--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think humor is like a shield that lets…" description: "\"I think humor is like a shield that lets you get as close to the sad sad flame as possible - far closer, oftentimes, than drama.\" — Alissa Nutting" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/alissa-nutting-14077_drama_i-think-humor-is-like-a-shield-that-lets_851857.jpg" --- # I think humor is like a shield that lets you get as close… ![“I think humor is like a shield that lets you get as close to the sad sad flame as possible - far closer, oftentimes, than drama.” quote by Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/alissa-nutting-14077_drama_i-think-humor-is-like-a-shield-that-lets_851857.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/alissa-nutting-14077_drama_i-think-humor-is-like-a-shield-that-lets_851857.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/alissa-nutting-14077_drama_i-think-humor-is-like-a-shield-that-lets_851857.jpg) > “I think humor is like a shield that lets you get as close to the sad sad flame as possible - far closer, oftentimes, than drama.” [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor acts as a protective layer, allowing deeper emotional connection to sadness than drama does. **In simple terms:** Humor lets you get closer to sadness than drama. Key Takeaway Use humor to approach painful topics. Themes humor vulnerability emotional intelligence Mood reflective empathetic Type observational self‑aware When to use this quote - therapy sessions - stand‑up comedy - personal conversations - writing - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology defense mechanisms empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can humor be balanced with sincerity? - When does humor become avoidance? A Different Perspective Humor may mask issues instead of resolving them. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Humor is hope's companion in arms. It is not brash, it is not cheap, it is not heartless. Among other things I think humor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/humor-is-hope-s-companion-in-arms-it-is-not-brash-it-is-not-cheap-it/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [Among other things I think humor is a shield, a weapon, a survival kit. So here we are several billion of us, crowded into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/among-other-things-i-think-humor-is-a-shield-a-weapon-a-survival-kit/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [You can always tell somebody's sense of humor by if they like this movie or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-russell/you-can-always-tell-somebody-s-sense-of-humor-by-if-they-like-this/) [Kurt Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-russell/) > [I don't think every joke has to be so dadgum cerebral. I mix it up really good, because that's the kind of humor I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-the-cable-guy/i-don-t-think-every-joke-has-to-be-so-dadgum-cerebral-i-mix-it-up/) [Larry the Cable Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-the-cable-guy/) > [Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it, and the frog generally dies as a result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/analyzing-humor-is-like-dissecting-a-frog-nobody-really-enjoys-it-and/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“With a sense of humor like that, you could make a living as a garbage man anywhere in the country.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/with-a-sense-of-humor-like-that-you-could-make-a-living-as-a-garbage/) [jim butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [I like people with a good sense of humor, like Jennifer Aniston. She is amazing and is a great actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helio-castroneves/i-like-people-with-a-good-sense-of-humor-like-jennifer-aniston-she-is/) [Helio Castroneves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helio-castroneves/) > [I have to be with someone with a good personality and a good sens of humor! I like to laugh a lot! It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-cassidy/i-have-to-be-with-someone-with-a-good-personality-and-a-good-sens-of/) [Katie Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-cassidy/) > [My daughter doesn't even get my humor. She's like, 'Um, no. I don't get it, Dad. Mmm, no, not that one, Dad.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/my-daughter-doesn-t-even-get-my-humor-she-s-like-um-no-i-don-t-get-it/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [“The kind of humor I like is the thing that makes me laugh for 5 seconds and think for 10 minutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-davis/the-kind-of-humor-i-like-is-the-thing-that-makes-me-laugh-for-5/) [William Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-davis/) > [“Analyzing humor is like disecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white-2/analyzing-humor-is-like-disecting-a-frog-few-people-are-interested/) [E.B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white-2/) > [You know what make me laugh? Good, clean, honest humor. Not-trying-to-be-funny humor. Like Will Ferrell. Will Ferrell got that kind of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/redman/you-know-what-make-me-laugh-good-clean-honest-humor-not-trying-to-be/) [Redman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/redman/) > [Understanding humor is like dissecting a live frog. It can be done, but the frog tends to die in the process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/understanding-humor-is-like-dissecting-a-live-frog-it-can-be-done-but/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [The kind of humor I like is the thing that makes me laugh for five seconds and think for ten minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-davis/the-kind-of-humor-i-like-is-the-thing-that-makes-me-laugh-for-five/) [William Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-davis/) > [Humor is like music. It's a rhythm, and you just kind of get the rhythm of it, and you have to know not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-white/humor-is-like-music-it-s-a-rhythm-and-you-just-kind-of-get-the-rhythm/) [Betty White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-white/) ## More by Alissa Nutting > [I really want readers to put themselves into the shoes of each character. So the opening lines are an orienting technique: this is where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/i-really-want-readers-to-put-themselves-into-the-shoes-of-each/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [If you're a beautiful Caucasian woman, and you commit a heinous crime, it's like people don't want to acknowledge the reality of your actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/if-you-re-a-beautiful-caucasian-woman-and-you-commit-a-heinous-crime/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [Luckily I'm on prescription drugs that prevent me from worrying about anything too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/luckily-i-m-on-prescription-drugs-that-prevent-me-from-worrying-about/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [My poor family. I try to protect them from my work. My parents are very religious, and my brother and sister are very normal.