--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He who laughs at himself never runs out…" description: "\"He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.\" — Epictetus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/epictetus-413_fortune-cookie_he-who-laughs-at-himself-never-runs-out_1224166.jpg" --- # He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh… ![“He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.” quote by Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/epictetus-413_fortune-cookie_he-who-laughs-at-himself-never-runs-out_1224166.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/epictetus-413_fortune-cookie_he-who-laughs-at-himself-never-runs-out_1224166.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/epictetus-413_fortune-cookie_he-who-laughs-at-himself-never-runs-out_1224166.jpg) > “He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.” [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑laughing prevents scarcity of humor because one can always find something to mock. **In simple terms:** Self‑mockery ensures endless humor. Key Takeaway Use humor about yourself to stay resilient. Themes humor self‑acceptance resilience Mood philosophical inspirational Type personal humorous When to use this quote - stress management - public speaking - team building - personal growth Key Concepts Stoic philosophy self‑deprecation Questions to Reflect On - When is self‑mockery helpful? - When can it become harmful? A Different Perspective Excessive self‑deprecation may erode confidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Fortune cookie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune-cookie/) [Laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laugh/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) ## Related quotes > [He who laughs at himself shall never run out of things to laugh at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-who-laughs-at-himself-shall-never-run-out-of-things-to-laugh-at/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being a leader doesn't mean you are the guy who runs things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/being-a-leader-doesn-t-mean-you-are-the-guy-who-runs-things/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [I do longer runs on things, a lot stories. I really like one-liners, I like a lot of different kinds of standup but I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mulaney/i-do-longer-runs-on-things-a-lot-stories-i-really-like-one-liners-i/) [John Mulaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mulaney/) > [I was kind of shy as a lad, and a lot of things that made me laugh, I found, did not make other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/i-was-kind-of-shy-as-a-lad-and-a-lot-of-things-that-made-me-laugh-i/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [There are some things so serious you have to laugh at them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/there-are-some-things-so-serious-you-have-to-laugh-at-them/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [Learn to laugh at your troubles and you'll never run out of things to laugh at](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyn-karol/learn-to-laugh-at-your-troubles-and-you-ll-never-run-out-of-things-to/) Lyn Karol > [We make everything funny, you wouldn't believe the things we laugh at. We're always laughing-people think we're completely mad!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-bunton/we-make-everything-funny-you-wouldn-t-believe-the-things-we-laugh-at/) [Emma Bunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-bunton/) > [Least at thine own things laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/least-at-thine-own-things-laugh/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [I hope we inspire people to laugh at things more, laugh in their own lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-villasenor/i-hope-we-inspire-people-to-laugh-at-things-more-laugh-in-their-own/) [Melissa Villasenor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-villasenor/) > [The more things we can laugh about, the more alive we become: The more things we can laugh about together, the more connected we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-pittman/the-more-things-we-can-laugh-about-the-more-alive-we-become-the-more/) [Frank Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-pittman/) > [The things we laugh at are awful while they are going on, but get funny when we look back. And other people laugh because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/the-things-we-laugh-at-are-awful-while-they-are-going-on-but-get/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [What people like are things to laugh at. Funny shows. It's all in the execution, the writing and the characters, not the setting. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rogan/what-people-like-are-things-to-laugh-at-funny-shows-it-s-all-in-the/) [Joe Rogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rogan/) > [“There are some things so serious that you have to laugh at them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/there-are-some-things-so-serious-that-you-have-to-laugh-at-them/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [We are the type of friends that laugh forever at the most stupid things, laugh at things we randomly remember, and laugh at each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-the-type-of-friends-that-laugh-forever-at-the-most-stupid/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've definitely seen things that have made me laugh. And there's some things that are really smart and like, "Oh man, we should have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-trachtenberg/i-ve-definitely-seen-things-that-have-made-me-laugh-and-there-s-some/) [Dan Trachtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-trachtenberg/) ## More by Epictetus > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Practice yourself, for heaven's sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/practice-yourself-for-heaven-s-sake-in-little-things-and-then-proceed/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Do not laugh much or often or unrestrainedly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/do-not-laugh-much-or-often-or-unrestrainedly/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [When men are unhappy, they do not imagine they can ever cease to be so; and when some calamity has fallen on them, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/when-men-are-unhappy-they-do-not-imagine-they-can-ever-cease-to-be-so/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to-us-but-by-our-thoughts-about/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Don't be prideful with any excellence that is not your own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/don-t-be-prideful-with-any-excellence-that-is-not-your-own/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [You know yourself what you are worth in your own eyes; and at what price you will sell yourself. 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If I were a nightingale, I would do the nightingale's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/what-else-can-i-do-a-lame-old-man-but-sing-hymns-to-god-if-i-were-a/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [People are disturbed not by things, but by the view they take of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them-2/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“Small-minded people blame others. Average people blame themselves. The wise see all blame as foolishness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/small-minded-people-blame-others-average-people-blame-themselves-the/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/all-philosophy-lies-in-two-words-sustain-and-abstain/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) [Explore all 577 Epictetus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## 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. 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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. 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