---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Comics know that time plus pain equals…"
description: "\"“Comics know that time plus pain equals humor and that we can redeem even awful moments from the past by translating them into a shared experience.”\" —..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/gina-barreca-12785_comedy_comics-know-that-time-plus-pain-equals-h_1044667.jpg"
---

#  Comics know that time plus pain equals humor and that we…

![“Comics know that time plus pain equals humor and that we can redeem even awful moments from the past by translating them into a shared experience.” quote by Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/gina-barreca-12785_comedy_comics-know-that-time-plus-pain-equals-h_1044667.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/gina-barreca-12785_comedy_comics-know-that-time-plus-pain-equals-h_1044667.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/gina-barreca-12785_comedy_comics-know-that-time-plus-pain-equals-h_1044667.jpg)

> ““Comics know that time plus pain equals humor and that we can redeem even awful moments from the past by translating them into a shared experience.””

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Comedy turns painful experiences into shared laughter, allowing us to heal by reframing past hurts as collective amusement.

**In simple terms:** Pain can become funny when shared.

Key Takeaway

Find humor in hardship.

Themes

humor healing shared experience

Mood

lighthearted reflective

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- friend gatherings
- therapy sessions
- online memes
- stand‑up shows

Key Concepts

psychology of comedy emotional resilience

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you turn a personal setback into a joke?
- When does humor become avoidance?

A Different Perspective

Humor may mask deeper trauma if not processed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comics/) [Comics Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comics-know-1721276/) [Equals Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equals-humor-1139246/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Humor Redeem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor-redeem-2462471/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Pain Equals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain-equals-2462472/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [I have nothing to do with comics. I know nothing about comics. I am aware of the importance of comics, but they're not within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-waltz/i-have-nothing-to-do-with-comics-i-know-nothing-about-comics-i-am/)

[Christoph Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-waltz/)

> [I think if you want to do a thing properly you have to take a lot of care. I've always found it's easier to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/i-think-if-you-want-to-do-a-thing-properly-you-have-to-take-a-lot-of/)

[Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/)

> [Comics know that they do best. They might not be best to rewrite to another person's comedy, but they know what is best for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/comics-know-that-they-do-best-they-might-not-be-best-to-rewrite-to/)

[Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/)

> [It's amazing how these little guys can say things that a mortal human could never get away with. There's some sort of unspoken license...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dunham/it-s-amazing-how-these-little-guys-can-say-things-that-a-mortal-human/)

[Jeff Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dunham/)

> [“Tragedy plus time equals humor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-osmond/tragedy-plus-time-equals-humor/)

[Marie Osmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-osmond/)

> [There's some sort of unspoken license... when outlandish things come out of an inanimate object, somehow it equals humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dunham/there-s-some-sort-of-unspoken-license-when-outlandish-things-come-out/)

[Jeff Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dunham/)

> [I'd met enough comics to know that few of them are happy. In fact, now that I think about it, I can't think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demond-wilson/i-d-met-enough-comics-to-know-that-few-of-them-are-happy-in-fact-now/)

[Demond Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demond-wilson/)

> [Being able to work in comics at all - I know I came into it from a different medium, but I'd like to stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-quinn/being-able-to-work-in-comics-at-all-i-know-i-came-into-it-from-a/)

[Zoe Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-quinn/)

> [I was very aware of the fact that there are a lot of comics out there that I love, because I've grown up my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-tomine/i-was-very-aware-of-the-fact-that-there-are-a-lot-of-comics-out-there/)

[Adrian Tomine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-tomine/)

> [Oh yeah, I grew up with comics. You know, I always like to describe myself as a 'narrative junkie.' I love novels, I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-liss/oh-yeah-i-grew-up-with-comics-you-know-i-always-like-to-describe/)

[David Liss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-liss/)

> [People who know and read comics know that there's a huge diversity amongst the types of stories. Nobody ever goes 'how many more of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-feige/people-who-know-and-read-comics-know-that-there-s-a-huge-diversity/)

[Kevin Feige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-feige/)

> [A couple of female standup comics I know refer to their kids as their Little Career Killers. I was like, I really do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-wong/a-couple-of-female-standup-comics-i-know-refer-to-their-kids-as-their/)

[Ali Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-wong/)

