--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm struck by how laughter connects you…" description: "\"I'm struck by how laughter connects you with people. It's almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/john-cleese-1768_democracy_i-m-struck-by-how-laughter-connects-you_2078892.jpg" --- # I'm struck by how laughter connects you with people. It's… ![“I'm struck by how laughter connects you with people. It's almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you're just howling with laughter. Laughter is a force for democracy.” quote by John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/john-cleese-1768_democracy_i-m-struck-by-how-laughter-connects-you_2078892.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/john-cleese-1768_democracy_i-m-struck-by-how-laughter-connects-you_2078892.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c8/john-cleese-1768_democracy_i-m-struck-by-how-laughter-connects-you_2078892.jpg) > “I'm struck by how laughter connects you with people. It's almost impossible to maintain any kind of distance or any sense of social hierarchy when you're just howling with laughter. Laughter is a force for democracy.” [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Laughter breaks down social barriers, creating equality and democratic connection among people. **In simple terms:** Humor unites people. Key Takeaway Use humor to build rapport. Themes humor democracy social connection Mood joyful thoughtful Type social philosophical When to use this quote - team building - public speaking - community events Key Concepts laughter therapy social equality group dynamics Questions to Reflect On - When does laughter become exclusionary? - How can humor promote inclusivity? A Different Perspective Humor can be misinterpreted or offensive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Distance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distance/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Happiness and laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-and-laughter/) [Hierarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hierarchy/) [Howling Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/howling-laughter-1583170/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Laughter and joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter-and-joy/) [Laughter Connects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter-connects-4049834/) [Laughter Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter-force-4049835/) [Laughter Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter-laughter-401421/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social hierarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-hierarchy/) ## Related quotes > [Laughter is a force for democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/laughter-is-a-force-for-democracy/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [If you wish to glimpse inside a human soul and get to know a man ... just watch him laugh. If he laughs well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/if-you-wish-to-glimpse-inside-a-human-soul-and-get-to-know-a-man-just/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Laughter is what connects pretty much all pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-breuer/laughter-is-what-connects-pretty-much-all-pain/) [Jim Breuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-breuer/) > [Laughter. It connects me to the moment, the people around me, nothing like a good belly laugh to feel alive. And having sex outdoors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-cormack/laughter-it-connects-me-to-the-moment-the-people-around-me-nothing/) [Danielle Cormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-cormack/) > [“His eyes widened and he quivered with howling laughter. "Oh my God! You're killing me! That's it. We have to be friends. I won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/his-eyes-widened-and-he-quivered-with-howling-laughter-oh-my-god-you/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [“Shut up. For the love of Jesus fucking Christ on a moose , shut up. I'm trying to get off here." He fell on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-hall/shut-up-for-the-love-of-jesus-fucking-christ-on-a-moose-shut-up-i-m/) [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) > [“I didn't say you were a bad person. I just don't like being a foregone conclusion for sole reason of having a vagina." I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/i-didn-t-say-you-were-a-bad-person-i-just-don-t-like-being-a-foregone/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [“Niceness, he realised, was not enough, and Love was only part of the rest. You had to have laughter, too. Laughter would make everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-holt/niceness-he-realised-was-not-enough-and-love-was-only-part-of-the/) [Tom Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-holt/) > [Our laughter is always the laughter of a group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/our-laughter-is-always-the-laughter-of-a-group/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [“This laughter is the laughter of those who consider themselves to be at a safe remove from all the wretched, for whom the pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/this-laughter-is-the-laughter-of-those-who-consider-themselves-to-be/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“the best kind of laughter is laughter over ourselves.  Because then you don't just become happy – you become free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-a-weidman/the-best-kind-of-laughter-is-laughter-over-ourselves-because-then-you/) [H.A. Weidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-a-weidman/) > [“The world might be vicious and treacherous and deadly, but it couldn’t kill laughter. Laughter, like love, has power to survive the worst things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/the-world-might-be-vicious-and-treacherous-and-deadly-but-it-couldn-t/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [Love and laughter go together; and laughter is one of the greatest medicines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/love-and-laughter-go-together-and-laughter-is-one-of-the-greatest/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“A real relationship's based on trust and understanding, the sharing of little things. Moments of happiness and laughter. Realising you've both just had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-may/a-real-relationship-s-based-on-trust-and-understanding-the-sharing-of/) [Peter May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-may/) > [“Easter blessings All life’s sacrifices like autumn leaves awaken our senses and power to love and be whole Our Mother Earth, Our Father Sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-ravenswood/easter-blessings-all-life-s-sacrifices-like-autumn-leaves-awaken-our/) [Ramon Ravenswood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-ravenswood/) ## More by John Cleese > [Too many people confuse being serious with being solemn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/too-many-people-confuse-being-serious-with-being-solemn/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Nerves are always a big problem for me, which is why I loved doing American sitcoms. 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They don't like anyone being more distinguished than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/england-is-a-fairly-envious-little-country-and-it-s-embodied-in-the/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I used to desire many, many things, but now I have just one desire, and that's to get rid of all my other desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-used-to-desire-many-many-things-but-now-i-have-just-one-desire-and/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I think the hard thing for young comedians is that the majority of the young people in the audience out there don't have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-think-the-hard-thing-for-young-comedians-is-that-the-majority-of/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I wish you wusses would stop whining about your unhappiness. I'm really fed up with it. Pour yourself a scotch and pull yourself together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-wish-you-wusses-would-stop-whining-about-your-unhappiness-i-m/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [On movies, I like to involve the cast in the writing of the script. I like to have a rehearsal period, after which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/on-movies-i-like-to-involve-the-cast-in-the-writing-of-the-script-i/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I had a very, very difficult relationship with my mother, who was supremely self-centred. She was hilariously self-centred. She did not really take interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-had-a-very-very-difficult-relationship-with-my-mother-who-was/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Nothing will stop you being creative more effectively as the fear of making a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/nothing-will-stop-you-being-creative-more-effectively-as-the-fear-of/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [I was very sad to hear of the death of Ronnie Barker, who was such a warm, friendly and encouraging presence to have when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-was-very-sad-to-hear-of-the-death-of-ronnie-barker-who-was-such-a/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) [Explore all 209 John Cleese quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) ## 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. 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