--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I recalled a theory my father had…" description: "\"“I recalled a theory my father had concocted one night, while we sat in an Oakland juke joint sharing a plate of ribs. He'd said humor, above all else,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/298/danzy-senna-19310_humor_i-recalled-a-theory-my-father-had-concoc_2647887.jpg" --- # I recalled a theory my father had concocted one night… ![“I recalled a theory my father had concocted one night, while we sat in an Oakland juke joint sharing a plate of ribs. He'd said humor, above all else, was what bound each of us and separated each of us from one another. Humor was the great moment of truth. What we thought was funny was how we…” quote by Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/298/danzy-senna-19310_humor_i-recalled-a-theory-my-father-had-concoc_2647887.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/298/danzy-senna-19310_humor_i-recalled-a-theory-my-father-had-concoc_2647887.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/298/danzy-senna-19310_humor_i-recalled-a-theory-my-father-had-concoc_2647887.jpg) > ““I recalled a theory my father had concocted one night, while we sat in an Oakland juke joint sharing a plate of ribs. He'd said humor, above all else, was what bound each of us and separated each of us from one another. Humor was the great moment of truth. What we thought was funny was how we defined ourselves, and revealed ourselves, whether we knew it or not.”” [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor connects people while also highlighting differences; it reveals identity and truth through what we find funny. **In simple terms:** Humor bonds us and shows who we are. Key Takeaway Use humor to explore and understand personal and social boundaries. Themes humor identity truth social connection Mood contemplative playful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - group gatherings - storytelling sessions - conflict resolution Key Concepts cultural critique self‑discovery communication Questions to Reflect On - How does humor shape your self‑image? - When does humor become a barrier? A Different Perspective Humor can also alienate or mask deeper issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Moment of truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment-of-truth/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [“Her face brightened with a sudden flash of mischief, and without warning she punched him, surprisingly hard, in the ribs. “There!” she said. “Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/her-face-brightened-with-a-sudden-flash-of-mischief-and-without/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Now we'd known each other for two years, the side of my calf was touching his shins, and his stomach was against my ribs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/now-we-d-known-each-other-for-two-years-the-side-of-my-calf-was/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [If you're going to have a book full of clever people and nobody ever jokes, it's just not going to ring true to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/if-you-re-going-to-have-a-book-full-of-clever-people-and-nobody-ever/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“It was said with humor, but the criticism wasn't lost on Gamache. He was fishing, and he knew it. So did Sommes. So did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/it-was-said-with-humor-but-the-criticism-wasn-t-lost-on-gamache-he/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“He said it with enough humor and kindness that it chafed. How would they react if they knew the things she’d done? What would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/he-said-it-with-enough-humor-and-kindness-that-it-chafed-how-would/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“We thought she was funny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/we-thought-she-was-funny/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Lol I thought it was funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lol-i-thought-it-was-funny/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have always believed that the key to a happy marriage was the ability to say with a straight face, 'Why, I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/i-have-always-believed-that-the-key-to-a-happy-marriage-was-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [People thought I was funny, so I kind of took entertaining for granted... it was inevitable that I'd start giving little performances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/people-thought-i-was-funny-so-i-kind-of-took-entertaining-for-granted/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [I thought it was funny. I always thought Star Wars and Indiana Jones were basically comedies. The humour came out of their relationships; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/i-thought-it-was-funny-i-always-thought-star-wars-and-indiana-jones/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [I had an idea of what I thought was funny. It's kind of based on how I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/i-had-an-idea-of-what-i-thought-was-funny-it-s-kind-of-based-on-how-i/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [As a kid, I thought of myself as a funny person who secretly wanted to be serious, but now I think maybe I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-baumbach/as-a-kid-i-thought-of-myself-as-a-funny-person-who-secretly-wanted-to/) [Noah Baumbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-baumbach/) > [When you're doing standup you're kind of doing, "Hey. I thought of this. This may be funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/when-you-re-doing-standup-you-re-kind-of-doing-hey-i-thought-of-this/) [Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/) > [I think sometimes my humor is extremely dry, and a lot of times I would say things that I thought were very funny but...