---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Laughing and crying are very similar…"
description: "\"Laughing and crying are very similar. Sometimes people go from laughing to crying, or crying to laughing. I remember being at someone's wedding and she..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/lynne-tillman-5609_ceremony_laughing-and-crying-are-very-similar-som_170006.png"
---

#  Laughing and crying are very similar. Sometimes people go…

![“Laughing and crying are very similar. Sometimes people go from laughing to crying, or crying to laughing. I remember being at someone's wedding and she couldn't stop laughing, through the whole ceremony. If she'd been crying, it would have seemed more &quot;normal,&quot; though.” quote by Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/lynne-tillman-5609_ceremony_laughing-and-crying-are-very-similar-som_170006.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/lynne-tillman-5609_ceremony_laughing-and-crying-are-very-similar-som_170006.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/lynne-tillman-5609_ceremony_laughing-and-crying-are-very-similar-som_170006.png)

> “Laughing and crying are very similar. Sometimes people go from laughing to crying, or crying to laughing. I remember being at someone's wedding and she couldn't stop laughing, through the whole ceremony. If she'd been crying, it would have seemed more "normal," though.”

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Emotions of joy and sorrow are closely linked, often shifting quickly and unexpectedly.

**In simple terms:** Laughter and crying are alike and can switch fast.

Key Takeaway

Notice how quickly feelings can change.

Themes

emotion human experience contrasts

Mood

reflective empathetic

Type

observational personal

When to use this quote

- weddings
- personal crises
- public events
- social gatherings

Key Concepts

psychology affect theory

Questions to Reflect On

- What triggers your sudden emotional switches?
- How do you respond when joy turns to sadness?

A Different Perspective

Not all emotional shifts are healthy; they may mask deeper issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ceremony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceremony/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

## Related quotes

> [I think going from laughing to crying to laughing to crying - making those quick turns adds years to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-think-going-from-laughing-to-crying-to-laughing-to-crying-making/)

[Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/)

> [“... it looked at me as it passed, smiling in that crazy-happy way that dogs do. And I started laughing. I mean, how can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/em-bailey/it-looked-at-me-as-it-passed-smiling-in-that-crazy-happy-way-that/)

[Em Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/em-bailey/)

> [Crying is as normal as smiling or screaming in joy after a win. I would love to see a world where crying and emotions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iga-swiatek/crying-is-as-normal-as-smiling-or-screaming-in-joy-after-a-win-i/)

[Iga Swiatek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iga-swiatek/)

> [I told my dad I am learning to touch type and he said he still uses the 'hunt and peck' technique. And now I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/i-told-my-dad-i-am-learning-to-touch-type-and-he-said-he-still-uses/)

[Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/)

> [Just need you to hold me so tightly, when I'll end up laughing and crying at the same time..lol ..love sucks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhumika/just-need-you-to-hold-me-so-tightly-when-i-ll-end-up-laughing-and/)

[Bhumika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhumika/)

> [“If neither crying nor laughing can change my circumstances, then I rather go through them laughing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moffat-machingura/if-neither-crying-nor-laughing-can-change-my-circumstances-then-i/)

[Moffat Machingura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moffat-machingura/)

> [“Jesus has to be crying up there somewhere. Or laughing hysterically. I can't figure out which one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-banks/jesus-has-to-be-crying-up-there-somewhere-or-laughing-hysterically-i/)

[Maya Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-banks/)

> [Valerie was crying, too. She was laughing and sniffling back sobs. “I’m going to marry my snuggy wuggums,” she said. Morelli paused, his fork…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/valerie-was-crying-too-she-was-laughing-and-sniffling-back-sobs-i-m/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [Going from crying to laughing that fast and hard happens maybe five times in your life and that extreme right turn is the reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/going-from-crying-to-laughing-that-fast-and-hard-happens-maybe-five/)

[Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/)

