Adult life Quote by Donald Ray Pollock
“I worked in a paper mill all my adult life and there were a lot of funny guys there. So you pick up on that. Even though something really bad might have happened to somebody you can still make a joke out of it.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Devil All the Time, 2011
Humor can coexist with tragedy, providing coping and and human connection.
In simple terms: Jokes can arise even in bad situations.
Key Takeaway
Use humor to process hardship.
Themes
humor
coping
humanity
Mood
reflective
lighthearted
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- grief counseling
- team building
- creative writing
Key Concepts
psychology
storytelling
Questions to Reflect On
- When is humor appropriate?
- How does humor affect healing?
A Different Perspective
Humor may trivialize serious suffering.
![“The biggest influence on my writing, besides snagging some ideas about black humor, was that the paper mill had a program where they paid 75 percent of the tuition and book [costs] for employees who wanted to go to college part-time.” quote by Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8f9/donald-ray-pollock-7796_black_the-biggest-influence-on-my-writing-besi_1557735.jpg)
![“I've never heard of that anthology [Vance Randolph, Pissing in the Snow], but you can be sure I'll buy it now.” quote by Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ed3/donald-ray-pollock-7796_anthology_i-ve-never-heard-of-that-anthology-vance_202258.jpg)
![“I look upon [writing about religion] as a nice way to get by in this precarious world, though I've never been able to do it myself.” quote by Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1a5/donald-ray-pollock-7796_able_i-look-upon-writing-about-religion-as-a_316097.jpg)
![“[Degree in English] gave me a little more self-confidence, to know that I'd managed to complete something like that.” quote by Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/feb/donald-ray-pollock-7796_confidence_degree-in-english-gave-me-a-little-more_337511.jpg)
