I didn't know every day I would be discussing the tone of my voice with my wife. I thought it was a marriage. Apparently, it's a musical.
You spend so much time in the world of virtual that the actual - which nothing is more actual than stand-up - it's a painful experience for the audience, and the comedian a lot of time - we miss that.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Real-life experiences and genuine interactions are more impactful than virtual ones.
In this quote, Jerry Seinfeld highlights the importance of authentic, live experiences, particularly in comedy, suggesting that too much time spent in virtual environments can dilute one's ability to connect with an audience in real life. He believes that true experiences, like stand-up comedy, provide a unique and often essential form of connection that cannot be replicated online, making it a painful loss for both audiences and comedians alike when this connection is overlooked.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a comedy show, the comedian can reflect on this quote to emphasize the significance of live performances.
More from Jerry Seinfeld
All quotes →You know why dogs have no money? No pockets. 'Cause they see change on the street all the time and it's driving them crazy. When you're walking them, he is always looking up at you. "There's a quarter...."
According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.
There's very little advice in men's magazines, because men don't think there's a lot they don't know. Women do. Women want to learn. Men think, 'I know what I'm doing, just show me somebody naked.'
There is no such thing as an attention span. There is only the quality of what you are viewing. This whole idea of an attention span is, I think, a misnomer. People have an infinite attention span if you are entertaining them.
When you make a TV show, they always say you're a guest in someone's home. Online, you're a guest in someone's face. So that's why I try to make it sound and look and feel very inviting and attractive, because I know that I'm in your face.
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The doctor seemed especially troubled by the fact of the robbery having been unexpected, and attempted in the night-time; as if it were the established custom of gentlemen in the housebreaking way to transact business at noon, and to make an appointment, by the twopenny post, a day or two previous.