> [“we will spend this long afternoon crying and laughing at the same time, so that i can no longer tell which one is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-asher/we-will-spend-this-long-afternoon-crying-and-laughing-at-the-same/)

[Bridget Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-asher/)

> [“The crying that is done in this world is due to wrong understanding and the laughing is also due to wrong understanding. This world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/the-crying-that-is-done-in-this-world-is-due-to-wrong-understanding/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [When I'm writing, I look like a fool because the parts are moving through me and I'm crying and laughing and making faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-kazan/when-i-m-writing-i-look-like-a-fool-because-the-parts-are-moving/)

[Zoe Kazan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-kazan/)

> [There may be a smile on my face, but inside I'm crying. I may be laughing, but inside I'm dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-may-be-a-smile-on-my-face-but-inside-i-m-crying-i-may-be/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Sometimes crying or laughing are the only options left, and laughing feels better right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/sometimes-crying-or-laughing-are-the-only-options-left-and-laughing/)

[Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/)

> [“If you're laughing,you are not crying,even though they look similar.And that works for me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-borchard/if-you-re-laughing-you-are-not-crying-even-though-they-look-similar/)

Therese Borchard

## More by Lynne Tillman

> [There may be an art to conversation, and some are better at it than others, but conversation's virtue lies in randomness and possibility: people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/there-may-be-an-art-to-conversation-and-some-are-better-at-it-than/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [I'd studied English literature and American history, but the English literature, which I thought was going to be helpful to me in an immediate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-d-studied-english-literature-and-american-history-but-the-english/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [I subject my sentences and the words to a kind of Grand Inquisition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-subject-my-sentences-and-the-words-to-a-kind-of-grand-inquisition/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [ \[Reality\] isn't simply the so-called world that you're in. Your reality is a much larger one that takes in all matter of identification and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/reality-isn-t-simply-the-so-called-world-that-you-re-in-your-reality/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [I write about what I'm thinking about. I write about what is bothering me or what is a political, aesthetic, or ethical issue or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-write-about-what-i-m-thinking-about-i-write-about-what-is-bothering/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [My friends and I sometimes laugh at each other that there is so much maintenance of a body. I paid no attention when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/my-friends-and-i-sometimes-laugh-at-each-other-that-there-is-so-much/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [I'm interested in reality but I'm not interested in realism at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-m-interested-in-reality-but-i-m-not-interested-in-realism-at-all/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [In a practical sense, pain kept me from sitting down as much, so that sometimes I would have to stand to write. Not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/in-a-practical-sense-pain-kept-me-from-sitting-down-as-much-so-that/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [I'm bothered, as a reader, when I feel the writer is filling in too much. Again, whether it's nonfiction or fiction, I think writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-m-bothered-as-a-reader-when-i-feel-the-writer-is-filling-in-too/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [It wasn't that I wanted to be an artist. But when I took my first drawing class with the painter Doug Ohlson, I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/it-wasn-t-that-i-wanted-to-be-an-artist-but-when-i-took-my-first/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [I'm interested in reality but I'm not interested in realism at all. I'm interested in the ways that I think people want to relate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/i-m-interested-in-reality-but-i-m-not-interested-in-realism-at-all-i/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [It's true you have to screen out a lot living in the city. I stayed away from New York for a long time after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/it-s-true-you-have-to-screen-out-a-lot-living-in-the-city-i-stayed/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [Kafka wrote the great line: "my education has damaged me in ways I do not even know." And that's always been a signature motto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/kafka-wrote-the-great-line-my-education-has-damaged-me-in-ways-i-do/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [There are lots of unlikable characters in literature. It doesn't mean they're not fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/there-are-lots-of-unlikable-characters-in-literature-it-doesn-t-mean/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

> [People, no matter the economic class, find ways to feed their narcissism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/people-no-matter-the-economic-class-find-ways-to-feed-their-narcissism/)

[Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

[Explore all 100 Lynne Tillman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/)

