David Sedaris Quotes

Humor makes our heavy burdens light and smoothes the rough spots in our pathways.

Humor is important for is pacing. If your whole book is just drama drama drama, it's going to wear down the reader.

I don't want my readers slowed down by long passages of narrative.

Leave each one his touch of folly; it helps to lighten life's burden which, if he could see himself as he is, might be too heavy to carry.

Personally I don't spend much time thinking about being funny. For me it's always been just a way to get by, a way to be likable yet to remain removed. When I speak up, it's not because I have any particular answers; rather, I have a desire to puncture the pretentiousness of those who seem so certain they do.

I think all tragedies are best told with some humor. You have to relieve the darkness to let the reader get through it. Also, that life has happiness and sadness mixed together. If you told a story that was all darkness, it wouldn't be real.

I hope I can now use my ability to communicate, without being too precious or serious. It's good to have some levity, even as you're facing some really dark times, to mix it up a bit.

Sex is pretty funny, let's face it. And the more seriously we take ourselves, the funnier sex gets, I think.

I don't see much point in doing things for a pure joke. Every now and then you need a joke, but not so much as the people who spend all their lives constructing joke palaces think you do.

The world is a very serious and, at times, very sad place - but at other times it is all such a joke.

We take life too seriously: the office of wit is to correct this tendency.

I believe you can joke about anything.

Joking decides great things, Stronger and better oft than earnest can.

Not often is there as much of a vulnerable side as there is a funny side.

Within any drama in anyone's life, there's always a way to find the humor in it. Without humor no one cares about whatever drama is going on.

Humor brings insight and tolerance.

A joke is necessary at this time.

I'll do anything to keep everyone laughing. Things get too intense on film sets. I remember on The Elephant Man, I used to imitate a cat without moving my lips. David Lynch would say, "Cut! Sorry, we've got a noise somewhere on set." Everyone would be looking around for this cat.

Humor itself is a great disinfectant. It enables people to listen.

Humor is one of the elements of genius--admirable as an adjunct; but as soon as it becomes dominant, only a surrogate for genius.

It is a challenge. When you do things that are comedy, you're having to look at the funnier side of life. Often I find Christians - but not just Christians, (any) people who have a certain core belief of things - don't like to have fun made of them at all.

Humor is an antidote to isolation.

Humor is the mistress of tears.

Anything that is not funny at a certain point will be funny.

Humor could not flourish in a wholly serious and rational atmosphere.