--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Like, I'm lazy, but I'm also good at…" description: "\"“Like, I'm lazy, but I'm also good at not-doing things I'm not supposed to do...Being funny is a way of not-doing. Sit around and make jokes and be Mr...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2e/john-green-12_comedy_like-i-m-lazy-but-i-m-also-good-at-not-d_301314.jpg" --- # Like, I'm lazy, but I'm also good at not-doing things I'm… ![“Like, I'm lazy, but I'm also good at not-doing things I'm not supposed to do...Being funny is a way of not-doing. Sit around and make jokes and be Mr. Funny pants and just make fun of everyone else's attempts to do something.” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2e/john-green-12_comedy_like-i-m-lazy-but-i-m-also-good-at-not-d_301314.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2e/john-green-12_comedy_like-i-m-lazy-but-i-m-also-good-at-not-d_301314.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2e/john-green-12_comedy_like-i-m-lazy-but-i-m-also-good-at-not-d_301314.jpg) > ““Like, I'm lazy, but I'm also good at not-doing things I'm not supposed to do...Being funny is a way of not-doing. Sit around and make jokes and be Mr. Funny pants and just make fun of everyone else's attempts to do something.”” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor can be a coping mechanism, allowing avoidance of tasks while providing relief. **In simple terms:** Being funny helps avoid work. Key Takeaway Use humor wisely, not as an excuse. Themes humor avoidance coping creativity Mood lighthearted self‑aware Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - stress relief - creative brainstorming - team building - personal productivity Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - When does humor become avoidance? - How can you channel humor into productive outcomes? A Different Perspective Relying on jokes may mask underlying responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Doing things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-things/) [Funny Pants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-pants-2877986/) [Lazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lazy/) [Lazy Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lazy-good-2877987/) [Make Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-jokes/) [Supposed Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supposed-funny-340005/) ## Related quotes > [We Greeks believe that a man who takes no part in public affairs is not merely lazy, but good for nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/we-greeks-believe-that-a-man-who-takes-no-part-in-public-affairs-is/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [He is not bad, I don't think. Perhaps he is simply too lazy to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/he-is-not-bad-i-don-t-think-perhaps-he-is-simply-too-lazy-to-be-good/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [Comedy is not supposed to be funny. Its supposed to tell the truth and then that's funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-patton/comedy-is-not-supposed-to-be-funny-its-supposed-to-tell-the-truth-and/) [Paula Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-patton/) > [You see a lot of comedic content that's not funny, and you can tell that it's supposed to be funny, but it's actually not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-krisel/you-see-a-lot-of-comedic-content-that-s-not-funny-and-you-can-tell/) [Jonathan Krisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-krisel/) > [The one thing I think I've noticed about shows that are supposed to be funny on television is that they've sort of become routinized,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/the-one-thing-i-think-i-ve-noticed-about-shows-that-are-supposed-to/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I know it's hard on her. If I don't tell her she'll kill me." He pauses. "That was supposed to be funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-anne-peters/i-know-it-s-hard-on-her-if-i-don-t-tell-her-she-ll-kill-me-he-pauses/) [Julie Anne Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-anne-peters/) > [“Don’t worry, Arabelle. I won’t bite.” “Is that supposed to be funny?” “No. That’s a promise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliette-cross/don-t-worry-arabelle-i-won-t-bite-is-that-supposed-to-be-funny-no/) [Juliette Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliette-cross/) > [“Don't be too funny, guys like funny but they don't want to marry a comedian, right? The guy is supposed to be the funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-kelk/don-t-be-too-funny-guys-like-funny-but-they-don-t-want-to-marry-a/) [Lindsey Kelk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-kelk/) > [I don't consider myself a funny girl, but I do have a sense of humor because I don't take myself too seriously. Taking yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-sigman/i-don-t-consider-myself-a-funny-girl-but-i-do-have-a-sense-of-humor/) [Stephanie Sigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-sigman/) > [The thing about For Better or Worse is the only thing that made me an okay director for that is that I have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-alexander/the-thing-about-for-better-or-worse-is-the-only-thing-that-made-me-an/) [Jason Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-alexander/) > [If you watch kids looking at something on television, even something that's produced for them and is supposed to be funny, what you'll notice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/if-you-watch-kids-looking-at-something-on-television-even-something/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [I will never understand how acting childish is supposed to be funny...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-will-never-understand-how-acting-childish-is-supposed-to-be-funny/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I did turn down 'The Virgin Suicides.' I talked to the producers about it, and I just honestly told them that I didn't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-zwigoff/i-did-turn-down-the-virgin-suicides-i-talked-to-the-producers-about/) [Terry Zwigoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-zwigoff/) > [“If you were cheap we'd be having sex now, soup later. 'That's supposed to be funny. It is, but only a little.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/if-you-were-cheap-we-d-be-having-sex-now-soup-later-that-s-supposed/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [My stand-up is more like how I am in real life. I don't really do a character thing in stand-up. It's just a bunch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/my-stand-up-is-more-like-how-i-am-in-real-life-i-don-t-really-do-a/) [Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## 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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