This is a great sentiment in the age of “AI is going to eat all labor.” I’d like to know how to dance around and see cute babies while keeping a roof over my head when there’s 80% unemployment tho.
I think its very important to recognize that, in times of war, life does not stop. Vonnegut was literally a soldier and was there during the bombing of Dresden. This man had seen shit and still was so extremely whimsical and mindful.
Another quote I often think about, and I don’t know who said it beyond a member of the gay community during the height of the AIDS crisis: “during the day we fought, and during the night we danced”
The world has always been horrifying, you have to narrow your view to find the beauty, but it always has been and always will be there.
And I think you have to dance so that you can fight. You go out, you make friends and community, and then it’s them you’re fighting with and for. Then someday if you’re lucky you’re older and walking to go get an envelope hoping one of the people you danced and fought with crosses your path. That path crossing is one of the greatest rewards life can give you.
This is a great sentiment in the age of “AI is going to eat all labor.” I’d like to know how to dance around and see cute babies while keeping a roof over my head when there’s 80% unemployment tho.
I think its very important to recognize that, in times of war, life does not stop. Vonnegut was literally a soldier and was there during the bombing of Dresden. This man had seen shit and still was so extremely whimsical and mindful.
Another quote I often think about, and I don’t know who said it beyond a member of the gay community during the height of the AIDS crisis: “during the day we fought, and during the night we danced”
The world has always been horrifying, you have to narrow your view to find the beauty, but it always has been and always will be there.
And I think you have to dance so that you can fight. You go out, you make friends and community, and then it’s them you’re fighting with and for. Then someday if you’re lucky you’re older and walking to go get an envelope hoping one of the people you danced and fought with crosses your path. That path crossing is one of the greatest rewards life can give you.
To keep this going with KV terms, he called people like that part of your Karass (this is in Cat’s Cradle).
The karass is “a team that does God’s will without ever discovering what they are doing”
One of Vonnegut’s earlier novels, Player Piano, deals with just that — almost full unemployment due to automation and it’s effects across class lines.
I love all of his work but that one in particular is worth a read, especially now.
oh very nice, I haven’t read this one but will add it to my list now. On a scale of 1-10 how depressing is it?
“Player Piano”
About a 7 on the depressive scale, iirc. You can tell that he’s still trying to find his voice, but it’s worth a read.