--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A joke is not a thing but a process, a…" description: "\"A joke is not a thing but a process, a trick you play on the listener's mind. You start him off toward a plausible goal, and then by a sudden twist you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/max-eastman-21861_comedy_a-joke-is-not-a-thing-but-a-process-a-tr_3020622.jpg" --- # A joke is not a thing but a process, a trick you play on… ![“A joke is not a thing but a process, a trick you play on the listener's mind. You start him off toward a plausible goal, and then by a sudden twist you land him nowhere at all or just where he didn't expect to go.” quote by Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/max-eastman-21861_comedy_a-joke-is-not-a-thing-but-a-process-a-tr_3020622.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/max-eastman-21861_comedy_a-joke-is-not-a-thing-but-a-process-a-tr_3020622.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/max-eastman-21861_comedy_a-joke-is-not-a-thing-but-a-process-a-tr_3020622.jpg) > “A joke is not a thing but a process, a trick you play on the listener's mind. You start him off toward a plausible goal, and then by a sudden twist you land him nowhere at all or just where he didn't expect to go.” [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor works by leading expectations then subverting them, creating surprise. **In simple terms:** Jokes surprise by twisting expectations. Key Takeaway Use surprise for humor. Themes humor psychology communication Mood playful clever Type comedic educational When to use this quote - stand‑up - writing - teaching Key Concepts cognitive bias storytelling Questions to Reflect On - What surprise makes you laugh? - How can you balance surprise with empathy? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on shock can alienate audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goal Sudden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal-sudden-4888576/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [Joke Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke-thing-427895/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/land/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Plausible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plausible/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Trick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trick/) [Trick Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trick-play-1441750/) ## Related quotes > [I saw Cheap Trick play 'In Color,' and it was awesome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-alexakis/i-saw-cheap-trick-play-in-color-and-it-was-awesome/) [Art Alexakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-alexakis/) > [You don't beat football teams like Nebraska with a trick play. They're too well-coached, too well-disciplined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-corso/you-don-t-beat-football-teams-like-nebraska-with-a-trick-play-they-re/) [Lee Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-corso/) > [People try to put ownership on things: 'That's mine, that's my joke.' No such thing. Like if you tripped or stumbled and people go,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/people-try-to-put-ownership-on-things-that-s-mine-that-s-my-joke-no/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [When you play football, you want to see something like a trick play or something that is very exciting. You want to give the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juju-smith-schuster/when-you-play-football-you-want-to-see-something-like-a-trick-play-or/) [JuJu Smith-Schuster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juju-smith-schuster/) > [When you haven't got a job, a joke is about the only thing that's free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-beaufoy/when-you-haven-t-got-a-job-a-joke-is-about-the-only-thing-that-s-free/) [Simon Beaufoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-beaufoy/) > [That's the Irish all over -- they treat a joke as a serious thing and a serious thing as a joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-o-casey/that-s-the-irish-all-over-they-treat-a-joke-as-a-serious-thing-and-a/) [Sean O'Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-o-casey/) > [A joke's a very serious thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-churchill/a-joke-s-a-very-serious-thing/) [Charles Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-churchill/) > [It was that famous joke: What's the last thing the drummer said before he got kicked out of the band? 'Hey, I wrote a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/it-was-that-famous-joke-what-s-the-last-thing-the-drummer-said-before/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [When I was a kid and getting paid to stand in front of a camera. I used to spend a lot of my time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-hayden/when-i-was-a-kid-and-getting-paid-to-stand-in-front-of-a-camera-i/) [Sterling Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-hayden/) > [A joke is a very serious thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/a-joke-is-a-very-serious-thing/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Great use they have, when in the hands Of one like me, who understands, Who understands the time and place, The person, manner, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-churchill/great-use-they-have-when-in-the-hands-of-one-like-me-who-understands/) [Charles Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-churchill/) > [The plausible outcomes range from the gradual and benign to the more precipitous and damaging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-geithner/the-plausible-outcomes-range-from-the-gradual-and-benign-to-the-more/) [Timothy Geithner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-geithner/) > [As in the instances of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and other such popular creeds, political economy, has a plausible idea at the root of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/as-in-the-instances-of-alchemy-astrology-witchcraft-and-other-such/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It is also plausible that those movements with the greatest inner contradiction and between profession and practice - that is to say with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-also-plausible-that-those-movements-with-the-greatest-inner/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [It is often sadly remarked that the bad economists present their errors to the public better than the good economists present their truths. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/it-is-often-sadly-remarked-that-the-bad-economists-present-their/) [Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/) ## More by Max Eastman > [The defining function of the artist is to cherish consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/the-defining-function-of-the-artist-is-to-cherish-consciousness/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [People who demand neutrality in any situation are usually not neutral but in favor of the status quo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/people-who-demand-neutrality-in-any-situation-are-usually-not-neutral/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [I don't know why it is we are in such a hurry to get up when we fall down. You might think we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/i-don-t-know-why-it-is-we-are-in-such-a-hurry-to-get-up-when-we-fall/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [There is something self-defeating in the too-conscious pursuit of pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/there-is-something-self-defeating-in-the-too-conscious-pursuit-of/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [If one were loyal to one's nation only because it was good and true ... one would not be loyal to any nation but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/if-one-were-loyal-to-one-s-nation-only-because-it-was-good-and-true/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [Laughter is, after speech, the chief thing that holds society together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/laughter-is-after-speech-the-chief-thing-that-holds-society-together/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [Humor is the instinct for taking pain playfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/humor-is-the-instinct-for-taking-pain-playfully/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [A smile is the universal welcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/a-smile-is-the-universal-welcome/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/it-is-the-ability-to-take-a-joke-not-make-one-that-proves-you-have-a/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails. What puts man in a higher state of evolution is that he has got his laugh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/dogs-laugh-but-they-laugh-with-their-tails-what-puts-man-in-a-higher/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [Classic art was the art of necessity: modern romantic art bears the stamp of caprice and chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/classic-art-was-the-art-of-necessity-modern-romantic-art-bears-the/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [ He \[P.G.Wodehouse\] is I believe, the only man living who speaks with equal fluency the American and English languages. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/he-p-g-wodehouse-is-i-believe-the-only-man-living-who-speaks-with/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [Robert Benchley has a style that is weak and lies down frequently to rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/robert-benchley-has-a-style-that-is-weak-and-lies-down-frequently-to/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [Laughter puts your brain, your central nervous system and your whole being into a state of free play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/laughter-puts-your-brain-your-central-nervous-system-and-your-whole/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) > [Humor is a kind of emotional chaos told about calmly and quietly in retrospect.There is always a laugh in the utterly familiar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-eastman/humor-is-a-kind-of-emotional-chaos-told-about-calmly-and-quietly-in/) [Max Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) [Explore all 28 Max Eastman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-eastman/) ## 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": "A joke is not a thing but a process, a trick you play on the listener's mind. 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