## More Ceremony quotes

> [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

> [Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things - he never said that gay people should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/jesus-never-said-a-word-about-homosexuality-in-all-of-his-teachings/)

[Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/)

> [It is merely the egoism of the man, who wants to bury a woman like a treasure. All attempts at using vows, contracts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/it-is-merely-the-egoism-of-the-man-who-wants-to-bury-a-woman-like-a/)

[Leopold von Sacher-Masoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/)

> [Layla brought her arms around herself, no doubt because she was remembering the feel of another, stronger set. "I have wanted to, but he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/layla-brought-her-arms-around-herself-no-doubt-because-she-was/)

[J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/)

> [There are ceremonious bows that repel one like a cudgel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/there-are-ceremonious-bows-that-repel-one-like-a-cudgel/)

[Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/)

> [The cocktail party - as the name itself indicates - was originally invented by dogs. They are simply bottom-sniffings raised to the rank of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/the-cocktail-party-as-the-name-itself-indicates-was-originally/)

[Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/)

> [I am unable to distinguish clearly between your religious ceremonies and apparently identical behavior at the sporting and cultural functions you have transmitted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/i-am-unable-to-distinguish-clearly-between-your-religious-ceremonies/)

[Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/)

> [Politics resemble religion; attempting to divest either of ceremony is the most certain mode of bringing either into contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/politics-resemble-religion-attempting-to-divest-either-of-ceremony-is/)

[Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/)

> [Singing at the Opening Ceremonies of the Sydney Olympics in 2000 was amazing and, probably the highlight of this decade is the opening of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/singing-at-the-opening-ceremonies-of-the-sydney-olympics-in-2000-was/)

[Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/)

> [Nostalgia is also a trait of the organizations that I call lodges - everything from corporate cultures to religious sects. Their bonding power often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-james/nostalgia-is-also-a-trait-of-the-organizations-that-i-call-lodges/)

[Jennifer James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-james/)

> [Over the weekend, former Enron executives Jeffrey Skilling and Rebecca Carter married each other during a huge ceremony in Houston. The happy couple is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/over-the-weekend-former-enron-executives-jeffrey-skilling-and-rebecca/)

[Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/)

> [“Japanese tea ceremony,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-berk/japanese-tea-ceremony/)

Sheryl Berk

> [Truth and ceremony are two things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/truth-and-ceremony-are-two-things/)

[Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/)

> [The trappings of a religious cult tend to fall into candlelit ceremonies and robes and group chanting and singing and prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-durkin/the-trappings-of-a-religious-cult-tend-to-fall-into-candlelit/)

[Sean Durkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-durkin/)

> [No known human group... simply throw out its dead without any ritual or ceremony. In stark contrast, no animal practices burial of dead individuals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodosius-dobzhansky/no-known-human-group-simply-throw-out-its-dead-without-any-ritual-or/)

[Theodosius Dobzhansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodosius-dobzhansky/)

[Browse all 534 Ceremony quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceremony/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Laughing and crying are very similar. Sometimes people go from laughing to crying, or crying to laughing. I remember being at someone's wedding and she couldn't stop laughing, through the whole ceremony. If she'd been crying, it would have seemed more \"normal,\" though.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lynne Tillman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/laughing-and-crying-are-very-similar-sometimes-people-go-from/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ceremony"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/laughing-and-crying-are-very-similar-sometimes-people-go-from/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/lynne-tillman-5609_ceremony_laughing-and-crying-are-very-similar-som_170006.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/lynne-tillman-5609_ceremony_laughing-and-crying-are-very-similar-som_170006.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/lynne-tillman-5609_ceremony_laughing-and-crying-are-very-similar-som_170006.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Laughing and crying are very similar. Sometimes people go from laughing to crying, or crying to laughing. I…” — Lynne Tillman",
                "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": "Lynne Tillman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Laughing and crying are very similar....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/laughing-and-crying-are-very-similar-sometimes-people-go-from/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/laughing-and-crying-are-very-similar-sometimes-people-go-from/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
