--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some things are so serious, they can only…" description: "\"Some things are so serious, they can only be joked about.\" — Niels Bohr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/niels-bohr-4542_comedy_some-things-are-so-serious-they-can-only_2869789.png" --- # Some things are so serious, they can only be joked about. ![“Some things are so serious, they can only be joked about.” quote by Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/niels-bohr-4542_comedy_some-things-are-so-serious-they-can-only_2869789.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/niels-bohr-4542_comedy_some-things-are-so-serious-they-can-only_2869789.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/niels-bohr-4542_comedy_some-things-are-so-serious-they-can-only_2869789.png) > “Some things are so serious, they can only be joked about.” [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Serious topics sometimes require humor to be approachable and to reveal truth. **In simple terms:** Serious matters need humor. Key Takeaway Use humor to discuss tough issues. Themes humor seriousness truth Mood reflective wry Type philosophical satirical When to use this quote - political debate - medical ethics - education - media commentary Key Concepts philosophy psychology communication Questions to Reflect On - When does humor help versus hurt? - How can jokes reveal deeper truths? A Different Perspective Humor can trivialize important concerns if misused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Joked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joked-651129/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Things Joked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-joked-3920168/) ## Related quotes > [I joked recently that I thought 30 seconds a day for three years would be the best way to enjoy it, and I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-hurwitz/i-joked-recently-that-i-thought-30-seconds-a-day-for-three-years/) [Mitchell Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-hurwitz/) > [I joked about every prominent man of my time, but I never met a man I didn't like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-joked-about-every-prominent-man-of-my-time-but-i-never-met-a-man-i/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I remember after I dated this white man, nobody said anything but there was a couple of men in my family that joked after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanaa-lathan/i-remember-after-i-dated-this-white-man-nobody-said-anything-but/) [Sanaa Lathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanaa-lathan/) > [“Can't you ever get off for good behavior?" he joked. "Sure," I called over my shoulder. "If I was ever good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/can-t-you-ever-get-off-for-good-behavior-he-joked-sure-i-called-over/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“My personal favorite was watching him play The Game of Life. It’s like the stupidest game ever, but he was thrilled with every turn.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-oram/my-personal-favorite-was-watching-him-play-the-game-of-life-it-s-like/) [Kelly Oram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-oram/) > [“I glared at Shane, who gave me an innocent look. With the most serious expression I could make, I joked, “Some of my close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-zolendz/i-glared-at-shane-who-gave-me-an-innocent-look-with-the-most-serious/) [Christine Zolendz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-zolendz/) > [Can you ever get off for good behavior?" he joked. I gave him what I hoped was a seductive smile as I found my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/can-you-ever-get-off-for-good-behavior-he-joked-i-gave-him-what-i/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [often when I thought I joked, I told the truth, afraid to speak it except in jest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-freeman/often-when-i-thought-i-joked-i-told-the-truth-afraid-to-speak-it/) [Lucy Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-freeman/) > [“Vidal himself joked that at a certain age lawsuits took the place of sex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bram/vidal-himself-joked-that-at-a-certain-age-lawsuits-took-the-place-of/) [Christopher Bram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bram/) > [“So basically you're just a fucking train wreck?" she joked. "I prefer conflicted," I corrected.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chasta-schneider/so-basically-you-re-just-a-fucking-train-wreck-she-joked-i-prefer/) [Chasta Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chasta-schneider/) > [In lighthearted countries, people joked about this phenomenon, but such serious, practical countries as England, America, and Germany were deeply concerned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-verne/in-lighthearted-countries-people-joked-about-this-phenomenon-but-such/) [Jules Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-verne/) > [I've had times where I've joked, like, 'I'm going to move to Vermont and become a painter.' And sometimes that joke felt like, 'Oh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-micucci/i-ve-had-times-where-i-ve-joked-like-i-m-going-to-move-to-vermont-and/) [Kate Micucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-micucci/) > [“I don’t think my social media obsession is dangerous.” I joked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cambria-hebert/i-don-t-think-my-social-media-obsession-is-dangerous-i-joked/) [Cambria Hebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cambria-hebert/) > [“Bree smiled at me. "Don't worry about me. I think I can handle him. In fact, I want to handle him," she joked. "All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-tiernan/bree-smiled-at-me-don-t-worry-about-me-i-think-i-can-handle-him-in/) [Cate Tiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-tiernan/) > [When my husband and I first became parents, we joked that our chubby baby was destined to grow into an Alex P. Keaton Reaganite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumaan-alam/when-my-husband-and-i-first-became-parents-we-joked-that-our-chubby/) [Rumaan Alam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumaan-alam/) ## More by Niels Bohr > [An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/an-expert-is-a-man-who-has-made-all-the-mistakes-which-can-be-made-in/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [“Stop telling God what to do with his dice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/stop-telling-god-what-to-do-with-his-dice/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes, which can be made, in a very narrow field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/an-expert-is-someone-who-knows-some-of-the-worst-mistakes-which-can/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [The opposite of every great idea is another great idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-another-great-idea/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [“Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself it’s own solution. It forces us to change our thinking in order to find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/every-great-and-deep-difficulty-bears-in-itself-it-s-own-solution-it/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [It is a great pity that human beings cannot find all of their satisfaction in scientific contemplativeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/it-is-a-great-pity-that-human-beings-cannot-find-all-of-their/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [Anyone not shocked by quantum mechanics has not yet understood it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/anyone-not-shocked-by-quantum-mechanics-has-not-yet-understood-it/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [The meaning of life consists in the fact that it makes no sense to say that life has no meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/the-meaning-of-life-consists-in-the-fact-that-it-makes-no-sense-to/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [Technology has advanced more in the last thirty years than in the previous two thousand. The exponential increase in advancement will only continue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/technology-has-advanced-more-in-the-last-thirty-years-than-in-the/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [ Anybody who is not shocked by this subject has failed to understand it. \[of quantum mechanics\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/anybody-who-is-not-shocked-by-this-subject-has-failed-to-understand/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry. The poet, too, is not nearly so concerned with describing facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/when-it-comes-to-atoms-language-can-be-used-only-as-in-poetry-the/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [Every description of natural processes must be based on ideas which have been introduced and defined by the classical theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/every-description-of-natural-processes-must-be-based-on-ideas-which/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [It is, indeed, perhaps the greatest prospect of humanistic studies to contribute through an increasing knowledge of the history of cultural development to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/it-is-indeed-perhaps-the-greatest-prospect-of-humanistic-studies-to/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [One thought spectra are marvellous, but it is not possible to make progress there. Just as if you have the wing of a butterfly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/one-thought-spectra-are-marvellous-but-it-is-not-possible-to-make/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [If you think you understand it, that only shows that you don't know the first thing about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/if-you-think-you-understand-it-that-only-shows-that-you-don-t-know/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) [Explore all 108 Niels Bohr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) ## 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. 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