All the truly great stand-ups say, 'I go onstage, and I work on jokes. The inspiration will happen while I'm doing my work.' To me, in the end, the surest thing is work.
Patton OswaltRead
So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, 'The good outnumber you, and we always will.'
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the power of confronting negative behaviors with the belief that good will always prevail.
Patton Oswalt's quote encourages individuals to face instances of violence, bigotry, and other forms of negativity with courage. By reminding oneself that the majority of people possess goodness, the quote instills hope and a sense of empowerment in the face of adversity. It suggests that recognizing these negative behaviors is the first step in overcoming them and reinforces the idea that positive values will ultimately triumph.
Themes
GoodnessIntoleranceNegativityHopeCourage
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech addressing social issues, one might use this quote to motivate the audience to stand against hate.
More from Patton Oswalt
All quotes →As you get older as a comedian and keep doing it, what you actually start to cherish on stage is not the build-up to the jokes, but how comfortable you can be in the silence and the non-laughing parts, and how long you can take the audience without a laugh to then get a huge reaction.
Patton OswaltRead
Meal isn't over when I'm full. Meal's over when I hate myself.
Patton OswaltRead
Wars are usually really popular with people that aren't gonna be affected by them. 'Cause it's just entertainment, and it's just weird, like, 'Well, we've got to show the world that we're strong.' No we don't. And by the way, that has nothing to do with you. Why are you equating yourself with that... you know what I mean?
Patton OswaltRead
A lot of nerds aren't aware they're nerds. A geek has thrown his hands up to the universe and gone, 'I speak Klingon - who am I fooling? You win! I'm just gonna openly like what I like.' Geeks tend to be a little happier with themselves.
Patton OswaltRead
I really had to imagine the kind of person that I would have been if I had never left my hometown. I don't think I would have been a very pleasant person.
Patton OswaltRead
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