--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Comedy is an ability to observe and see…" description: "\"Comedy is an ability to observe and see what's funny in a situation and be able to forget yourself enough to do it.\" — Madeline Kahn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/madeline-kahn-29987_ability_comedy-is-an-ability-to-observe-and-see_3089979.jpg" --- # Comedy is an ability to observe and see what's funny in a… ![“Comedy is an ability to observe and see what's funny in a situation and be able to forget yourself enough to do it.” quote by Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/madeline-kahn-29987_ability_comedy-is-an-ability-to-observe-and-see_3089979.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/madeline-kahn-29987_ability_comedy-is-an-ability-to-observe-and-see_3089979.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/madeline-kahn-29987_ability_comedy-is-an-ability-to-observe-and-see_3089979.jpg) > “Comedy is an ability to observe and see what's funny in a situation and be able to forget yourself enough to do it.” [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy arises from observing absurdities and setting aside self‑consciousness to act on them **In simple terms:** Seeing humor requires observation and self‑release Key Takeaway Observe, let go, and create humor Themes creativity observation self‑awareness Mood lighthearted insightful Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - stand‑up - writing - improvisation - team building Key Concepts comedy theory psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you train yourself to observe humor? - What blocks self‑release in performance? A Different Perspective Some may struggle to forget self‑criticism ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ## Related quotes > [I think one of the big things about comedy is the ability for the audience to identify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-king/i-think-one-of-the-big-things-about-comedy-is-the-ability-for-the/) [Alan King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-king/) > [True competence is based on one’s own ability to observe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/true-competence-is-based-on-one-s-own-ability-to-observe/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [True freedom is the ability to observe without resistance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewshycrazyness/true-freedom-is-the-ability-to-observe-without-resistance/) [EwshyCrazyness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewshycrazyness/) > [The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-ability-to-observe-without-evaluating-is-the-highest-form-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The ability to observe without evaluation is the highest form of intelligence.” ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-obear/the-ability-to-observe-without-evaluation-is-the-highest-form-of/) [Kathy Obear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-obear/) > [I always try to find something funny in any situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-arenas/i-always-try-to-find-something-funny-in-any-situation/) [Gilbert Arenas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-arenas/) > [Oftentimes, a funny situation is funny because it's uncomfortable or weird. The most memorable stories, or the stuff that you repeat to your friends,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-reilly/oftentimes-a-funny-situation-is-funny-because-it-s-uncomfortable-or/) [John C. Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-reilly/) > [Portnoy's Complaint' was very far out there, and movies have always worked when you have either a funny situation between two or more people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-d-zanuck/portnoy-s-complaint-was-very-far-out-there-and-movies-have-always/) [Richard D. Zanuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-d-zanuck/) > [“Sometimes, things are sad and unfortunate. 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I also believe. When we come to the other world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/you-re-a-religious-man-you-believe-in-god-and-life-after-death-i-also/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [If you forget yourself, you become the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakuin-ekaku/if-you-forget-yourself-you-become-the-universe/) [Hakuin Ekaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakuin-ekaku/) > [How do you become better tomorrow? By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/how-do-you-become-better-tomorrow-by-improving-yourself-the-world-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/forgetting-your-self-is-the-greatest-injury-all-the-calamities-flow/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) ## More by Madeline Kahn > [In Hollywood I thought I was large and klutzy, like the characters I played,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/in-hollywood-i-thought-i-was-large-and-klutzy-like-the-characters-i/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [“I wanted to be the music.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/i-wanted-to-be-the-music/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [Fun is carefree. I am not carefree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/fun-is-carefree-i-am-not-carefree/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [What's wrong with musicals now is all the gifted men who've died of AIDS-who would otherwise be here today creating great theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/what-s-wrong-with-musicals-now-is-all-the-gifted-men-who-ve-died-of/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [Ah, but the servant waits, while the master baits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/ah-but-the-servant-waits-while-the-master-baits/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [Me, as myself, I don't think I'm particularly funny. But I've noticed that people in my life always have found me amusing. Which, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/me-as-myself-i-don-t-think-i-m-particularly-funny-but-i-ve-noticed/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [From inside where I live, I feel like I just perceive events in a certain rational way. I often find it sad or poignant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/from-inside-where-i-live-i-feel-like-i-just-perceive-events-in-a/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [My mother was a Bohemian - in the good sense of the word. A searcher. And she investigated various religions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/my-mother-was-a-bohemian-in-the-good-sense-of-the-word-a-searcher-and/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [If a scene isn't well written they'll drop your neckline to fill the void.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/if-a-scene-isn-t-well-written-they-ll-drop-your-neckline-to-fill-the/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [I can't even really tell a joke. I find being funny very hard work. I am always asked about it and I feel guilty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/i-can-t-even-really-tell-a-joke-i-find-being-funny-very-hard-work-i/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [I find being funny very hard work. I am always asked about it, and I feel guilty saying that, but it's the truth. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/i-find-being-funny-very-hard-work-i-am-always-asked-about-it-and-i/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [Comedy is created when someone is trying very earnestly to do what he feels is the right thing to do at that moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/comedy-is-created-when-someone-is-trying-very-earnestly-to-do-what-he/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [It's acceptable for men to act the fool. When women try, they're considered aggressive and opinionated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/it-s-acceptable-for-men-to-act-the-fool-when-women-try-they-re/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [I don't like to be my own audience, I find that being my own audience, being in the audience, makes me self-conscious, basically. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/i-don-t-like-to-be-my-own-audience-i-find-that-being-my-own-audience/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) > [“Tell me, schatze, is it twue what they say about the way you people are... gifted? ...Oh, it's twue! It's twue!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/tell-me-schatze-is-it-twue-what-they-say-about-the-way-you-people-are/) [Madeline Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) [Explore all 18 Madeline Kahn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Comedy is an ability to observe and see what's funny in a situation and be able to forget yourself enough to do it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Madeline Kahn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/comedy-is-an-ability-to-observe-and-see-what-s-funny-in-a-situation/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/comedy-is-an-ability-to-observe-and-see-what-s-funny-in-a-situation/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/madeline-kahn-29987_ability_comedy-is-an-ability-to-observe-and-see_3089979.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/madeline-kahn-29987_ability_comedy-is-an-ability-to-observe-and-see_3089979.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/madeline-kahn-29987_ability_comedy-is-an-ability-to-observe-and-see_3089979.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Comedy is an ability to observe and see what's funny in a situation and be able to forget yourself enough to…” — Madeline Kahn", "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": "Madeline Kahn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-kahn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Comedy is an ability to observe...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/comedy-is-an-ability-to-observe-and-see-what-s-funny-in-a-situation/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-kahn/comedy-is-an-ability-to-observe-and-see-what-s-funny-in-a-situation/#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 } } ] } ```