Quotation by

Flip Wilson

Things can be funny only when we are in fun. When we're 'dead earnest,' humor is the only thing that is dead.

Advertisement

Understanding this quote AI Analysis

Humor only feels genuinely funny when we are relaxed and enjoying ourselves, not when we are overly serious or tense. If we take everything too seriously, then humor loses its effect and becomes lifeless.

More by this author

All quotes by Flip Wilson →

More quotes about Humor

See all →
Humor results when society says you can't scratch certain things in public, but they itch in public.

Advertisement

Humor has historically been tied to the mores of the day. The Yellow Kid was predicated on what people thought was funny about the immigrant Irish. When you're different in a society, you're funny.