--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think there would be many jokes…" description: "\"I don't think there would be many jokes, if there weren't constant frustration and fear and so forth. It's a response to bad troubles like crime.\" — Ku..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/kurt-vonnegut-41_constant_i-don-t-think-there-would-be-many-jokes_2014840.jpg" --- # I don't think there would be many jokes, if there weren't… ![“I don't think there would be many jokes, if there weren't constant frustration and fear and so forth. It's a response to bad troubles like crime.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/kurt-vonnegut-41_constant_i-don-t-think-there-would-be-many-jokes_2014840.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/kurt-vonnegut-41_constant_i-don-t-think-there-would-be-many-jokes_2014840.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/kurt-vonnegut-41_constant_i-don-t-think-there-would-be-many-jokes_2014840.jpg) > “I don't think there would be many jokes, if there weren't constant frustration and fear and so forth. It's a response to bad troubles like crime.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jokes arise from constant frustration and fear; humor is a coping mechanism for societal problems. **In simple terms:** Humor springs from fear and frustration. Key Takeaway Use humor to confront issues. Themes humor frustration society Mood wry thoughtful Type satirical observational When to use this quote - politics - crime - daily stress Key Concepts satire psychology Questions to Reflect On - What issues do you joke about? - Can humor inspire change? A Different Perspective Humor may downplay seriousness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Frustration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frustration/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I think jokes are a perfectly viable form of literature. Some critics take issue with me because I make my points and discuss my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-think-jokes-are-a-perfectly-viable-form-of-literature-some-critics/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The inside jokes weren't jokes anymore. they had become stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/the-inside-jokes-weren-t-jokes-anymore-they-had-become-stories/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I worked with a comic at the Apollo, and his jokes weren't so good. So people used to bring groceries to the Apollo, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-uggams/i-worked-with-a-comic-at-the-apollo-and-his-jokes-weren-t-so-good-so/) [Leslie Uggams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-uggams/) > [For 35 years, I was a writer. I wrote a lot of jokes. Some of them weren't funny. Some of them weren't appropriate. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/for-35-years-i-was-a-writer-i-wrote-a-lot-of-jokes-some-of-them-weren/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I realized, in removing or rewriting these jokes, that often the jokes weren't done or that I was using, for me, the curse words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/i-realized-in-removing-or-rewriting-these-jokes-that-often-the-jokes/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [The inside jokes weren't jokes anymore. They had become stories. Nobody brought up the bad names or the bad times. And nobody felt sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/the-inside-jokes-weren-t-jokes-anymore-they-had-become-stories-nobody/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I always think about my jokes as like I'm driving down a street, trying to go into all the culs-de-sacs along the way. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wolf/i-always-think-about-my-jokes-as-like-i-m-driving-down-a-street/) [Michelle Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wolf/) > [There are just some things that I don't think jokes are good for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/there-are-just-some-things-that-i-don-t-think-jokes-are-good-for/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [My medication must be wearing off I'm starting to think my jokes are funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/my-medication-must-be-wearing-off-i-m-starting-to-think-my-jokes-are/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [If somebody said about me, 'I don't think his jokes are good, I don't think he's a good comedian,' I don't like to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/if-somebody-said-about-me-i-don-t-think-his-jokes-are-good-i-don-t/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [I look at some 'Fast Shows' now and I just think, 'Where are the jokes?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-whitehouse/i-look-at-some-fast-shows-now-and-i-just-think-where-are-the-jokes/) [Paul Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-whitehouse/) > [I think one of my first jokes - in the black community, there's people who have jokes about skin tone. People like, 'You so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannibal-buress/i-think-one-of-my-first-jokes-in-the-black-community-there-s-people/) [Hannibal Buress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannibal-buress/) > [I think jokes can actually go to places that drama can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/i-think-jokes-can-actually-go-to-places-that-drama-can-t/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [I think jokes on colour or body shaming shouldn't be made. It's not funny to crack such jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhika-apte/i-think-jokes-on-colour-or-body-shaming-shouldn-t-be-made-it-s-not/) [Radhika Apte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhika-apte/) > [I think the jokes would have been a bit broader and a bit more obvious in terms of the day-to-day of country life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/i-think-the-jokes-would-have-been-a-bit-broader-and-a-bit-more/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## 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 don't think there would be many jokes, if there weren't constant frustration and fear and so forth. It's a response to bad troubles like crime.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-don-t-think-there-would-be-many-jokes-if-there-weren-t-constant/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-don-t-think-there-would-be-many-jokes-if-there-weren-t-constant/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/kurt-vonnegut-41_constant_i-don-t-think-there-would-be-many-jokes_2014840.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/kurt-vonnegut-41_constant_i-don-t-think-there-would-be-many-jokes_2014840.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/kurt-vonnegut-41_constant_i-don-t-think-there-would-be-many-jokes_2014840.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't think there would be many jokes, if there weren't constant frustration and fear and so forth. It's a…” — Kurt Vonnegut", "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": "Kurt Vonnegut", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't think there would be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-don-t-think-there-would-be-many-jokes-if-there-weren-t-constant/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-don-t-think-there-would-be-many-jokes-if-there-weren-t-constant/#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 } } ] } ```