Sentranced Saturday: we are who we pretend to be

sentranced (adj.): the state of being captivated by a well-written sentence.

Sentranced Saturday is a weekly meme created by me that encourages you to share a quote that left you entranced. I have a little notebook that I carry with me everywhere to write down quotes that inspire me in some way, and I am sure that I am not alone! Everyone is welcome to participate, please be sure to link to this post so I can see all of your quotes!

“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” 

– Kurt Vonnegut, Mother Night

It is no secret that I love Kurt Vonnegut. The way that he manages to weave philosophical concepts with satire into science fiction is just masterful, and every time I re-read one of his works I take away something new.

This is one of the opening lines to the introduction of Mother Night and prefaced as the moral of the story (another being that “when you’re dead you’re dead”): perception is everything. This concept of perception shaping reality is brought to light in this novel where actions speak louder than intentions and challenge our concepts of morality, introducing gray into a black and white world.

What do you think about this quote, and what quote do you want to share this week?

Let’s go on another adventure together!