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-think-sometimes-my-humor-is-extremely-dry-and-a-lot-of-times-i/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [“Well, I thought it was funny. -Stephen Colbert”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-smith/well-i-thought-it-was-funny-stephen-colbert/) [Larry Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-smith/) ## More by Danzy Senna > [I didn't read about it for school. It was just for myself. I was interested in cults in general but Jonestown was the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/i-didn-t-read-about-it-for-school-it-was-just-for-myself-i-was/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“My father's subject: the relationship between history and the individual. He believes everybody is an 'excretion' of his or her environment. That's the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/my-father-s-subject-the-relationship-between-history-and-the/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“much privilege leads to bad manners,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/much-privilege-leads-to-bad-manners/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [Writing New People I was thinking a lot about the era that I came of age - the 90's. Brooklyn, in particular, this moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/writing-new-people-i-was-thinking-a-lot-about-the-era-that-i-came-of/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“When there is a gap—between your face and your race, between the baby and the mother, between your body and yourself—you are expected, everywhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/when-there-is-a-gap-between-your-face-and-your-race-between-the-baby/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“It’s funny. When you leave your home and wander really far, you always think, ‘I want to go home.’ But then you come home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/it-s-funny-when-you-leave-your-home-and-wander-really-far-you-always/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [I'm felt I was writing about love and desire and community and belonging and grief and a whole host of other issues. But race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/i-m-felt-i-was-writing-about-love-and-desire-and-community-and/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [I don't like stories that are too neat and too resolved. I think resolutions can be deadening for the reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/i-don-t-like-stories-that-are-too-neat-and-too-resolved-i-think/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“She has decided all university campuses are alike- the sense of possibility and stasis. She thinks this too: all graduate students, if you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/she-has-decided-all-university-campuses-are-alike-the-sense-of/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“We were lying on our backs in the foothills, watching the sky and making a list called "Never." All the things we would never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/we-were-lying-on-our-backs-in-the-foothills-watching-the-sky-and/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [It’s funny. When you leave your home and wander really far, you always think, ‘I want to go home.’ But then you come home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/it-s-funny-when-you-leave-your-home-and-wander-really-far-you-always-2/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [Motherhood. It was hard to get lost in anything else completely when children were 3 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/motherhood-it-was-hard-to-get-lost-in-anything-else-completely-when/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“My father tells me that the further you get away from an experience, the deeper it roots itself inside of you. Don't fool yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/my-father-tells-me-that-the-further-you-get-away-from-an-experience/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [I'm increasingly less interested in classic storylines and that arc that we have come to expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/i-m-increasingly-less-interested-in-classic-storylines-and-that-arc/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“Looking at those photographs, I remembered how my parents had never said “I love you” to each other. How they had said only “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/looking-at-those-photographs-i-remembered-how-my-parents-had-never/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) [Explore all 33 Danzy Senna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) ## More Humor 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/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [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/) > [In my opinion, sexiness comes down to three things: chemistry, sense of humor, and treatment of waitstaff at restaurants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/in-my-opinion-sexiness-comes-down-to-three-things-chemistry-sense-of/) [Rhoda Janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/) > [“...I haven't guessed where your shirt is from yet Bane, but I don't think it'll matter once it's underwater!' Tristan looked at Bane questioningly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-k-munt/i-haven-t-guessed-where-your-shirt-is-from-yet-bane-but-i-don-t-think/) S.K. Munt > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [“Not wise, perhaps, to be rude to the Pope's favorite son, but my viper tongue still required a fool now and then on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-quinn/not-wise-perhaps-to-be-rude-to-the-pope-s-favorite-son-but-my-viper/) [Kate Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-quinn/) > [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/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/) TimBur > [“ “Do Southerners laugh at different things than Northerners do? Yes, I say--Northerners.” Roy Blount, Jr., Roy Blount’s Book of Southern Humor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/do-southerners-laugh-at-different-things-than-northerners-do-yes-i/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [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/) > [I love being my silly ole self! Lifes a lot better when you have a good sense of humor and you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-being-my-silly-ole-self-lifes-a-lot-better-when-you-have-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“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/) [Browse all 33,155 Humor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I recalled a theory my father had concocted one night, while we sat in an Oakland juke joint sharing a plate of ribs. He'd said humor, above all else, was what bound each of us and separated each of us from one another. Humor was the great moment of truth. 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