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Humor


Humor

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Quotations

George CarlinI think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.

—  George Carlin, 1936-2008, American comedian

12 likes
George Bernard ShawWhen a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.

—  George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish writer, Nobel 1925

9 likes
Mark TwainExplaining humor is a lot like dissecting a frog, you learn a lot in the process, but in the end you kill it.

—  Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American writer

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Francis BaconImagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is.

—  Francis Bacon, 1561-1626, English philosopher

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Arthur SchopenhauerA sense of humour is the only divine quality of man.

—  Arthur Schopenhauer, 1788-1860, German philosopher

8 likes
George Bernard ShawMy way of joking is to tell the truth. It's the funniest joke in the world.

—  George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish writer, Nobel 1925

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Oscar WildeNothing spoils romance so much as a sense of humor in the woman.

—  Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900, Irish writer

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Friedrich NietzscheA joke is an epigram on the death of a feeling.

—  Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German philosopher

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Somerset MaughamYou are not angry with people when you laugh at them. Humor teaches tolerance.

—  Somerset Maugham, 1874-1965, British writer

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Sri AurobindoA God who cannot smile, could not have created this humorous universe.

—  Sri Aurobindo, 1872-1950, Indian nationalist, yogi & philosopher

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Sacha GuitryYou can pretend to be serious but you can't pretend to be witty.

—  Sacha Guitry, 1885-1957, French writer

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Mark TwainThe secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow; there is no humor in heaven.

—  Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American writer

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G. K. ChestertonIt is in the very nature of the best sort of joke to be the worst sort of insult if it is not taken as a joke.

—  G. K. Chesterton, 1874-1936, English writer & critic

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Jean CocteauFight any instinct to be humorless, for humorlessness is the worst of all absurdities.

—  Jean Cocteau, 1889-1963, French artist

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George BurnsSomeone who makes you laugh is a comedian. Someone who makes you think and then laugh is a humorist.

—  George Burns, 1896-1996, American comedian

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Dave LettermanThe White House is giving George W. Bush intelligence briefings. You know, some of these jokes just write themselves.

—  Dave Letterman, 1947-, American TV talk show host

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Lord ChesterfieldGood humor is the health of the soul, sadness is its poison.

—  Lord Chesterfield, 1694-1773, English statesman & writer

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G. K. ChestertonIt is the test of a good religion whether you can joke about it.

—  G. K. Chesterton, 1874-1936, English writer & critic

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Frank TygerA sense of humor cushions the potholes on the road of life.

—  Frank Tyger, 1929-2011, American cartoonist

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Georg Christoph LichtenbergA person reveals his character by nothing so clearly as the joke he resents.

—  Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, 1742-1799, German author of maxims

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Jerry SeinfeldThe Four Levels of Comedy: Make your friends laugh, Make strangers laugh, Get paid to make strangers laugh, and Make people talk like you because it's so much fun.

—  Jerry Seinfeld, 1954-, American comedian

4 likes
Charles DickensThere is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.

—  Charles Dickens, 1812-1870, British writer

4 likes
James ThurberHumor is emotional chaos remembered in tranquillity.

—  James Thurber, 1894-1964, American humorist

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George OrwellA dirty joke is a sort of mental rebellion.

—  George Orwell, 1903-1950, British writer

3 likes
Kurt VonnegutThe best jokes are dangerous, and dangerous because they are in some way truthful.

—  Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007, American writer

3 likes
Somerset MaughamImpropriety is the soul of wit.

—  Somerset Maugham, 1874-1965, British writer

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John DrydenA satirical poet is the check of the laymen on bad priests.

—  John Dryden, 1631-1700, English poet

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Umberto EcoComical is the understanding of the contradiction. Humor is the suspicion for it.

—  Umberto Eco, 1932-2016, Italian writer

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G. K. ChestertonThe man who sees the consistency in things is a wit. The man who sees the inconsistency in things is a humorist.

—  G. K. Chesterton, 1874-1936, English writer & critic

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George SantayanaWisdom lies in taking everything with good humor and a grain of salt.

—  George Santayana, 1863-1952, Spanish-American philosopher

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Karl KrausSatire that the censor understands is rightly censored.

