Humor is just another defense against the universe.
Mel BrooksRead
A brushstroke of vanity is good to add into the mix, to balance your timidity. We're all blessed with a lot of timidity and a lot of worry and anxiety, and vanity is a good antidote.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Embracing a touch of vanity can help counteract feelings of insecurity and anxiety.
In this quote, Mel Brooks suggests that while timidity, worry, and anxiety are common human experiences, incorporating a little vanity can serve as a valuable counterbalance. By acknowledging our insecurities and adding a sense of self-importance or confidence, we can find a more complete and healthy self-image that allows us to navigate the challenges of life with greater ease.
Themes
VanityTimidityConfidenceSelf-EsteemAnxiety
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech, to encourage participants to embrace their unique qualities.
More from Mel Brooks
All quotes →Look, I don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive you've got to flap your arms and legs, you've got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully, or you're not alive.
Mel BrooksRead
You got to be brave. If you feel something, you've really got to risk it.
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Hope for the Best. Expect the worst. Life is a play. We're unrehearsed.
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If you're quiet, you're not living. You've got to be noisy and colorful and lively.
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We want to get people laughing; we don't want to offend anybody.
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