--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This world is not a vale of sorrows if…" description: "\"This world is not a vale of sorrows if you will recognize discriminatingly what is truly excellent in it; and if you will avail yourself of it for mutu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/kurt-vonnegut-41_action_this-world-is-not-a-vale-of-sorrows-if-y_1988541.jpg" --- # This world is not a vale of sorrows if you will recognize… ![“This world is not a vale of sorrows if you will recognize discriminatingly what is truly excellent in it; and if you will avail yourself of it for mutual happiness and well-being. Therefore, let us explain as often as possible, and particularly at the departure of life, that we base our faith on…” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/kurt-vonnegut-41_action_this-world-is-not-a-vale-of-sorrows-if-y_1988541.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/kurt-vonnegut-41_action_this-world-is-not-a-vale-of-sorrows-if-y_1988541.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/kurt-vonnegut-41_action_this-world-is-not-a-vale-of-sorrows-if-y_1988541.jpg) > “This world is not a vale of sorrows if you will recognize discriminatingly what is truly excellent in it; and if you will avail yourself of it for mutual happiness and well-being. Therefore, let us explain as often as possible, and particularly at the departure of life, that we base our faith on firm foundations, on Truth for putting into action our ideas which do not depend on fables and ideas which Science has long ago proven to be false.” [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. True excellence is found by discerning reality and acting on it, not on myths. **In simple terms:** Seek truth, act on it. Key Takeaway Base actions on verified truth. Themes truth excellence science Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education reform - policy making - personal decision‑making - scientific research Key Concepts Epistemology ethics philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What truths guide your daily choices? - How can you balance truth with compassion? A Different Perspective Truth alone may not inspire action without emotional appeal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Base Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/base-faith-3434873/) [Departure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/departure/) [Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depends/) [Excellent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellent/) [Fables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fables/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Firm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firm/) [Firm foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firm-foundation/) [Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foundation/) [Foundations Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foundations-truth-471050/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [Mutual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutual/) [Proven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proven/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [This world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-world/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Putting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-putting-906684/) [Well being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well-being/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Be aware of this truth that the people on this earth could be joyous, if only they would live rationally and if they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/be-aware-of-this-truth-that-the-people-on-this-earth-could-be-joyous/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Mistakes are, after all, the foundations of truth, and if a man does not know what a thing is, it is at least an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mistakes-are-after-all-the-foundations-of-truth-and-if-a-man-does-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Faith is so rare-and religion so common-because no one wants to live between first base and second base. 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The main thing is that I saw both what was being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-heartfield/there-are-a-lot-of-things-that-got-me-into-working-with-photos-the/) [John Heartfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-heartfield/) > [A lie travels round the world while truth is putting her boots on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/a-lie-travels-round-the-world-while-truth-is-putting-her-boots-on/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-lie-can-travel-half-way-around-the-world-while-the-truth-is-putting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A lie can travel half way 'round the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-flinn/a-lie-can-travel-half-way-round-the-world-while-the-truth-is-still/) [Alex Flinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-flinn/) > [What does it mean to live in truth? Putting it negatively is easy enough: it means not lying, not hiding, and not dissimulating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/what-does-it-mean-to-live-in-truth-putting-it-negatively-is-easy/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [A lie travels round the world, while Truth is putting on her boots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon-2/a-lie-travels-round-the-world-while-truth-is-putting-on-her-boots/) [Charles H Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon-2/) > [“A falsehood can run around the world while the truth is still putting its shoes on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bennett/a-falsehood-can-run-around-the-world-while-the-truth-is-still-putting/) [Bill Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bennett/) > [A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-lie-can-travel-halfway-around-the-world-while-the-truth-is-putting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lie can travel half-way around the world, while the truth is still putting on it's shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-lie-can-travel-half-way-around-the-world-while-the-truth-is-still/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“Look for light Listen for inspiration on the wind Let water cleanse your soul Set yourself on a firm foundation Serve as the plants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anasazi-foundation/look-for-light-listen-for-inspiration-on-the-wind-let-water-cleanse/) [Anasazi Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anasazi-foundation/) ## 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. 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