If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you open to my ideas
John CleeseRead
When you get to my age, and I'm 66 now, you realize that the world is a madhouse and that most people are operating in fantasy anyway. So once you realise that, it doesn't bother you much.
Interpretation
What this quote means
As one grows older, they may come to see the absurdity of the world and learn to accept it.
In this quote, John Cleese reflects on his experiences as he ages and recognizes that much of the world operates in a state of illusion or fantasy. This acceptance of the chaotic nature of life alleviates some of the frustrations and concerns that may arise from trying to understand or control it, suggesting that wisdom comes with age and experience.
Themes
AgeWisdomFantasyIllusionAcceptance
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on aging and wisdom, this quote can illustrate how perspectives shift over time.
More from John Cleese
All quotes →Because, as we all know, it’s easier to do trivial things that are urgent than it is to do important things that are not urgent, like thinking. And it’s also easier to do little things we know we can do than to start on big things that we’re not so sure about.
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If you are leaping a ravine, the moment of takeoff is a bad time to be considering alternative strategies.
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In Britain, girls seem to be either bright or attractive. In America, that's not the case. They're both.
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I used to desire many, many things, but now I have just one desire, and that's to get rid of all my other desires.
John CleeseRead
When the target audience is American teenage kids, you can have problems. My generation prized really fine acting and writing. Sometimes you have to go back to the basic principles which underpin great visual comedy.
John CleeseRead
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