---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At first, I only laughed at myself. Then…"
description: "\"At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally good mood ever since.\" — Marilyn vos Savant"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_amusing_at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i_3090102.png"
---

#  At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that…

![“At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally good mood ever since.” quote by Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_amusing_at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i_3090102.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_amusing_at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i_3090102.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_amusing_at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i_3090102.png)

> “At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally good mood ever since.”

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

## About This Quote

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

Laughing at oneself reveals life's inherent humor, leading to a lasting positive outlook.

**In simple terms:** Self‑laughing creates a good mood.

Key Takeaway

Embrace humor to improve daily mood.

Themes

humor self‑acceptance positivity

Mood

lighthearted optimistic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- stressful work
- social interactions
- personal setbacks

Key Concepts

psychology mindfulness well‑being

Questions to Reflect On

- How can humor help you cope with challenges?
- When does humor become avoidance?

A Different Perspective

Humor may mask deeper issues if overused.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Amusing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amusing/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Good mood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-mood/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-itself/) [Mood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mood/)

## Related quotes

> [At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i-noticed-that-life-itself-is/)

[Marilyn Vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [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/)

> [ In the first place, \[his eyes\] never laughed when he laughed. Have you ever noticed this peculiarity some people have? It is either the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-first-place-his-eyes-never-laughed-when-he-laughed-have-you/)

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

> [You know I had rather be laughed at than not to be noticed at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/you-know-i-had-rather-be-laughed-at-than-not-to-be-noticed-at-all/)

[P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/)

> [Life's more amusing than we thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/life-s-more-amusing-than-we-thought/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [“I cannot suppose there is anybody here who would think it either a good life, or an amusing one, to sit with one's hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/i-cannot-suppose-there-is-anybody-here-who-would-think-it-either-a/)

[William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/)

> [When you're in a good mood, bring up the past. When you're in a bad mood, stick to the present. And when you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/when-you-re-in-a-good-mood-bring-up-the-past-when-you-re-in-a-bad/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [Paul Lucas had a particularly amusing accent, so I chuckled. That was terrible; I shouldn't have done that, but he took it too big.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-wray/paul-lucas-had-a-particularly-amusing-accent-so-i-chuckled-that-was/)

[Fay Wray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-wray/)

> [It would be quite amusing to preach a bit to all those people who for many years now have been looking at our paintings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edvard-munch/it-would-be-quite-amusing-to-preach-a-bit-to-all-those-people-who-for/)

[Edvard Munch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edvard-munch/)

> [Sometimes I write from personal experience, but so much depends on what mood I'm in. If I'm in a good mood, I'll write happier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orianthi/sometimes-i-write-from-personal-experience-but-so-much-depends-on/)

[Orianthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orianthi/)

> [The one thing I will say about Russ is that he was probably one of my favorite teammates I've ever had. Always in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-reaves/the-one-thing-i-will-say-about-russ-is-that-he-was-probably-one-of-my/)

[Austin Reaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-reaves/)

> [Tris," he says. "What did they do to you? You're acting like a lunatic." "That's not very nice of you to say," I say.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/tris-he-says-what-did-they-do-to-you-you-re-acting-like-a-lunatic/)

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

> [Its funny how things change my mood so quickly, one minute I'm happy and in a good mood, next thing you know I'm depressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-funny-how-things-change-my-mood-so-quickly-one-minute-i-m-happy/)

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

> [“You're scary when you're in a good mood, you know that ?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/you-re-scary-when-you-re-in-a-good-mood-you-know-that/)

[J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/)

> [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. It's like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricky/sometimes-i-m-in-a-bad-mood-sometimes-i-m-in-a-good-mood-it-s-like/)

[Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricky/)

