--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I got attention by being funny at school…" description: "\"I got attention by being funny at school, pretending to be retarded, and jumping around with a deformed hand.\" — Leonardo DiCaprio" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/leonardo-dicaprio-997_attention_i-got-attention-by-being-funny-at-school_605199.jpg" --- # I got attention by being funny at school, pretending to be… ![“I got attention by being funny at school, pretending to be retarded, and jumping around with a deformed hand.” quote by Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/leonardo-dicaprio-997_attention_i-got-attention-by-being-funny-at-school_605199.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/leonardo-dicaprio-997_attention_i-got-attention-by-being-funny-at-school_605199.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/leonardo-dicaprio-997_attention_i-got-attention-by-being-funny-at-school_605199.jpg) > “I got attention by being funny at school, pretending to be retarded, and jumping around with a deformed hand.” [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Using humor and exaggerated behavior can attract attention but may risk misunderstanding and stigma. **In simple terms:** Funny acts draw notice; can be risky. Key Takeaway Consider impact before seeking attention. Themes attention humor identity Mood candid critical Type psychological social When to use this quote - school life - media exposure - personal branding - social media Key Concepts social dynamics self‑presentation Questions to Reflect On - What are ethical limits of attention‑seeking? - How does authenticity affect perception? A Different Perspective Humor can be misinterpreted or harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Being funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-funny/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [If no one figures out you are pretending to be retarded, your life will be greeted with treasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mirman/if-no-one-figures-out-you-are-pretending-to-be-retarded-your-life/) [Eugene Mirman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mirman/) > [No, I think I'm bringing something that's fresh and I think people are already paying attention. It's funny because I only did one mixtape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/no-i-think-i-m-bringing-something-that-s-fresh-and-i-think-people-are/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [When I was a kid, I never did funny things to get attention. I was never a funny person. I was never, like, 'Oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/when-i-was-a-kid-i-never-did-funny-things-to-get-attention-i-was/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [(On being a female artist) No, I think I'm bringing something that's fresh and I think people are already paying attention. It's funny because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/on-being-a-female-artist-no-i-think-i-m-bringing-something-that-s/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [“Time interacts with attention in funny ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/time-interacts-with-attention-in-funny-ways/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > ['Alligator' was the first record that anyone paid attention to, and it seemed like it was the screamy songs that got us that attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-berninger/alligator-was-the-first-record-that-anyone-paid-attention-to-and-it/) [Matt Berninger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-berninger/) > [At least I can say no player got as much attention from the Dream Team as I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-kukoc/at-least-i-can-say-no-player-got-as-much-attention-from-the-dream/) [Toni Kukoc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-kukoc/) > [I was sick of people making fun of my hair and so I cut it off and I've got much more attention than ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-was-sick-of-people-making-fun-of-my-hair-and-so-i-cut-it-off-and-i/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [We got everyone's attention, but we didn't solve any environmental problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/we-got-everyone-s-attention-but-we-didn-t-solve-any-environmental/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [If people don't feel they've got your attention, you're not going to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-elliot/if-people-don-t-feel-they-ve-got-your-attention-you-re-not-going-to/) [Ben Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-elliot/) > [I never really got any attention until I was on MTV. I became a household name because I was on every day from 3-4pm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rex/i-never-really-got-any-attention-until-i-was-on-mtv-i-became-a/) [Simon Rex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rex/) > [I've got the attention span of a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/i-ve-got-the-attention-span-of-a-child/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [I have gotten a lot more attention than...other women that I find incredibly beautiful. And this has happened to me ever since I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salma-hayek/i-have-gotten-a-lot-more-attention-than-other-women-that-i-find/) [Salma Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salma-hayek/) > [I came from a big family, with not enough attention. It's classic. I wasn't the baby, but was second to last. It's absolutely the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-tompkins/i-came-from-a-big-family-with-not-enough-attention-it-s-classic-i/) [Paul F. Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-tompkins/) > [I just want to recognize, the HIV epidemic was solved by the community, the HIV advocates and activists who stood up when no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-birx/i-just-want-to-recognize-the-hiv-epidemic-was-solved-by-the-community/) [Deborah Birx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-birx/) ## More by Leonardo DiCaprio > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I've gotten to go to far-off places in the world, have very unique, isolated, intense experiences for four or five months at a time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-ve-gotten-to-go-to-far-off-places-in-the-world-have-very-unique/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [At first I thought I would have to put on an English accent and try a sort of affected Shakespeare thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/at-first-i-thought-i-would-have-to-put-on-an-english-accent-and-try-a/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [It gets to the point where you're hot, you're hot, and when you're not, you're not. It's so true. I have to slow down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/it-gets-to-the-point-where-you-re-hot-you-re-hot-and-when-you-re-not/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I did imitations of anyone who came to my parents' house, and that was my identity at school - if there were ten minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-did-imitations-of-anyone-who-came-to-my-parents-house-and-that-was/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I think people read the tabloids because they want to see you eating a burger, or out of your makeup or doing something stupid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-think-people-read-the-tabloids-because-they-want-to-see-you-eating/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [When I can't immediately define the character, and there's an element of mystery to it and still a lot to be explored, that's when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/when-i-can-t-immediately-define-the-character-and-there-s-an-element/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I remember when I first started having these interpretations of these images, these clichés of what movie stars are and this and that, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-remember-when-i-first-started-having-these-interpretations-of-these/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [It's my first sort of commercial attempt, but it made sense for me because I'm not that kind of guy and I'm not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/it-s-my-first-sort-of-commercial-attempt-but-it-made-sense-for-me/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [We must all move shoulder to shoulder in a unified front to show this administration that the true majority of people are willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/we-must-all-move-shoulder-to-shoulder-in-a-unified-front-to-show-this/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I get unhappy doing things that I'm not passionate about. Because I feel like I'm squandering this incredible gift I've been given to finance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-get-unhappy-doing-things-that-i-m-not-passionate-about-because-i/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I haven't died in a movie in a while,'The Departed,' 'Body of Lies,' 'Revolutionary Road,' 'Shutter Island' and 'Inception.' I guess I did die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-haven-t-died-in-a-movie-in-a-while-the-departed-body-of-lies/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [Obviously people don't want other people to tell them how to think or what to believe, or to tell them what's right politically and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/obviously-people-don-t-want-other-people-to-tell-them-how-to-think-or/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I've always been spontaneous and outgoing... I've tried lots of things so I've got some good life experiences, which is great 'cause it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-ve-always-been-spontaneous-and-outgoing-i-ve-tried-lots-of-things/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) [Explore all 311 Leonardo DiCaprio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I got attention by being funny at school, pretending to be retarded, and jumping around with a deformed hand.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonardo DiCaprio" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-got-attention-by-being-funny-at-school-pretending-to-be-retarded/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-got-attention-by-being-funny-at-school-pretending-to-be-retarded/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/leonardo-dicaprio-997_attention_i-got-attention-by-being-funny-at-school_605199.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/leonardo-dicaprio-997_attention_i-got-attention-by-being-funny-at-school_605199.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/leonardo-dicaprio-997_attention_i-got-attention-by-being-funny-at-school_605199.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I got attention by being funny at school, pretending to be retarded, and jumping around with a deformed hand.” — Leonardo DiCaprio", "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": "Leonardo DiCaprio", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I got attention by being funny...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-got-attention-by-being-funny-at-school-pretending-to-be-retarded/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-got-attention-by-being-funny-at-school-pretending-to-be-retarded/#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 } } ] } ```