--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What keeps me going is that this I all…" description: "\"What keeps me going is that this I all there is. I am a comedian, and this is what I do. It's like telling a fish to stop swimming. It'll die.\" — Iliza..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2d/iliza-shlesinger-3685_comedian_what-keeps-me-going-is-that-this-i-all-t_302901.jpg" --- # What keeps me going is that this I all there is. I am a… ![“What keeps me going is that this I all there is. I am a comedian, and this is what I do. It's like telling a fish to stop swimming. It'll die.” quote by Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2d/iliza-shlesinger-3685_comedian_what-keeps-me-going-is-that-this-i-all-t_302901.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2d/iliza-shlesinger-3685_comedian_what-keeps-me-going-is-that-this-i-all-t_302901.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2d/iliza-shlesinger-3685_comedian_what-keeps-me-going-is-that-this-i-all-t_302901.jpg) > “What keeps me going is that this I all there is. I am a comedian, and this is what I do. It's like telling a fish to stop swimming. It'll die.” [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Continuing despite absurdity is like forcing a fish to stop swimming; it leads to self‑destruction. **In simple terms:** Going on against nature kills you. Key Takeaway Recognize when persistence is harmful. Themes persistence absurdity self‑destruction Mood humorous cautionary Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career pressure - creative burnout - personal limits - mental health Key Concepts existential comedy psychology Questions to Reflect On - When is it time to stop? - How do you know when persistence becomes harmful? A Different Perspective Sometimes quitting is healthier than stubbornly continuing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) ## Related quotes > [I was actually pretty shy in school. My defense mechanism was to be the class clown. 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They forget to be funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/i-like-the-ironic-pomposity-of-a-stand-up-comedian-like-all-those/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [I think the term 'Twitter comedian' can seem like a pejorative because it's not a job, really, and there's such a low barrier for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-gondelman/i-think-the-term-twitter-comedian-can-seem-like-a-pejorative-because/) [Josh Gondelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-gondelman/) > [If I want to keep working as an actor, I'm going to become a comedian who does fart jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/if-i-want-to-keep-working-as-an-actor-i-m-going-to-become-a-comedian/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [When I told my friends I was going to be a comedian, they laughed at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrot-top/when-i-told-my-friends-i-was-going-to-be-a-comedian-they-laughed-at-me/) [Carrot Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrot-top/) > [I was always really shy growing up, so to find that one thing that made me feel alive, it felt so good. 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That is a dangerous neighborhood that you should not go into alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-levy/stop-swimming-around-in-your-own-mind-that-is-a-dangerous/) [Marc Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-levy/) > [I look at being a capitalist businessperson like riding a bike - if I go too slowly, I'll fall over. Or it's kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mason/i-look-at-being-a-capitalist-businessperson-like-riding-a-bike-if-i/) [Andrew Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mason/) > [Earth may stop rotating Birds may stop flying Candles may stop melting Fishes may stop swimming Heart may stop breathing But I will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butterfly-kisses/earth-may-stop-rotating-birds-may-stop-flying-candles-may-stop-2/) Butterfly\_Kisses ## More by Iliza Shlesinger > [I've do a lot of USO shows and do whatever I can to support the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/i-ve-do-a-lot-of-uso-shows-and-do-whatever-i-can-to-support-the/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [Everybody has their cross to bear, and everybody has their issues. But it still never once occurred to me that I'm not as good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/everybody-has-their-cross-to-bear-and-everybody-has-their-issues-but/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [I'm certainly not a supermodel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/i-m-certainly-not-a-supermodel/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [I believe in always having a lot of irons in the fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/i-believe-in-always-having-a-lot-of-irons-in-the-fire/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [There's a way to express femininity and independence and strength without going for hanging fruit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/there-s-a-way-to-express-femininity-and-independence-and-strength/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [I was a huge 'Blind Date' fan, though, when I was younger; that was on when I was in high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/i-was-a-huge-blind-date-fan-though-when-i-was-younger-that-was-on/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [When you travel, try having an open mind, not just about the city that you're in but about the surrounding areas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/when-you-travel-try-having-an-open-mind-not-just-about-the-city-that/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [Most women have jobs that require them to leave the house. 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You get the love and companionship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/most-women-have-jobs-that-require-them-to-leave-the-house-a-cat-is/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [I really respect Samantha Bee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/i-really-respect-samantha-bee/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [A lot of comedians are really funny onstage, but they can't do a podcast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/a-lot-of-comedians-are-really-funny-onstage-but-they-can-t-do-a/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [I used to take a recorder around and interview my parents and do impressions of my classmates as guests on my show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/i-used-to-take-a-recorder-around-and-interview-my-parents-and-do/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [Whenever I play Las Vegas, they always give you a suite, and it's really nice, and it always comes with a large bathtub.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/whenever-i-play-las-vegas-they-always-give-you-a-suite-and-it-s/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [I think we're very quick to rip other women apart when they don't fit our mold, which, quite frankly, is just as bad as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/i-think-we-re-very-quick-to-rip-other-women-apart-when-they-don-t-fit/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [Passion always finds a way. Follow your passion and everything else will work out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/passion-always-finds-a-way-follow-your-passion-and-everything-else/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) > [I believe in having a neat workspace because everything else in my life is so unpredictable, and my mind is so crowded - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/i-believe-in-having-a-neat-workspace-because-everything-else-in-my/) [Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) [Explore all 124 Iliza Shlesinger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/) ## More Comedian quotes > [I would say most comedians have a very cynical worldview of the way the world can work. 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The difference is, my special will air on Comedy Central, not Telemundo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-iglesias/i-m-a-comedian-who-happens-to-be-latino-what-s-the-difference-the/) [Gabriel Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-iglesias/) [Browse all 1,775 Comedian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What keeps me going is that this I all there is. I am a comedian, and this is what I do. It's like telling a fish to stop swimming. 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