## More by Marilyn vos Savant

> [There's plenty of intelligence in the world, but the courage to do things differently is in short supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/there-s-plenty-of-intelligence-in-the-world-but-the-courage-to-do/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [Society needs people who can manage projects in addition to handling individual tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/society-needs-people-who-can-manage-projects-in-addition-to-handling/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [If you never heard opportunity knock, maybe you're never at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/if-you-never-heard-opportunity-knock-maybe-you-re-never-at-home/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [Email, instant messaging, and cell phones give us fabulous communication ability, but because we live and work in our own little worlds, that communication…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/email-instant-messaging-and-cell-phones-give-us-fabulous/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [Experts say you can't concentrate on more than one task at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/experts-say-you-can-t-concentrate-on-more-than-one-task-at-a-time/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [“If your head tells you one thing and your heart tells you another ,before you do anything,you should first decide wether you have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/if-your-head-tells-you-one-thing-and-your-heart-tells-you-another/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [What is the essence of America? Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom 'to' and freedom 'from.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/what-is-the-essence-of-america-finding-and-maintaining-that-perfect/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [It is a lot easier to prove that you don't love someone than it is to prove that you do, but one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/it-is-a-lot-easier-to-prove-that-you-don-t-love-someone-than-it-is-to/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [I suspect that some apparently homosexual people are really heterosexuals who deeply phobic about the opposite sex or have other emotional problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/i-suspect-that-some-apparently-homosexual-people-are-really/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [A friend is someone who stays by your side all through the troubles he's caused you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/a-friend-is-someone-who-stays-by-your-side-all-through-the-troubles/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [Loving behavior contributes to the group at the expense of the individual. Competition contributes to the survival of the individual at the expense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/loving-behavior-contributes-to-the-group-at-the-expense-of-the/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [Be able to suffer wearing a necktie or slightly high heels for an entire evening without complaint or early removal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/be-able-to-suffer-wearing-a-necktie-or-slightly-high-heels-for-an/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [Be able to describe anything visual, such as a street scene, in words that convey your meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/be-able-to-describe-anything-visual-such-as-a-street-scene-in-words/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [Be able to sneeze without sounding ridiculous. That means neither stifling yourself or spraying your immediate vicinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/be-able-to-sneeze-without-sounding-ridiculous-that-means-neither/)

[Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

> [At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i-noticed-that-life-itself-is/)

[Marilyn Vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

[Explore all 149 Marilyn vos Savant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/)

## More Amusing quotes

> [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [By amusing myself with all these games, all this nonsense, all these picture puzzles, I became famous... I am only a public entertainer who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/by-amusing-myself-with-all-these-games-all-this-nonsense-all-these/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

> [I was reading Neil Postman's 'Amusing Ourselves to Death'. It's one of my favourites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-faiyaz/i-was-reading-neil-postman-s-amusing-ourselves-to-death-it-s-one-of/)

[Brent Faiyaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-faiyaz/)

> [People of our time are losing the power of celebration. Instead of celebrating we seek to be amused or entertained. Celebration is an active…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-joshua-heschel/people-of-our-time-are-losing-the-power-of-celebration-instead-of/)

[Abraham Joshua Heschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-joshua-heschel/)

> [No one survives in times of war unless they make war their home. How did I get so old and wise, but for welcoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/no-one-survives-in-times-of-war-unless-they-make-war-their-home-how/)

[Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/)

> [Funny things tend not to happen to me. I am not a natural comic. I need to think about things a lot before I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/funny-things-tend-not-to-happen-to-me-i-am-not-a-natural-comic-i-need/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [ \[A\]n Obama presidency would be an amusing approximation of the Carter administration, complete with vaporous moralizing and foreign policy bungling. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-tyrrell/a-n-obama-presidency-would-be-an-amusing-approximation-of-the-carter/)

[Emmett Tyrrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-tyrrell/)

> [It's amusing how arrogant people can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-amusing-how-arrogant-people-can-be/)

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

> [Men are not amusing during the shooting season; but, after all, my dear, men were not especially designed to amuse women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/men-are-not-amusing-during-the-shooting-season-but-after-all-my-dear/)

[Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/)

> [All men are fools, if truth be told, but the ones in motley are more amusing than ones with crowns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-men-are-fools-if-truth-be-told-but-the-ones-in-motley-are-more/)

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

> [Most poetry is the utterance of a man in some state of passion, love, joy, grief, rage, etc., and no doubt this is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/most-poetry-is-the-utterance-of-a-man-in-some-state-of-passion-love/)

[W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/)

> [It's always amusing to see how much less the political class knows than the rest of us do. ... it's never occurred to \[the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-d-cox/it-s-always-amusing-to-see-how-much-less-the-political-class-knows/)

Stephen D. Cox

> [Are there bears in these mountains?" he asked. His companion nodded. "Of course. But it's a bit early in the year for them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/are-there-bears-in-these-mountains-he-asked-his-companion-nodded-of/)

[John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/)

> [I always find it amusing to overhear women who have never had babies discussing what a pregnant chick should 'look' like at a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catt-sadler/i-always-find-it-amusing-to-overhear-women-who-have-never-had-babies/)

[Catt Sadler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catt-sadler/)

> [The generation of random numbers is too important to be left to chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-coveyou/the-generation-of-random-numbers-is-too-important-to-be-left-to-chance/)

Robert Coveyou

[Browse all 436 Amusing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amusing/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally good mood ever since.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Marilyn vos Savant"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i-noticed-that-life-itself-is-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Amusing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i-noticed-that-life-itself-is-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_amusing_at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i_3090102.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_amusing_at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i_3090102.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/469/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_amusing_at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i_3090102.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally…” — Marilyn vos Savant",
                "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": "Marilyn vos Savant",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "At first, I only laughed at...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i-noticed-that-life-itself-is-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i-noticed-that-life-itself-is-2/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
