--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had the epiphany that laughter was…" description: "\"I had the epiphany that laughter was light, and light was laughter, and that this was the secret of the universe.\" — Donna Tartt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/donna-tartt-391_epiphany_i-had-the-epiphany-that-laughter-was-lig_1561518.jpg" --- # I had the epiphany that laughter was light, and light was… ![“I had the epiphany that laughter was light, and light was laughter, and that this was the secret of the universe.” quote by Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/donna-tartt-391_epiphany_i-had-the-epiphany-that-laughter-was-lig_1561518.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/donna-tartt-391_epiphany_i-had-the-epiphany-that-laughter-was-lig_1561518.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/donna-tartt-391_epiphany_i-had-the-epiphany-that-laughter-was-lig_1561518.jpg) > “I had the epiphany that laughter was light, and light was laughter, and that this was the secret of the universe.” [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker experiences a revelation that laughter and light are interchangeable, suggesting humor reveals a fundamental truth about existence. **In simple terms:** Laughter and light are the same, revealing universal truth. Key Takeaway Embrace humor to perceive deeper reality. Themes creativity philosophy humor existential joy Mood playful insightful Type poetic inspirational When to use this quote - creative writing - therapy - mindfulness practice Key Concepts epiphany metaphor universal truth Questions to Reflect On - What does “light” symbolize for you? - How can laughter transform daily life? A Different Perspective The metaphor may be overly poetic for practical use. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Epiphany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epiphany/) [Epiphany Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epiphany-laughter-5005067/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Laughter Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter-light-519545/) [Laughter Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter-secret-5005068/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Light Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-laughter-411660/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [“Everything was hysterically funny, even the playground slide was smiling at us, and at some point, deep in the night, when we were winging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/everything-was-hysterically-funny-even-the-playground-slide-was/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“We looked at each other and just laughed; everything was hysterically funny, even the playground slide was smiling at us, and at some point,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/we-looked-at-each-other-and-just-laughed-everything-was-hysterically/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“Decorate your inner dreams with love, light and laughter”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginny-toole/decorate-your-inner-dreams-with-love-light-and-laughter/) [Ginny Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginny-toole/) > [Our shows are packed with laughter and light-hearted songs to lift the listener from their everyday life. We encourage the audience to participate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/our-shows-are-packed-with-laughter-and-light-hearted-songs-to-lift/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [I've been married forty-five years. I think laughter is the secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/i-ve-been-married-forty-five-years-i-think-laughter-is-the-secret/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [Do not judge men by mere appearances; for the light laughter that bubbles on the lip often mantles over the depths of sadness, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/do-not-judge-men-by-mere-appearances-for-the-light-laughter-that/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [If you become a little alert you will find love, light, laughter, everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/if-you-become-a-little-alert-you-will-find-love-light-laughter/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“As you use fun and humor to reduce tension and connect with laughter, light-heartedness will prevail. 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Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [“I laugh, and it's laughter, not light, that casts out the darkness building within me, that reminds me I am still alive...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-laugh-and-it-s-laughter-not-light-that-casts-out-the-darkness/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I laugh, and it's laughter, not light, that casts out the darkness building within me, that reminds me I am still alive, even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-laugh-and-it-s-laughter-not-light-that-casts-out-the-darkness-2/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I laugh, and it’s laughter, not light, that casts out the darkness building within me, that reminds me I am still alive, even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-laugh-and-it-s-laughter-not-light-that-casts-out-the-darkness-3/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [So if there was a way that I knew something about my character's desires or the things that they were resisting because I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-antopol/so-if-there-was-a-way-that-i-knew-something-about-my-character-s/) [Molly Antopol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-antopol/) > [ \[On Cantor's work:\] The finest product of mathematical genius and one of the supreme achievements of purely intellectual human activity. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hilbert/on-cantor-s-work-the-finest-product-of-mathematical-genius-and-one-of/) [David Hilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hilbert/) > [I was 12 when I was on stage for the first time and had an epiphany that this is what I wanted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mithila-palkar/i-was-12-when-i-was-on-stage-for-the-first-time-and-had-an-epiphany/) [Mithila Palkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mithila-palkar/) > [I recently had an epiphany and now I'm making the most of my days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-recently-had-an-epiphany-and-now-i-m-making-the-most-of-my-days/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Donna Tartt > [I hope we're all ready to leave the phenomenal world, and enter into the sublime?