-nationality-is-goodwill/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [I am a citizen of the world first, and of this country at a later and more convenient hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-a-citizen-of-the-world-first-and-of-this-country-at-a-later-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I have an American passport, but I don't always remember I'm an American citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hawley-weld/i-have-an-american-passport-but-i-don-t-always-remember-i-m-an/) [Sophie Hawley-Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hawley-weld/) > [I consider myself a legal citizen of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pavel-durov/i-consider-myself-a-legal-citizen-of-the-world/) [Pavel Durov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pavel-durov/) > [I'm a citizen of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-a-citizen-of-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a Canadian citizen, but I do have a green card.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sami-zayn/i-m-a-canadian-citizen-but-i-do-have-a-green-card/) [Sami Zayn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sami-zayn/) > [I'm a citizen of the republic of empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-lipsyte/i-m-a-citizen-of-the-republic-of-empathy/) [Sam Lipsyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-lipsyte/) > [Asked where he came from, he said, "I am a citizen of the world."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogenes/asked-where-he-came-from-he-said-i-am-a-citizen-of-the-world/) [Diogenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogenes/) > [I consider myself a free man and a citizen of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-depardieu/i-consider-myself-a-free-man-and-a-citizen-of-the-world/) [Gerard Depardieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-depardieu/) > [I'm not an American citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-browder/i-m-not-an-american-citizen/) [Bill Browder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-browder/) > [I am a citizen of the world, known to all and to all a stranger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/i-am-a-citizen-of-the-world-known-to-all-and-to-all-a-stranger/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) ## 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 Citizen quotes > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [I will be a model prisoner, as I have been a model citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-edwards/i-will-be-a-model-prisoner-as-i-have-been-a-model-citizen/) [Edwin Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-edwards/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [I'm less concerned about whether being a good corporate citizen burnishes a company's reputation. That's just an added benefit. I believe it's a responsibility,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-burns/i-m-less-concerned-about-whether-being-a-good-corporate-citizen/) [Ursula Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-burns/) > [As a citizen, hopefully I'm humanist. As an artist, I'm free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/as-a-citizen-hopefully-i-m-humanist-as-an-artist-i-m-free/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [The typical American citizen is the business man. The typical business man is a bad citizen; he is busy. If he is a 'big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-steffens/the-typical-american-citizen-is-the-business-man-the-typical-business/) [Lincoln Steffens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-steffens/) > [I am here, a citizen of this country, and I'm saying, 'Hey, the system failed me. I am a good citizen. I contribute to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-am-here-a-citizen-of-this-country-and-i-m-saying-hey-the-system/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [“An anarchist government somehow creates an impression in the hearts of citizens that no one cares.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-anarchist-government-somehow-creates-an-impression-in-the-hearts/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [If the many allegations made to this date are true, then the burglars who broke into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/if-the-many-allegations-made-to-this-date-are-true-then-the-burglars/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [Individuality is the aim of political liberty. By leaving to the citizen as much freedom of action and of being as comports with order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/individuality-is-the-aim-of-political-liberty-by-leaving-to-the/) [James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/) > [Up until the point that you're a citizen, we wanna continue to make sure we understand who you are and why you're here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirstjen-nielsen/up-until-the-point-that-you-re-a-citizen-we-wanna-continue-to-make/) [Kirstjen Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirstjen-nielsen/) > [To be a good citizen, it's important to be able to put yourself in other people's shoes and see the big picture. If everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-pariser/to-be-a-good-citizen-it-s-important-to-be-able-to-put-yourself-in/) [Eli Pariser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-pariser/) > [“I am a citizen of this country,” I declare, “and Mr. Mayor, tonight I will be a citizen of this city when I put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/i-am-a-citizen-of-this-country-i-declare-and-mr-mayor-tonight-i-will/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [“In a country of ideas, consciousness is its' citizen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/in-a-country-of-ideas-consciousness-is-its-citizen/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“I have no country to fight for; my country is the earth; I am a citizen of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-debs/i-have-no-country-to-fight-for-my-country-is-the-earth-i-am-a-citizen/) [Eugene V. Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-debs/) [Browse all 464 Citizen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizen/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That I was, in fact, a citizen of nowhere”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/that-i-was-in-fact-a-citizen-of-nowhere/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Citizen" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/that-i-was-in-fact-a-citizen-of-nowhere/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63a/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizen_that-i-was-in-fact-a-citizen-of-nowhere_2845049.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63a/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizen_that-i-was-in-fact-a-citizen-of-nowhere_2845049.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63a/kurt-vonnegut-41_citizen_that-i-was-in-fact-a-citizen-of-nowhere_2845049.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That I was, in fact, a citizen of nowhere” — 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": "“That I was, in fact, a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/that-i-was-in-fact-a-citizen-of-nowhere/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/that-i-was-in-fact-a-citizen-of-nowhere/#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 } } ] } ```