--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to do stand-up quite a long time…" description: "\"You have to do stand-up quite a long time before you learn how to do it well. It was probably years before I was confident enough in stand-up that I wa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/john-oliver-2975_able_you-have-to-do-stand-up-quite-a-long-tim_613810.jpg" --- # You have to do stand-up quite a long time before you learn… ![“You have to do stand-up quite a long time before you learn how to do it well. It was probably years before I was confident enough in stand-up that I was able to talk about the things I wanted to talk about, the way I wanted to talk about them.” quote by John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/john-oliver-2975_able_you-have-to-do-stand-up-quite-a-long-tim_613810.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/john-oliver-2975_able_you-have-to-do-stand-up-quite-a-long-tim_613810.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/john-oliver-2975_able_you-have-to-do-stand-up-quite-a-long-tim_613810.jpg) > “You have to do stand-up quite a long time before you learn how to do it well. It was probably years before I was confident enough in stand-up that I was able to talk about the things I wanted to talk about, the way I wanted to talk about them.” [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mastering a craft takes many years of practice and confidence before you can express your true voice. **In simple terms:** Skill requires long practice and confidence. Key Takeaway Practice consistently, build confidence. Themes perseverance craft confidence Mood reflective motivational Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - stand‑up comedy - public speaking - teaching - creative writing Key Concepts skill acquisition self‑expression Questions to Reflect On - What habits have you built to improve? - How do you measure confidence? A Different Perspective Even after years, growth can plateau without feedback. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Before](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/before/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Confident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confident/) [Confident Stand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confident-stand-2476926/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn/) [Learn Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-probably-4715713/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Quite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite/) [Stand up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stand-up/) [Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk/) [Talk Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-things/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Confident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-confident-3601981/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [It was probably years before I was confident enough in stand-up that I was able to talk about the things I wanted to talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/it-was-probably-years-before-i-was-confident-enough-in-stand-up-that/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I am confident that if we stand for the hope and freedom of others we will make our own freedom more secure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsakhiagiin-elbegdorj/i-am-confident-that-if-we-stand-for-the-hope-and-freedom-of-others-we/) [Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsakhiagiin-elbegdorj/) > [The man who is too old to learn was probably always too old to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-man-who-is-too-old-to-learn-was-probably-always-too-old-to-learn/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think we all learn probably more from our mistakes than we do our successes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-thibodeau/i-think-we-all-learn-probably-more-from-our-mistakes-than-we-do-our/) [Tom Thibodeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-thibodeau/) > [I'm very confident on where I stand in the league and where I belong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-olsen/i-m-very-confident-on-where-i-stand-in-the-league-and-where-i-belong/) [Greg Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-olsen/) > [“We will be confident when we stand before the Lord, even if our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nelson-publishers/we-will-be-confident-when-we-stand-before-the-lord-even-if-our-hearts/) [Thomas Nelson Publishers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nelson-publishers/) > [Bullying is not gonna stop, but we can at least be confident enough to stand up to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greyson-chance/bullying-is-not-gonna-stop-but-we-can-at-least-be-confident-enough-to/) [Greyson Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greyson-chance/) > [Even as a child, my sister was so confident; she would always take a stand if she saw any wrongdoing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishita-dutta/even-as-a-child-my-sister-was-so-confident-she-would-always-take-a/) [Ishita Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishita-dutta/) > [People really have come for a dialogue when they go to a stand-up show in the U.K. They say, 'I understand that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/people-really-have-come-for-a-dialogue-when-they-go-to-a-stand-up/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [ I liked the idea of using this mega-star \[Beyoncé \] to talk about all those things on the tiny scale of my life. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/i-liked-the-idea-of-using-this-mega-star-beyonc-to-talk-about-all/) [Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/) > [“Anyway," continued Mr. Miller, "when I was a kid, people used to sit under the stars at night and look up into the sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/anyway-continued-mr-miller-when-i-was-a-kid-people-used-to-sit-under/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [What good is talking if neither of you are really committed? If one of you had an affair or got addicted to drugs or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-good-is-talking-if-neither-of-you-are-really-committed-if-one-of/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Gr8 people talk about things. Small people talk about other people. and legends never talk they send sms ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/gr8-people-talk-about-things-small-people-talk-about-other-people-and/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [I am frail like everyone else, and I take that into account when I talk about things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-mencia/i-am-frail-like-everyone-else-and-i-take-that-into-account-when-i/) [Carlos Mencia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-mencia/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) ## More by John Oliver > [I've always been interested in socially political, or overtly political, comedy. And I guess I've always liked to channel some kind of personal element…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-socially-political-or-overtly/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I knew I was going to go into the field and make fun of people to their faces. I knew what I was getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-knew-i-was-going-to-go-into-the-field-and-make-fun-of-people-to/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [Once you learn how to make people laugh, then you get to choose exactly how you want to make them laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/once-you-learn-how-to-make-people-laugh-then-you-get-to-choose/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [When you see people say crazy things on our show, they mean this stuff,and that's easy to forget: They're not joking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/when-you-see-people-say-crazy-things-on-our-show-they-mean-this-stuff/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I think Americans still can't help but respond to the natural authority of this voice. Deep down they long to be told what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-think-americans-still-can-t-help-but-respond-to-the-natural/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I think I'm just a summer fling that people will soon forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-think-i-m-just-a-summer-fling-that-people-will-soon-forget/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I guess the tone of jokes is often, at best, irreverent, but it always comes from a place of deep love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-guess-the-tone-of-jokes-is-often-at-best-irreverent-but-it-always/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I'm always interested in audience interaction. Not so much aggressive audience interaction - I'm genuinely interested in how people see things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-m-always-interested-in-audience-interaction-not-so-much-aggressive/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I do one accent - my own. I can make it louder or quieter. That is the sum total of my vocal range. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-do-one-accent-my-own-i-can-make-it-louder-or-quieter-that-is-the/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [If you work on a comedy show, your basic form of communication is teasing. That's generally how we speak to each other: you communicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/if-you-work-on-a-comedy-show-your-basic-form-of-communication-is/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I know I'd be an absolutely horrendous politician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-know-i-d-be-an-absolutely-horrendous-politician/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [Anybody who claims to be excited for April Fools' Day is probably a sociopath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/anybody-who-claims-to-be-excited-for-april-fools-day-is-probably-a/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [Pumpkin spice lattes are egg nog for morning people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/pumpkin-spice-lattes-are-egg-nog-for-morning-people/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I've made so many people angry that they kind of blur into one unpleasant memory of people staring at you with somewhere between passive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-ve-made-so-many-people-angry-that-they-kind-of-blur-into-one/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [Armando Iannucci is one of my heroes. As I was growing up, he was probably the most influential comic voice that I had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/armando-iannucci-is-one-of-my-heroes-as-i-was-growing-up-he-was/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) [Explore all 143 John Oliver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [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/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You have to do stand-up quite a long time before you learn how to do it well. 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