---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tolerance is you saying something crazy…"
description: "\"Tolerance is you saying something crazy and me smiling and saying, 'That's nice.'\" — Penn Jillette"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ca/penn-jillette-1046_crazy_tolerance-is-you-saying-something-crazy_1834397.png"
---

#  Tolerance is you saying something crazy and me smiling and…

![“Tolerance is you saying something crazy and me smiling and saying, 'That's nice.'” quote by Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ca/penn-jillette-1046_crazy_tolerance-is-you-saying-something-crazy_1834397.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ca/penn-jillette-1046_crazy_tolerance-is-you-saying-something-crazy_1834397.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ca/penn-jillette-1046_crazy_tolerance-is-you-saying-something-crazy_1834397.png)

> “Tolerance is you saying something crazy and me smiling and saying, 'That's nice.'”

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

## About This Quote

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

Accepting absurdity with humor shows openness and emotional resilience.

**In simple terms:** Humor eases tension and builds tolerance.

Key Takeaway

Embrace oddities with a smile.

Themes

tolerance humor emotional intelligence

Mood

lighthearted reflective

Type

aphilosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- conflict resolution
- daily interactions
- stressful meetings

Key Concepts

psychology social dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How can humor be used constructively?
- When does it become avoidance?

A Different Perspective

Humor may mask underlying issues instead of addressing them.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Crazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy/) [Crazy Smiling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy-smiling-2299331/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice/) [Saying Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-nice-336258/) [Smiling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smiling/) [Smiling Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smiling-saying-730739/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Tolerance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerance/) [Tolerance Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerance-saying-2299330/)

## Related quotes

> [“(Y)ou didn't want somebody running around smiling and saying, 'We'll get by,' when the house was on fire; you wanted somebody to yell 'fire!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-paulsen/y-ou-didn-t-want-somebody-running-around-smiling-and-saying-we-ll-get/)

[Gary Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-paulsen/)

> [I know you're in a better place. Even though I can't see your face. I know you're smiling down on me. Saying everything's okay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-kelly-2/i-know-you-re-in-a-better-place-even-though-i-can-t-see-your-face-i/)

[R Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-kelly-2/)

> [Feeling guilty for smiling and saying 'yeah' when you had absolutely no clue what someone just said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/feeling-guilty-for-smiling-and-saying-yeah-when-you-had-absolutely-no/)

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

> [“My simple rule was that, whenever I met someone, I would try to do something for them. It might simply be an introduction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-spier/my-simple-rule-was-that-whenever-i-met-someone-i-would-try-to-do/)

[Guy Spier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-spier/)

> [Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie!"... till you can find a rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/diplomacy-is-the-art-of-saying-nice-doggie-till-you-can-find-a-rock/)

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

> [“There's a very mean girl down the hall who's trying to get me fired. I'm no good with confrontation, so whenever I say, "Have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-lawson/there-s-a-very-mean-girl-down-the-hall-who-s-trying-to-get-me-fired-i/)

[Jenny Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-lawson/)

> [Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/diplomacy-is-the-art-of-saying-nice-doggie-until-you-can-find-a-rock/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice Doggie!" till you can find a stick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynn-catlin/diplomacy-is-the-art-of-saying-nice-doggie-till-you-can-find-a-stick/)

[Wynn Catlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynn-catlin/)

> [The only thing a woman wants people saying behind her back is nice ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/the-only-thing-a-woman-wants-people-saying-behind-her-back-is-nice-ass/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [I think it's time I tell you what people are saying behind your back... Nice ass!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-it-s-time-i-tell-you-what-people-are-saying-behind-your-back/)

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

> [“The crime rates would go right down, I think, if Americans stopped saying: 'Have a nice day,' to one another. At least it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-clapp/the-crime-rates-would-go-right-down-i-think-if-americans-stopped/)

[Susannah Clapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-clapp/)

> [I'm not saying I need to be in a relationship, I'm just saying it'd be nice not to feel so alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-saying-i-need-to-be-in-a-relationship-i-m-just-saying-it-d-be/)

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

> [When I get serious criticism - if I get serious criticism - it's about how I'm thinking and engaging in a topic. I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/when-i-get-serious-criticism-if-i-get-serious-criticism-it-s-about/)

[Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/)

> [People coming up and saying something nice is always welcome. But when you're being secretly photographed, that's not so nice. I would rather shake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/people-coming-up-and-saying-something-nice-is-always-welcome-but-when/)

[Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/)

> [A friend is a person who goes around saying nice things about you behind your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-friend-is-a-person-who-goes-around-saying-nice-things-about-you/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

