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During my New York run, I injured my voice badly. I was getting increasingly hoarse, and it finally gave up. The doctor said I had two choices. Either cancel things, or try my luck and perhaps never speak again. That's not much of a choice.
Trevor Noah
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote illustrates the struggle between pursuing one's passion and facing potential dire consequences.

Trevor Noah reflects on the difficult decision he faced when he injured his voice while performing. The ultimatum given by his doctor highlights the challenges entertainers often confront, where the risk of losing their ability to perform can feel like sacrificing their identity or future. This predicament emphasizes the courage required to continue pursuing one's dreams despite substantial risks.

Themes

CourageDecisionRiskPerformanceStruggle

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used as an inspirational message for artists facing setbacks.

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The older you get, the more you start to realize that you can't win an argument in a relationship. You can't win a fight with your woman. Because if you lose, you lose. And if you win, you lose.
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My ideal setting is I walk from the streets, backstage, and straight onto the stage. Two minutes, and I am on the stage. That way, in my head I have gone from my world and then into a social setting with my friends.
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I'm literally driving in the middle of the night, and my phone rings, and my manager says, 'How would you like to be the host of the Daily Show?' I get out the car, and I didn't have legs. You know in those movies where there's an explosion? But instead of the sound of the explosion, you hear the silence. That's literally what happened.
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I live in South Africa. I'm proud to live there. I've always said I want to be a comedian from South Africa in the world. I will stay in places for a bit here and there and pop into New York for a while, maybe stay in London for a year, but my home will always be South Africa. I enjoy it too much.
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You have two choices, two paths to take as a comedian. You can tackle the difficult subjects and be harsh about it, be brash, be abrasive. But adding hatred to racism is not going to help everybody. So I like to have fun around it.
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