“And then Billy's mother came back from the ladies' room, sat down on a chair between Billy's and Rosewater's bed. Rosewater greeted her with melodious warmth, asked how she was today. He seemed delighted to hear that she was fine. He was experimenting with being ardently sympathetic with everybody he met. He thought that might make the world a slightly more pleasant place to live in. He called Billy's mother 'dear.' He was experimenting with calling everybody 'dear.” KindnessEmpathySympathy Book:SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE Source: SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE
“It's sort of self-congratulatory to be the person who walks around pitying other people. I don't do that very much. I just know that there are plenty of people who are in terrible trouble and can't get out. And so I'm impatient with those who think that it's easy for people to get out of trouble. I think there are some people who really need a lot of help.” AwarenessEmpathyPatiencePityHelpCondescensionVonnegut Book:Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons Source: Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons
“Be warned: If you allow yourself to see dignity in someone, you have doomed yourself to wanting to understand and help whoever it is. "If you see dignity in anything, in fact--it doesn't have to be human--you will still want to understand it and help it. Many people are now seeing dignity in the lower animals and the plant world and waterfalls and deserts--and even in the entire planet and its atmosphere. And now they are helpless not to want to understand and help those things. "Poor souls!” UnderstandingEmpathyDignity Book:Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage Source: Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage