--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In 20 years of comedy, I've probably had…" description: "\"In 20 years of comedy, I've probably had a dozen good points.\" — Doug Stanhope" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/doug-stanhope-1528_comedy_in-20-years-of-comedy-i-ve-probably-had_2063050.png" --- # In 20 years of comedy, I've probably had a dozen good… ![“In 20 years of comedy, I've probably had a dozen good points.” quote by Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/doug-stanhope-1528_comedy_in-20-years-of-comedy-i-ve-probably-had_2063050.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/doug-stanhope-1528_comedy_in-20-years-of-comedy-i-ve-probably-had_2063050.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/doug-stanhope-1528_comedy_in-20-years-of-comedy-i-ve-probably-had_2063050.png) > “In 20 years of comedy, I've probably had a dozen good points.” [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedians often find that only a few jokes truly land, despite many attempts. **In simple terms:** Only a few jokes work well. Key Takeaway Focus on quality over quantity. Themes comedy creativity performance Mood reflective humorous Type observational self‑deprecating When to use this quote - writing jokes - testing material - live shows Key Concepts humor theory audience engagement Questions to Reflect On - What makes a joke resonate? - How do you refine material? A Different Perspective Even good jokes can fall flat without context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ## Related quotes > [One bad habit often spoils a dozen good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/one-bad-habit-often-spoils-a-dozen-good-ones/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [If you write 50 songs, you're bound to write at least a dozen good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-write-50-songs-you-re-bound-to-write-at-least-a-dozen-good-ones/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If there is one eternal truth of politics, it is that there are always a dozen good reasons for doing nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/if-there-is-one-eternal-truth-of-politics-it-is-that-there-are-always/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“His plan has good points and bad points...as any plan would at this stage. A plan depends as much upon execution as it does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/his-plan-has-good-points-and-bad-points-as-any-plan-would-at-this/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“It's tough, him getting it like that. Miles had his faults same as the rest of us, but I guess he must've had some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/it-s-tough-him-getting-it-like-that-miles-had-his-faults-same-as-the/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [Let's cease thinking of our accomplishments, our wants. Let's try to figure out the other man's good points. Then forget flattery. Give honest, sincere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/let-s-cease-thinking-of-our-accomplishments-our-wants-let-s-try-to/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Democracy is good. I say this because other systems are worse. So we are forced to accept democracy. It has good points and also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/democracy-is-good-i-say-this-because-other-systems-are-worse-so-we/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [One day, someone who'll understand your good points and bad points, but who'll love you just the same, will appear in your life. Mark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakura-tsukuba/one-day-someone-who-ll-understand-your-good-points-and-bad-points-but/) [Sakura Tsukuba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakura-tsukuba/) > [I like to bitch and moan about lawyers, but they often have actually good points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/i-like-to-bitch-and-moan-about-lawyers-but-they-often-have-actually/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [When I am with others, they are my teachers. I can select their good points and follow them, and select their bad points and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/when-i-am-with-others-they-are-my-teachers-i-can-select-their-good/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Why, man alive, Laura! Just look about you a little. What do you see? A world full of common people! All of 'em born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/why-man-alive-laura-just-look-about-you-a-little-what-do-you-see-a/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [I've never trusted toadstools, but I suppose some must have their good points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheshire-cat/i-ve-never-trusted-toadstools-but-i-suppose-some-must-have-their-good/) [Cheshire Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheshire-cat/) > [When you beat Arsenal, they are a good three points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-robson/when-you-beat-arsenal-they-are-a-good-three-points/) [Bryan Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-robson/) > [Most folks are like a barb-wire fence. They have their good points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/texas-bix-bender/most-folks-are-like-a-barb-wire-fence-they-have-their-good-points/) [Texas Bix Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/texas-bix-bender/) > [It is healthier to see the good points of others than to analyze our own bad ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/it-is-healthier-to-see-the-good-points-of-others-than-to-analyze-our/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) ## More by Doug Stanhope > [I had no musical or athletic ability, and I wasn't particularly good looking. Comedy was something I could do for attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/i-had-no-musical-or-athletic-ability-and-i-wasn-t-particularly-good/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [Jesus died for your sins. I'm doing it for your mere entertainment dollar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/jesus-died-for-your-sins-i-m-doing-it-for-your-mere-entertainment/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [I believe that everyone should be treated as an individual. Women should be treated equally in the right to vote, sure. But if Im…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/i-believe-that-everyone-should-be-treated-as-an-individual-women/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [They say 'life is precious'. To who? To you, when you're young and you've got a few dollars in your pocket. Tell that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/they-say-life-is-precious-to-who-to-you-when-you-re-young-and-you-ve/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [The ultimate act of cowardice is the fat-headed wrestling guy sitting behind the frail kid in math class, clipping him on the ear, saying:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/the-ultimate-act-of-cowardice-is-the-fat-headed-wrestling-guy-sitting/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [There's no such thing as addiction, there's only things that you enjoy doing more than life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/there-s-no-such-thing-as-addiction-there-s-only-things-that-you-enjoy/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [ The whole acting and Hollywood \[thing\], it's just work to me. Stand-up comedy ruins you so badly for doing television. I don't really need… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/the-whole-acting-and-hollywood-thing-it-s-just-work-to-me-stand-up/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [You should laugh everywhere you can find even the slightest glimmer of humour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/you-should-laugh-everywhere-you-can-find-even-the-slightest-glimmer/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [I have no fear of death, except I hate waiting for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/i-have-no-fear-of-death-except-i-hate-waiting-for-it/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [Everybody's angry. They've got nothing to be angry at, so they're angry about nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/everybody-s-angry-they-ve-got-nothing-to-be-angry-at-so-they-re-angry/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [People who want to kill other people are the last people I want to party with, because I get mouthy when I drink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/people-who-want-to-kill-other-people-are-the-last-people-i-want-to/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [Democracy is the worst kind of government, I'm sorry. Would you still call yourself a Christian if they elected a new Jesus every four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/democracy-is-the-worst-kind-of-government-i-m-sorry-would-you-still/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [You forget, when you're in the Scandinavian countries, you forget they don't speak English first and they speak better than I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/you-forget-when-you-re-in-the-scandinavian-countries-you-forget-they/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [Life's temporary for a reason, it gets boring after awhile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/life-s-temporary-for-a-reason-it-gets-boring-after-awhile/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [The more business gets involved, the less fun it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/the-more-business-gets-involved-the-less-fun-it-is/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) [Explore all 230 Doug Stanhope quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) ## 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": "In 20 years of comedy, I've probably had a dozen good points.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Doug Stanhope" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/in-20-years-of-comedy-i-ve-probably-had-a-dozen-good-points/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/in-20-years-of-comedy-i-ve-probably-had-a-dozen-good-points/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/doug-stanhope-1528_comedy_in-20-years-of-comedy-i-ve-probably-had_2063050.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/doug-stanhope-1528_comedy_in-20-years-of-comedy-i-ve-probably-had_2063050.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/doug-stanhope-1528_comedy_in-20-years-of-comedy-i-ve-probably-had_2063050.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In 20 years of comedy, I've probably had a dozen good points.” — Doug Stanhope", "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": "Doug Stanhope", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In 20 years of comedy, I've...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/in-20-years-of-comedy-i-ve-probably-had-a-dozen-good-points/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/in-20-years-of-comedy-i-ve-probably-had-a-dozen-good-points/#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 } } ] } ```