My character is self-important, poorly informed, well-intentioned but an idiot. So we said, `Let's give him a promotion.'
Stephen ColbertRead
After obsessively Googling symptoms for four hours, I discovered 'obsessively Googling symptoms' is a symptom of hypochondria.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote humorously highlights the irony of self-diagnosing medical conditions through internet searches.
In this quote, Stephen Colbert uses humor to illustrate the absurdity of obsessively searching for medical symptoms online, revealing that such behavior itself can be indicative of a psychological condition known as hypochondria. It underscores the tendency of individuals to spiral into anxiety and paranoia about their health, driven by the wealth of information readily available on the internet.
Themes
HealthInternetAnxietyHypochondriaHumor
In practice
Example use cases
In a comedic discussion about health, referencing Colbert's quote can lighten the mood.
More from Stephen Colbert
All quotes →Luckily, a recent survey published in the American Sociological Review revealed that atheists are the least trusted group in America—less trusted, even, than homosexuals. It makes sense at least we trust the homosexuals with our hair.
Stephen ColbertRead
And when those bombs went off, there were runners who, after finishing a marathon, kept running for another two miles to the hospital to donate blood. So, here's what I know - these maniacs may have tried to make life bad for the people of Boston, but all they can ever do, is show just how good those people are.
Stephen ColbertRead
My father always wanted to be 'Col-bear.' He lived in the same town as his father, and his father didn't like the idea of the name with the French pronunciation. So my father said to us, 'Do what you want. You're not going to offend anybody.' And he was dead long before I made my decision.
Stephen ColbertRead
I may be just an empty flesh terminal reliant on technology for all my ideas, memories and relationships, but I am confident that all of that everything that makes me a unique human being is still out there somewhere, safe in a theoretical storage space owned by giant, multinational corporations.
Stephen ColbertRead
And that brings us to tonight's word: Truthiness. Now I'm sure some of the word-police, the 'wordanistas' over at Websters, are gonna say, 'Hey, that's not a word!' Well, anybody who knows me knows that I am no fan of dictionaries or reference books. They're elitist. Constantly telling us what is or isn't true, what did or didn't happen.
Stephen ColbertRead
Similar quotes
And Noah he often said to his wife when he sat down to dine, "I don't care where the water goes if it doesn't get into the wine."
Gilbert K. ChestertonRead
That's what's so stupid about the whole magic thing, you know. You spend twenty years learning the spell that makes nude virgins appear in your bedroom, and then you're so poisoned by quicksilver fumes and half-blind from reading old grimoires that you can't remember what happens next.
Terry PratchettRead
I wouldn’t mind going to jail if I had three cellmates who played bridge
Warren BuffettRead
There's nobody for me to attack in this matter even with soft and gentle ridicule-and I shouldn't ever think of using a grown up weapon in this kind of a nursery. Above all, I couldn't venture to attack the clergymen whom you mention, for I have their habits and live in the same glass house which they are occupying. I am always reading immoral books on the sly, and then selfishly trying to prevent other people from having the same wicked good time.
Mark TwainRead
Never have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.
Mark TwainRead
Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing.
Ken KeseyRead