Amusing Quote by Gelett Burgess
“To make fun of a person to his face is a brutal way of amusing one's self; be delicate and cunning, and keep your laugh in your sleeve, lest you frighten away your game.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Social Etiquette, 1905
Warns against overt mockery, urging subtle humor to avoid harming relationships or reputation.
In simple terms: Subtle humor protects relationships.
Key Takeaway
Use wit carefully, avoid cruelty.
Themes
social behavior
humor
respect
Mood
cautionary
reflective
Type
social
ethical
When to use this quote
- workplace interactions
- friendship maintenance
- public speaking
Key Concepts
psychology of humor
social dynamics
self-control
Questions to Reflect On
- When is teasing appropriate?
- How do you gauge others’ comfort?
A Different Perspective
Humor can be misinterpreted.
![“[A]n Obama presidency would be an amusing approximation of the Carter administration, complete with vaporous moralizing and foreign policy bungling.” quote by Emmett Tyrrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/212/emmett-tyrrell-42438_administration_a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing_38310.jpg)
![“It's always amusing to see how much less the political class knows than the rest of us do. ... it's never occurred to [the likes of Senators Brownback and Obama] that they bear a worse stigma than any AIDS patient, being almost universally regarded as blowhards, crooks, dopes, and fools.” quote by Stephen D. Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fd1/stephen-d-cox-91414_aids_it-s-always-amusing-to-see-how-much-less_62268.jpg)