—  Karl Kraus, 1874-1936, Austrian writer

3 likes
William JamesA sense of humor is just common sense dancing.

—  William James, 1842-1910, American philosopher

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Robert FrostHumor is the most engaging cowardice.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

3 likes
Friedrich von SchlegelReason is mechanical, humor chemical, and genius organic spirit.

—  Friedrich von Schlegel, 1772-1829, German writer

3 likes
G. K. ChestertonAngels can fly because they take themselves lightly; devils fall because of their gravity.

—  G. K. Chesterton, 1874-1936, English writer & critic

3 likes
Ludwig WittgensteinA serious and good philosophical work could be written consisting entirely of jokes.

—  Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889-1951, Austrian philosopher

3 likes
Vladimir NabokovSatire is a lesson, parody is a game.

—  Vladimir Nabokov, 1899-1977, Russian-American writer

2 likes
Emile M. CioranThe ideal being? An angel ravaged by humor.

—  Emile M. Cioran, 1911-1995, French-Romanian philosopher

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JuvenalIt is difficult not to write satire.

—  Juvenal, 1st-2nd cent. AD, Roman satiric poet

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Lenny BruceThe only honest art form is laughter, comedy. You can't fake it... try to fake three laughs in an hour, they'll take you away, man. You can't

—  Lenny Bruce, 1925-1966, American comedian

George EliotA difference of taste in jokes is a great strain on the affections.

—  George Eliot, 1819-1880, English writer

Honoré de BalzacGreat people are always wrong to joke with their inferiors. The joke is a game, and the game supposes equality.

—  Honoré de Balzac, 1799-1850, French writer

Honoré de BalzacIt is easier to be a lover than a husband, for the same reason that it is more difficult to be witty every day, than to say bright things from time to time.

—  Honoré de Balzac, 1799-1850, French writer

Graham GreeneThere was always another side to a joke, the side of the victim.

—  Graham Greene, 1904-1991, British writer

William Hazlitt Wit is the salt of conversation, not the food.

—  William Hazlitt , 1778-1830, English essayist & critic

Noel CowardWit ought to be a glorious treat like caviar; never spread it about like marmalade.

—  Noel Coward, 1899-1973, British playwright

Marcel AchardEverything is funny, as soon as it happens to others.

—  Marcel Achard, 1899-1974, French playwright

Erica JongHumor is one of the most serious tools we have for dealing with impossible situations.

—  Erica Jong, 1942-, American writer

Arthur KoestlerThe jester is brother to the sage.

—  Arthur Koestler, 1905-1983, Hungarian-British writer

Philip RothSheer Playfulness and Deadly Seriousness are my closest friends.

—  Philip Roth, 1933-2018, American writer

Philip RothYou can’t write good satirical fiction in America because reality will quickly outdo anything you might invent.

—  Philip Roth, 1933-2018, American writer

Jerry SeinfeldThe fact is: almost everything is funny. You just have to have a way of looking at it.

—  Jerry Seinfeld, 1954-, American comedian

Ashleigh BrilliantThere's no harm in talking to yourself,
but try to avoid telling yourself jokes you've heard before.

—  Ashleigh Brilliant, 1933-, British cartoonist & epigrammatist

Stephen KingHumor is almost always anger with its make-up on.

—  Stephen King, 1947-, American author of horror & fantasy fiction

P.J. O’ RourkeThere is parody, when you make fun of people who are smarter than you; satire, when you make fun of people who are richer than you; and burlesque, when you make fun of both while taking your clothes off.

—  P.J. O’ Rourke, 1947-2022, American columnist & writer

Saul BellowConquered people tend to be witty.

—  Saul Bellow, 1914-2005, Canadian-American writer, Nobel 1976

George HerbertIn conversation, humor is worth more than wit and easiness more than knowledge.

—  George Herbert, 1593-1633, Welsh poet

Frank A. ClarkI think the next best thing to solving a problem is finding some humor in it.

—  Frank A. Clark, 1911-1991, American cartoonist

André BretonHumor, the process that allows one to brush reality aside when it gets too distressing.

—  André Breton, 1896-1966, French writer, founder of Surrealism

Movie Quotes

Goodfellas (1990)I mean, funny like I'm a clown? I amuse you?

—  from the film Goodfellas (1990)

2 likes



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