--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that humor is part of what saves…" description: "\"I think that humor is part of what saves us from despair.\" — John Perry Barlow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/john-perry-barlow-9208_comedy_i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves_391496.jpg" --- # I think that humor is part of what saves us from despair. ![“I think that humor is part of what saves us from despair.” quote by John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/john-perry-barlow-9208_comedy_i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves_391496.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/john-perry-barlow-9208_comedy_i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves_391496.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/john-perry-barlow-9208_comedy_i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves_391496.jpg) > “I think that humor is part of what saves us from despair.” [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor acts as a coping mechanism, helping people endure hardship by providing perspective. **In simple terms:** Humor helps us cope with hardship. Key Takeaway Use humor to lighten tough situations. Themes humor resilience psychology Mood reflective lighthearted Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - stressful work - personal loss - political satire - team building Key Concepts cognitive reframing social bonding Questions to Reflect On - When has humor helped you through a crisis? - What are the limits of humor in serious contexts? A Different Perspective Humor can be misinterpreted or offend if not sensitive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ## Related quotes > [A sense of humor saves your life, and being able to make friends wherever you go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-o-mara/a-sense-of-humor-saves-your-life-and-being-able-to-make-friends/) [Jason O'Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-o-mara/) > [“As you proceed through life, following your own path, birds will shit on you. Don't bother to brush it off. Getting a comedic view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/as-you-proceed-through-life-following-your-own-path-birds-will-shit/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [Among animals, one has a sense of humor. Humor saves a few steps, it saves years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/among-animals-one-has-a-sense-of-humor-humor-saves-a-few-steps-it/) [Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/) > [But, through the shift of mood and mood, Mine ancient humor saves him whole The cynic devil in his blood That bids him mock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/but-through-the-shift-of-mood-and-mood-mine-ancient-humor-saves-him/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [I sometimes think humor and satire are more effective techniques for expressing social statements than direct comment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hunter/i-sometimes-think-humor-and-satire-are-more-effective-techniques-for/) [Kristin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hunter/) > [I think humor is warmer, and wit is colder. Wit is judgment, whereas humor invites some sort of response.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-think-humor-is-warmer-and-wit-is-colder-wit-is-judgment-whereas/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I think that humor has become a principle means of communication among Americans about politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-think-that-humor-has-become-a-principle-means-of-communication/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I can't fall apart every time I mention that my mother's gone. I actually laugh about stories or things or situations. Of course there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-domingo/i-can-t-fall-apart-every-time-i-mention-that-my-mother-s-gone-i/) [Colman Domingo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-domingo/) > [I think humor is actually a very serious thing. I think the people who shaped culture, for the better, in the last 50 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lurie/i-think-humor-is-actually-a-very-serious-thing-i-think-the-people-who/) [John Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lurie/) > [I think humor is a very serious thing. I use it as a way of weakening the reader's defenses so that I can more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-collins/i-think-humor-is-a-very-serious-thing-i-use-it-as-a-way-of-weakening/) [William Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-collins/) > [I think the humor, when applied in the right amount, only serves to intensify the other emotions in a given song; it highlights them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grant/i-think-the-humor-when-applied-in-the-right-amount-only-serves-to/) [John Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grant/) > [I don't think that in humor and jokes, in whatever way they are done, there is any kind of disrespect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajpal-yadav/i-don-t-think-that-in-humor-and-jokes-in-whatever-way-they-are-done/) [Rajpal Yadav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajpal-yadav/) > [There is, I think, humor here which does not translate well from English into sanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/there-is-i-think-humor-here-which-does-not-translate-well-from/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [You don't have to think really hard to get the joke. I think humor in general appeals to all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/you-don-t-have-to-think-really-hard-to-get-the-joke-i-think-humor-in/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I think humor is the social use. You can put anything in it. I think - yes, I speak heavily in analogies - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/i-think-humor-is-the-social-use-you-can-put-anything-in-it-i-think/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) ## More by John Perry Barlow > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [“the first responsibility of a human being is to be a better ancestor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/the-first-responsibility-of-a-human-being-is-to-be-a-better-ancestor/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Our universities are so determined to impose tolerance that they'll expel you for saying what you think and never notice the irony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/our-universities-are-so-determined-to-impose-tolerance-that-they-ll/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [You do not know our culture, our ethics, or the unwritten codes that already provide our society more order than could be obtained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/you-do-not-know-our-culture-our-ethics-or-the-unwritten-codes-that/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [The real issue is control. The Internet is too widespread to be easily dominated by any single government. By creating a seamless global economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/the-real-issue-is-control-the-internet-is-too-widespread-to-be-easily/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I don't know that I believe in the supernatural, but I do believe in miracles, and our time together was filled with the events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-don-t-know-that-i-believe-in-the-supernatural-but-i-do-believe-in/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I'm a member of that half of the human race which is inclined to divide the human race into two kinds of people. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-m-a-member-of-that-half-of-the-human-race-which-is-inclined-to/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I ... believe that angels, or something like them, sometimes live among us, hidden within our fellow human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-believe-that-angels-or-something-like-them-sometimes-live-among-us/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I personally think intellectual property is an oxymoron. Physical objects have a completely different natural economy than intellectual goods. It's a tricky thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-personally-think-intellectual-property-is-an-oxymoron-physical/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Any powerful technology has sauce for the goose and the gander... It's just an extension of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/any-powerful-technology-has-sauce-for-the-goose-and-the-gander-it-s/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Art is a service, not a product. Created beauty is a relationship, and a relationship with the Holy at that. Reducing such work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/art-is-a-service-not-a-product-created-beauty-is-a-relationship-and-a/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [We will create a civilization of the Mind in Cyberspace. May it be more humane and fair than the world your governments have made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/we-will-create-a-civilization-of-the-mind-in-cyberspace-may-it-be/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Incompetence is a double-edged banana.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/incompetence-is-a-double-edged-banana/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [The first serious infowar is now engaged. The field of battle is WikiLeaks. You are the troops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/the-first-serious-infowar-is-now-engaged-the-field-of-battle-is/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Google, Amazon, Apple. Any number of cloud providers and computer service providers who can increasingly limit your access to your own information, control all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/google-amazon-apple-any-number-of-cloud-providers-and-computer/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) [Explore all 74 John Perry Barlow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) ## 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": "I think that humor is part of what saves us from despair.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Perry Barlow" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves-us-from-despair/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves-us-from-despair/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/john-perry-barlow-9208_comedy_i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves_391496.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/john-perry-barlow-9208_comedy_i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves_391496.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/john-perry-barlow-9208_comedy_i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves_391496.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think that humor is part of what saves us from despair.” — John Perry Barlow", "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": "John Perry Barlow", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think that humor is part...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves-us-from-despair/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves-us-from-despair/#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 } } ] } ```