Inviting people to laugh with you while you are laughing at yourself is a good thing to do. You may be a fool but you're the fool in charge.
Carl ReinerRead
Anybody who tells a very big lie is paid attention to. If you say, 'Shakespeare could not write. He was illiterate,' everybody says, 'Well, what do you know that we don't?' That's what Trump does all the time.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights how people often give attention to outrageous claims, questioning the motives behind them.
In this quote, Carl Reiner underscores the tendency for society to focus on and respond to significant falsehoods, particularly when those lies challenge widely accepted truths or figures of authority. He uses the example of claiming Shakespeare was illiterate to illustrate how such bold statements capture public curiosity and provoke disbelief, akin to the tactics used by Donald Trump to command attention and influence opinions regardless of the veracity of his statements. It reflects on the dynamics of belief, authority, and the nature of truth in public discourse.
Themes
LieTruthAttentionSocietyPublic Discourse
In practice
Example use cases
During a public debate, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of discernment in the information presented.
More from Carl Reiner
All quotes →There's nothing more satisfying than having an idea and seeing it through to find out that, not only did you like it, but the audience and critics all seemed to agree.
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I've done everything I've wanted to do. I have three children, I have grandchildren, I have books, I did movies, I've directed movies; I've done almost everything I've wanted to do.
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'The Dick Van Dyke Show' was my labor of love. When asked the best thing I ever did - that was it. I wrote it originally for myself.
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Going through war and living is a very important process. You realize how vulnerable you are and how lucky you are to be in the right place at the right time. As a matter of fact, I have a history of luck.
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I think that comedy really tells you how it is. The other thing about comedy is that - you don't even know if you're failing in drama, but you do know when you're failing in comedy. When you go to a comedy and you don't hear anybody laughing, you know that you've failed.
Carl ReinerRead
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