When I woke up this morning my girlfriend asked me, 'Did you sleep good?' I said 'No, I made a few mistakes.'
Steven WrightRead
I didn't tell any of my friends that I wanted to be a comedian, because I was superstitious. I thought if I told people, it wouldn't happen. So I kept it all in my head for years and years.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker expresses fear that sharing their dreams may prevent them from coming true.
In this quote, Steven Wright reflects on the superstitious belief that verbalizing one's aspirations can somehow jinx them, leading to self-imposed silence about his desire to pursue a career as a comedian. This highlights the internal struggles many face regarding their ambitions, where fear and doubt can stifle one's willingness to share dreams with others, often out of concern for their validity or fear of failure.
Themes
SuperstitionDreamsComedySilenceFear
In practice
Example use cases
In a podcast episode about pursuing dreams, a comedian might mention this quote to emphasize the importance of believing in oneself.
More from Steven Wright
All quotes →Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time... I think I've forgotten this before.
Steven WrightRead
Right now I’m having amnesia and déjà vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.
Steven WrightRead
When I was on TV in the '80s, I wasn't thinking, 'There's a 10-year-old kid watching this and in 15 years, he's gonna be doing stuff that was influenced by me.' I was trying to get my five minutes together. So now that those people are comedians and they're influenced by me - it's bizarre.
Steven WrightRead
I've been doing comedy longer than I haven't been doing comedy, as I was performing for three years before I even got on 'The Tonight Show.' There's truly nothing like it; it's intense and exhilarating, even though it looks so casual.
Steven WrightRead
I don't get up, get dressed, go out, and think, 'Okay, I gotta find eight jokes.'
Steven WrightRead
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