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/my-poor-family-i-try-to-protect-them-from-my-work-my-parents-are-very/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [“She often pictured her sadness as an IV cart she had to wheel everywhere she went, its bag dripping a heavy fluid that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/she-often-pictured-her-sadness-as-an-iv-cart-she-had-to-wheel/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [“I smiled as our hands pressed against one another in midair, as though we were pretending to touch through invisible glass. We managed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/i-smiled-as-our-hands-pressed-against-one-another-in-midair-as-though/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [It was just such a complete shock to turn on the news one day and see someone that you know, someone you have passed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/it-was-just-such-a-complete-shock-to-turn-on-the-news-one-day-and-see/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [“He seemed to understand that resolution didn’t need to have anything to do with truth, and to choose a sense of harmony over insight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/he-seemed-to-understand-that-resolution-didn-t-need-to-have-anything/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [Las Vegas is incredible. Either you love it or you're a classy person with morals. I fall into the former category. It's definitely bled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/las-vegas-is-incredible-either-you-love-it-or-you-re-a-classy-person/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [I'm a big people pleaser; I had a very awkward adolescence. Part of me is still that person who wants everyone to like me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/i-m-a-big-people-pleaser-i-had-a-very-awkward-adolescence-part-of-me/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [“My attorney rubbed his hand across his mustache and the corners of his lips several times, as though the allegation was a piece of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/my-attorney-rubbed-his-hand-across-his-mustache-and-the-corners-of/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [“Why am I always the nerd at the party? I am in my thirties and by now I should at least know how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/why-am-i-always-the-nerd-at-the-party-i-am-in-my-thirties-and-by-now/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [“It was nice to hear someone familiar. 'How have you been?' Hazel cleared her throat. 'So I need to start networking a little, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/it-was-nice-to-hear-someone-familiar-how-have-you-been-hazel-cleared/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [“There was something repulsive (and revealing) about talking on a cell phone while handling garbage. Why did anyone pretend human relationships had value?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/there-was-something-repulsive-and-revealing-about-talking-on-a-cell/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) > [“I take my old seat by the window and start rapidly boozing. The lights change colors in ways that suggest I'm going too fast,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/i-take-my-old-seat-by-the-window-and-start-rapidly-boozing-the-lights/) [Alissa Nutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) [Explore all 48 Alissa Nutting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/) ## More Comedy quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I wouldn't want people to laugh at me. That's why I have to give all that I can, and at least produce something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhao-wei/i-wouldn-t-want-people-to-laugh-at-me-that-s-why-i-have-to-give-all/) [Zhao Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhao-wei/) > [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [“Laugh and grow strong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/laugh-and-grow-strong/) [Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I do love to laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/i-do-love-to-laugh/) [Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) [Browse all 19,795 Comedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think humor is like a shield that lets you get as close to the sad sad flame as possible - far closer, oftentimes, than drama.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alissa Nutting" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/i-think-humor-is-like-a-shield-that-lets-you-get-as-close-to-the-sad/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/i-think-humor-is-like-a-shield-that-lets-you-get-as-close-to-the-sad/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/alissa-nutting-14077_drama_i-think-humor-is-like-a-shield-that-lets_851857.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/alissa-nutting-14077_drama_i-think-humor-is-like-a-shield-that-lets_851857.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/alissa-nutting-14077_drama_i-think-humor-is-like-a-shield-that-lets_851857.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think humor is like a shield that lets you get as close to the sad sad flame as possible - far closer…” — Alissa Nutting", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alissa Nutting", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-nutting/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think humor is like a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/i-think-humor-is-like-a-shield-that-lets-you-get-as-close-to-the-sad/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-nutting/i-think-humor-is-like-a-shield-that-lets-you-get-as-close-to-the-sad/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```