---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can get humor and seriousness at…"
description: "\"If you can get humor and seriousness at the same time, you've created a special little thing, and that's what I'm looking for, because if you get pompo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/paul-simon-1703_comedy_if-you-can-get-humor-and-seriousness-at_460662.png"
---

#  If you can get humor and seriousness at the same time…

![“If you can get humor and seriousness at the same time, you've created a special little thing, and that's what I'm looking for, because if you get pompous, you lose everything.” quote by Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/paul-simon-1703_comedy_if-you-can-get-humor-and-seriousness-at_460662.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/paul-simon-1703_comedy_if-you-can-get-humor-and-seriousness-at_460662.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/paul-simon-1703_comedy_if-you-can-get-humor-and-seriousness-at_460662.png)

> “If you can get humor and seriousness at the same time, you've created a special little thing, and that's what I'm looking for, because if you get pompous, you lose everything.”

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

## About This Quote

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

Balancing humor and seriousness creates a unique, effective piece; taking it too seriously destroys its impact.

**In simple terms:** Mix humor and seriousness for special effect.

Key Takeaway

Blend tones wisely.

Themes

creativity balance artistic integrity

Mood

thoughtful reflective inspirational

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- songwriting
- public speaking
- teaching
- marketing

Key Concepts

tone management humor seriousness

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you maintain humility while being serious?
- When does humor undermine seriousness?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on seriousness can alienate audiences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Seriousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seriousness/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [Humor and seriousness are not in opposition to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/humor-and-seriousness-are-not-in-opposition-to-each-other/)

[Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/)

> [I grew up around so much new agey stuff. Part of me takes it lightly because I'm so used to it. It was my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-grew-up-around-so-much-new-agey-stuff-part-of-me-takes-it-lightly/)

[Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/)

> [I've known Dennis Kucinich for a long time, and I don't think I have illusions about him. Sometimes I find him pompous, male chauvinistic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-ve-known-dennis-kucinich-for-a-long-time-and-i-don-t-think-i-have/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [On our way home we were waiting for the bus when a very fat, pompous-looking woman reeled out of a pub shouting, "Melancholia? Ad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-orton/on-our-way-home-we-were-waiting-for-the-bus-when-a-very-fat-pompous/)

[Joe Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-orton/)

> [People have got to let their bodies breathe a little bit more. That's the great thing about being a pompous, jumped-up rock god. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/people-have-got-to-let-their-bodies-breathe-a-little-bit-more-that-s/)

[Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/)

> [Obama's great asset has always been an ability to maintain his air of authority without being baritone about it. He can be boring, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/obama-s-great-asset-has-always-been-an-ability-to-maintain-his-air-of/)

[Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/)

> [I first think of intelligence. You need it for surviving in Italy because Italy is so pompous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesco-clemente/i-first-think-of-intelligence-you-need-it-for-surviving-in-italy/)

[Francesco Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesco-clemente/)

> [Clutter is the disease of American writing,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/clutter-is-the-disease-of-american-writing/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [“He felt people were never intentionally beastly or malicious, but they were pompous and foolish; awful decisions were made by men divorced from their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-david-gold/he-felt-people-were-never-intentionally-beastly-or-malicious-but-they/)

[Glen David Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-david-gold/)

> [I don't want to sound pompous, but I think it is important that when one makes arguments of consequence that he go and see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-kaplan/i-don-t-want-to-sound-pompous-but-i-think-it-is-important-that-when/)

[Lawrence Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-kaplan/)

> [Anyone who thinks they're important is usually just a pompous moron who can't deal with his or her own pathetic insignificance and the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-thomas/anyone-who-thinks-they-re-important-is-usually-just-a-pompous-moron/)

[William Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-thomas/)

> [One thing is certain: the humility of faith, if it is followed by the proper consequences-by the acceptance of the work and sacrifice demanded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/one-thing-is-certain-the-humility-of-faith-if-it-is-followed-by-the/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Prison is a crash course in the darker side of life. Few survive it without becoming a different person: more cynical, jaded, fearful, angry.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/prison-is-a-crash-course-in-the-darker-side-of-life-few-survive-it/)

[Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/)

> [I found so-called great art too pompous, too stiff. What at this time was called minor art was freer, more imaginative, more open to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lipchitz/i-found-so-called-great-art-too-pompous-too-stiff-what-at-this-time/)

[Jacques Lipchitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lipchitz/)

> [Man is a noble animal, splendid in ashes, and pompous in the grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/man-is-a-noble-animal-splendid-in-ashes-and-pompous-in-the-grave/)

[Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/)

## More by Paul Simon

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [It's pointless to be critical of your stuff once it's done. I don't spend a lot of time agonising over it. It's of no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/it-s-pointless-to-be-critical-of-your-stuff-once-it-s-done-i-don-t/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [Medicine is magical and magical is art, the boy in the bubble, and the baby with the baboon heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/medicine-is-magical-and-magical-is-art-the-boy-in-the-bubble-and-the/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [Two times two is twenty-two, four times four is forty-four. When numbers get serious, they leave a mark on your door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/two-times-two-is-twenty-two-four-times-four-is-forty-four-when/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [...what threatens us today in the world of computers and other invasions of privacy is not a national ID card but a number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/what-threatens-us-today-in-the-world-of-computers-and-other-invasions/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [Life I love you, all is groovy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/life-i-love-you-all-is-groovy/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [I would be willing to do almost anything to make Art happy. I care about our friendship. The only thing I won't do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-would-be-willing-to-do-almost-anything-to-make-art-happy-i-care/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [I don't very often think I've done a good job. I don't like the majority of what I do. I shouldn't say I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-don-t-very-often-think-i-ve-done-a-good-job-i-don-t-like-the/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [I rate each album as better than the last one. That's how I see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-rate-each-album-as-better-than-the-last-one-that-s-how-i-see-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [ I don't think \[Dylan and the Beatles\] influenced me a lot. I think it was inevitable; they were so powerful that you couldn't really… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-don-t-think-dylan-and-the-beatles-influenced-me-a-lot-i-think-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenements halls and whispered in the sounds of silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/the-words-of-the-prophets-are-written-on-the-subway-walls-and/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [I'm not in it for the money. I like music. I love to write music. I can't imagine myself not playing or singing or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-m-not-in-it-for-the-money-i-like-music-i-love-to-write-music-i-can/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [No one dare disturb the sound of silence...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/no-one-dare-disturb-the-sound-of-silence/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [A fundamental requirement, overriding any other for this job, is an understanding of deafness-what it is and how it affects the educational experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-fundamental-requirement-overriding-any-other-for-this-job-is-an/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

[Explore all 214 Paul Simon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

## 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": "If you can get humor and seriousness at the same time, you've created a special little thing, and that's what I'm looking for, because if you get pompous, you lose everything.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul Simon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/if-you-can-get-humor-and-seriousness-at-the-same-time-you-ve-created/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Comedy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/if-you-can-get-humor-and-seriousness-at-the-same-time-you-ve-created/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/paul-simon-1703_comedy_if-you-can-get-humor-and-seriousness-at_460662.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/paul-simon-1703_comedy_if-you-can-get-humor-and-seriousness-at_460662.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/281/paul-simon-1703_comedy_if-you-can-get-humor-and-seriousness-at_460662.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If you can get humor and seriousness at the same time, you've created a special little thing, and that's…” — Paul Simon",
                "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": "Paul Simon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If you can get humor and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/if-you-can-get-humor-and-seriousness-at-the-same-time-you-ve-created/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/if-you-can-get-humor-and-seriousness-at-the-same-time-you-ve-created/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