> [I think there's a lot of wonderful comics that leave you hanging in a state of apprehension or anxiety before alleviating that tension with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-think-there-s-a-lot-of-wonderful-comics-that-leave-you-hanging-in-a/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

> [The development of the comedy club industry destroyed the uniqueness and intimacy of the profession but it also created jobs for comics and bred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-maron/the-development-of-the-comedy-club-industry-destroyed-the-uniqueness/)

[Marc Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-maron/)

> [Well, the coffeehouse audiences never know what they're going to get, and all the comics are different, as opposed to when you go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-griffin/well-the-coffeehouse-audiences-never-know-what-they-re-going-to-get/)

[Kathy Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-griffin/)

## More by Gina Barreca

> [“When you enter your next relationship, you become the person you split up with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/when-you-enter-your-next-relationship-you-become-the-person-you-split/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [“There are now skin products supposedly created with 24-karat gold extract. I guess if financial times got really tough, you could always pawn your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/there-are-now-skin-products-supposedly-created-with-24-karat-gold/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [The people I work with are like family. I don't mean this in a nice way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/the-people-i-work-with-are-like-family-i-don-t-mean-this-in-a-nice-way/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [“Taking a lot of selfies doesn’t mean you live an examined life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/taking-a-lot-of-selfies-doesn-t-mean-you-live-an-examined-life/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [How about "diamonds are a girl's best friends"? Nope. It should be switched around and pointed out, instead, that your best friends are diamonds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/how-about-diamonds-are-a-girl-s-best-friends-nope-it-should-be/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [Think of the funniest story from your life. Chances are, it was something awful at the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/think-of-the-funniest-story-from-your-life-chances-are-it-was/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [“This year’s vintage is best enjoyed this year. Let’s begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/this-year-s-vintage-is-best-enjoyed-this-year-let-s-begin/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [“Maturity understands that there’s darkness in the world but that there’s no need to dwell in it: we can lighten up and offer illumination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/maturity-understands-that-there-s-darkness-in-the-world-but-that/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [I am constantly surprised that the simple word 'feminism' raises more eyebrows and initiates more sad-faced head-shaking than any elaborate stream of invective I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/i-am-constantly-surprised-that-the-simple-word-feminism-raises-more/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [If you know you can do it - if you can already chart every day in your future - then why bother? Choose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/if-you-know-you-can-do-it-if-you-can-already-chart-every-day-in-your/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [Here's something women need to stop doing to other women: We need to stop asking each other to lower our fees, cut our rates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/here-s-something-women-need-to-stop-doing-to-other-women-we-need-to/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [Envy is what makes you, when an acquaintance is lustily telling you that she's dating a Greek god of a guy, ask, 'Which one,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/envy-is-what-makes-you-when-an-acquaintance-is-lustily-telling-you/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [Women feel like we're fat if we can't wear the clothes we wore in high school. Men, in contrast, only start to feel fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/women-feel-like-we-re-fat-if-we-can-t-wear-the-clothes-we-wore-in/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [Laughing together is as close as you can get to a hug without touching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/laughing-together-is-as-close-as-you-can-get-to-a-hug-without-touching/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

> [Confessions are like tattoos in that 1) You convince yourself that the immediate pain of going through the process means it won't bother you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/confessions-are-like-tattoos-in-that-1-you-convince-yourself-that-the/)

[Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

[Explore all 53 Gina Barreca quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/)

## 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": "“Comics know that time plus pain equals humor and that we can redeem even awful moments from the past by translating them into a shared experience.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gina Barreca"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/comics-know-that-time-plus-pain-equals-humor-and-that-we-can-redeem/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Comedy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/comics-know-that-time-plus-pain-equals-humor-and-that-we-can-redeem/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/gina-barreca-12785_comedy_comics-know-that-time-plus-pain-equals-h_1044667.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/gina-barreca-12785_comedy_comics-know-that-time-plus-pain-equals-h_1044667.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/gina-barreca-12785_comedy_comics-know-that-time-plus-pain-equals-h_1044667.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Comics know that time plus pain equals humor and that we can redeem even awful moments from the past by…” — Gina Barreca",
                "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": "Gina Barreca",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Comics know that time plus pain...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/comics-know-that-time-plus-pain-equals-humor-and-that-we-can-redeem/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/comics-know-that-time-plus-pain-equals-humor-and-that-we-can-redeem/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
