The most terrible fear that anybody should have is not war, is not a disease, not cancer or heart problems or food poisoning - it's a man or a woman without a sense of humor.
Jonathan WintersRead
Well, the most terrible fear that anybody should have is not war, is not a disease, not cancer or heart problems or food poisoning - it's a man or a woman without a sense of humor.
Interpretation
The greatest fear is not physical dangers, but the lack of humor in people.
Jonathan Winters emphasizes that among all the fears one may face in life, the absence of humor in a person is the most terrible. This reflects the importance of humor as a vital aspect of human experience, suggesting that without it, life becomes far less bearable and enjoyable, making humor essential for emotional and social well-being.
In practice
This quote would be apt for a comedy event to highlight the importance of laughter.
The most terrible fear that anybody should have is not war, is not a disease, not cancer or heart problems or food poisoning - it's a man or a woman without a sense of humor.
I don't do jokes. The characters are my jokes.
If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it.
Anywhere, anytime, I'd sacrifice the finest nuance for a laugh, the most elegant trope for a smile.
One place that I really feel comfortable is being a comedienne. I'm very socially inept. There's so many things that I can not do in life, and this is, like, the one thing that I have mastery over. It's my world. And anybody who's coming to the show, it's like they're coming because they know that this is my world.
I believe comedy is a really good lens to filter serious issues through. If people are laughing, they don't necessarily realize until they stop laughing that they just took something in that's going to start a conversation.
There are women named Faith, Hope, Joy, and Prudence. Why not Despair, Guilt, Rage, and Grief? It seems only right. 'Tom, I'd like you to meet the girl of my dreams, Tragedy.' These days, Trajedi.
The truth is, Pavlov's dog trained Pavlov to ring this bell just before the dog salivated.
It's a positive thing to talk about terrible things and make people laugh about them.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.