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You look at the world and see how scary it can be sometimes and still try to deal with the fear. Comedy can deal with the fear and still not paralyze you or tell you that it's going away. You say, OK, you got certain choices here, you can laugh at them and then once you've laughed at them and you have expunged the demon, now you can deal with them. That's what I do when I do my act.
Robin Williams
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes that comedy helps cope with fear and anxiety rather than avoiding them.

In this quote, Robin Williams reflects on the power of comedy to confront the fears and challenges that life presents. He suggests that laughter serves as a tool to acknowledge these fears without being overwhelmed by them. By facing fears through humor, individuals can gain a sense of control and eventually address the underlying issues, finding a way to move forward without being paralyzed by fear.

Themes

ComedyFearLaughterCopingHumor

In practice

Example use cases

In a comedy show discussing personal fears, this quote can be used to highlight how laughter can alleviate anxiety.

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The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying, 'Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses.' She's got a baseball bat and yelling, 'You want a piece of me?'
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I write on big yellow legal pads - ideas in outline form when I'm doing stand-up and stuff. It's vivid that way. I can't type it into an iPad - I think that would put a filter into the process.
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