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/i-hope-we-re-all-ready-to-leave-the-phenomenal-world-and-enter-into/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [And I add my own love to the history of people who have loved beautiful things, and looked out for them, and pulled them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/and-i-add-my-own-love-to-the-history-of-people-who-have-loved/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [And the flavor of Pippa's kiss--bittersweet and strange--stayed with me all the way back uptown, swaying and sleepy as I sailed home on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/and-the-flavor-of-pippa-s-kiss-bittersweet-and-strange-stayed-with-me/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“The world won't come to me...so I must go to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/the-world-won-t-come-to-me-so-i-must-go-to-it/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [There's an expectation these days that novels - like any other consumer product - should be made on a production line, with one dropping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/there-s-an-expectation-these-days-that-novels-like-any-other-consumer/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“A month or two before, I would have been appalled at the idea of any murder at all. 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He’s the one we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/always-remember-the-person-we-re-really-working-for-is-the-person-who/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“The silence between us was happy and strange, connected by the cord and the icy voices thinly echoing. “You don’t have to talk,” she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/the-silence-between-us-was-happy-and-strange-connected-by-the-cord/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“It is a terrible thing to learn as a child that one is a being separate from all the world, that no one and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/it-is-a-terrible-thing-to-learn-as-a-child-that-one-is-a-being/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“You didn’t meet many people who moved freely through the world with such a vigorous contempt for it and at the same time such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/you-didn-t-meet-many-people-who-moved-freely-through-the-world-with/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“maybe that’s what’s waiting for us at the end of the journey, a majesty unimaginable until the very moment we find ourselves walking through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/maybe-that-s-what-s-waiting-for-us-at-the-end-of-the-journey-a/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“lights and moods and seasons was to see it a thousand different ways and to keep it shut in the dark—a thing made of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/lights-and-moods-and-seasons-was-to-see-it-a-thousand-different-ways/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [A great sorrow, and one that I am only beginning to understand: we don’t get to choose our own hearts. We can’t make ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/a-great-sorrow-and-one-that-i-am-only-beginning-to-understand-we-don/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“Upon meeting Julian Morrow, one has the impression that he is a man of extraordinary sympathy and warmth. But what you call his 'Asiatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/upon-meeting-julian-morrow-one-has-the-impression-that-he-is-a-man-of/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) [Explore all 590 Donna Tartt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) ## More Epiphany quotes > [I recently had an epiphany and now I'm making the most of my days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-recently-had-an-epiphany-and-now-i-m-making-the-most-of-my-days/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was 12 when I was on stage for the first time and had an epiphany that this is what I wanted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mithila-palkar/i-was-12-when-i-was-on-stage-for-the-first-time-and-had-an-epiphany/) [Mithila Palkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mithila-palkar/) > [ \[On Cantor's work:\] The finest product of mathematical genius and one of the supreme achievements of purely intellectual human activity. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hilbert/on-cantor-s-work-the-finest-product-of-mathematical-genius-and-one-of/) [David Hilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hilbert/) > [So if there was a way that I knew something about my character's desires or the things that they were resisting because I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-antopol/so-if-there-was-a-way-that-i-knew-something-about-my-character-s/) [Molly Antopol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-antopol/) > [“I had an epiphany a few years ago when I was out at a celebrity party and it suddenly dawned on me that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-had-an-epiphany-a-few-years-ago-when-i-was-out-at-a-celebrity-party/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [Do not, under any circumstances, belittle a work of fiction by trying to turn it into a carbon copy of real life; what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/do-not-under-any-circumstances-belittle-a-work-of-fiction-by-trying/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [“Without the quest, there can be no epiphany.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constantine-e-scaros/without-the-quest-there-can-be-no-epiphany/) [Constantine E. Scaros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constantine-e-scaros/) > [Very often in mathematics the crucial problem is to recognize and discover what are the relevant concepts; once this is accomplished the job may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-nathan-herstein/very-often-in-mathematics-the-crucial-problem-is-to-recognize-and/) [Israel Nathan Herstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-nathan-herstein/) > [I can't relate to the idea of suicide. I guess I'm just one of those people that is always optimistic and upbeat. 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He never saw it coming. It encapsulated in one poignant instant the tragic beauty of his family history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-luckman/the-scene-sucker-punched-max-he-never-saw-it-coming-it-encapsulated/) [Sol Luckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-luckman/) > [Humility is not self deprecating, rather it is the quiet internal confidence allowing you to accept things as they are, especially yourself; that epiphany…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casar-jacobson/humility-is-not-self-deprecating-rather-it-is-the-quiet-internal/) [Casar Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casar-jacobson/) > [“It’s a little-known secret, and it should probably stay that way: attempting suicide usually jump-starts your brain chemistry. 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