## More by Penn Jillette

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [I intend to do the Penn &amp; Teller show until they pry my cheesy magic wand from my cold dead fingers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-intend-to-do-the-penn-teller-show-until-they-pry-my-cheesy-magic/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Part of the experience of being entertained is sitting back and plugging into someone else's vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/part-of-the-experience-of-being-entertained-is-sitting-back-and/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [That whole 99% thing, they are all in the 1% of the world. Every one of them pays a cellphone bill that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/that-whole-99-thing-they-are-all-in-the-1-of-the-world-every-one-of/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [I will forever stick up for Catholics and Christians in general. With a small number of very horrible exceptions, they do play by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-will-forever-stick-up-for-catholics-and-christians-in-general-with/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [I believe very much that the most damning thing you can say about Muslims is that you're afraid to say anything because they'll hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-believe-very-much-that-the-most-damning-thing-you-can-say-about/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [I'm not bothered by the idea of getting old, or I guess you could say by having arrived at old. I was 10 when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-m-not-bothered-by-the-idea-of-getting-old-or-i-guess-you-could-say/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [I'm always surprised when the corporate world does stupid things, because they're often not very stupid in hindsight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-m-always-surprised-when-the-corporate-world-does-stupid-things/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [It's only the losers named 'Dave' that think having an unusual name is bad, and who cares what they think? They're named 'Dave.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-s-only-the-losers-named-dave-that-think-having-an-unusual-name-is/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [The only secret of magic is that I'm willing to work harder on it than you think it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/the-only-secret-of-magic-is-that-i-m-willing-to-work-harder-on-it/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Well, it's not really the right word, but freedom is kind of a hobby with me, and I have disposable income that I'll spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/well-it-s-not-really-the-right-word-but-freedom-is-kind-of-a-hobby/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [It is really funny to see people that you know acting unpleasantly just because there are TV cameras on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-is-really-funny-to-see-people-that-you-know-acting-unpleasantly/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [My whole take on libertarianism is simply that I don't know what's best for other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/my-whole-take-on-libertarianism-is-simply-that-i-don-t-know-what-s/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Freedom means the right to be stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/freedom-means-the-right-to-be-stupid/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [“Once you've condoned faith in general, you've condoned any crazy shit done because of faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/once-you-ve-condoned-faith-in-general-you-ve-condoned-any-crazy-shit/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

[Explore all 302 Penn Jillette quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

## More Crazy quotes

> [Im wild Im crazy, I'm wild, Im crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dot-dot-curve/im-wild-im-crazy-i-m-wild-im-crazy/)

[Dot Dot Curve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dot-dot-curve/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/)

[Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/)

> [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [I didn't understand Southland Tales script at all! Is there a single word to describe it? Cacophony? It's celebrity meets pornography meets politics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-grant/i-didn-t-understand-southland-tales-script-at-all-is-there-a-single/)

[Beth Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-grant/)

> [What I do miss that I don't get anymore? You're going to think I'm crazy, but you want the truth, so here it is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mandrell/what-i-do-miss-that-i-don-t-get-anymore-you-re-going-to-think-i-m/)

[Barbara Mandrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mandrell/)

> [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [You’re crazy,” said her best friend, Angela, as the bell rang to signal five minutes before the first class on the first day back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/you-re-crazy-said-her-best-friend-angela-as-the-bell-rang-to-signal/)

[Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/)

> [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/)

[Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/)

> [Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-aunt-and-uncle-will-be-proud-though-won-t-they-said-hermione-as/)

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

> [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/)

[Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/)

> [In the middle of a play, I go crazy and don't realize what I'm doing. I'll snap back to reality and I realize, 'Hey,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-bosworth/in-the-middle-of-a-play-i-go-crazy-and-don-t-realize-what-i-m-doing-i/)

[Brian Bosworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-bosworth/)

> [ That's probably why my face was looking so crazy when I was crying \[in "Hardball"\] because it was some real. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-b-jordan/that-s-probably-why-my-face-was-looking-so-crazy-when-i-was-crying-in/)

[Michael B. Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-b-jordan/)

> [I'm always writing. I'm an obsessive. It's not because I'm a disciplined person. It's because I'm crazy about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-m-always-writing-i-m-an-obsessive-it-s-not-because-i-m-a/)

[Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/)

[Browse all 9,039 Crazy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Tolerance is you saying something crazy and me smiling and saying, 'That's nice.'",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Penn Jillette"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/tolerance-is-you-saying-something-crazy-and-me-smiling-and-saying/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Crazy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/tolerance-is-you-saying-something-crazy-and-me-smiling-and-saying/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ca/penn-jillette-1046_crazy_tolerance-is-you-saying-something-crazy_1834397.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ca/penn-jillette-1046_crazy_tolerance-is-you-saying-something-crazy_1834397.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ca/penn-jillette-1046_crazy_tolerance-is-you-saying-something-crazy_1834397.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Tolerance is you saying something crazy and me smiling and saying, 'That's nice.'” — Penn Jillette",
                "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": "Penn Jillette",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Tolerance is you saying something crazy...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/tolerance-is-you-saying-something-crazy-and-me-smiling-and-saying/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/tolerance-is-you-saying-something-crazy-and-me-smiling-and-saying/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
