--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is so funny about us is precisely…" description: "\"What is so funny about us is precisely that we take ourselves too seriously. Laughter is the same and healthy response to the innocent foibles of men; ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_comedy_what-is-so-funny-about-us-is-precisely-t_3225466.jpg" --- # What is so funny about us is precisely that we take… ![“What is so funny about us is precisely that we take ourselves too seriously. Laughter is the same and healthy response to the innocent foibles of men; and even to some which are not innocent.” quote by Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_comedy_what-is-so-funny-about-us-is-precisely-t_3225466.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_comedy_what-is-so-funny-about-us-is-precisely-t_3225466.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/reinhold-niebuhr-1881_comedy_what-is-so-funny-about-us-is-precisely-t_3225466.jpg) > “What is so funny about us is precisely that we take ourselves too seriously. Laughter is the same and healthy response to the innocent foibles of men; and even to some which are not innocent.” [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor arises when we recognize our own seriousness and the absurdity of human flaws. **In simple terms:** Laughter reveals our seriousness and human flaws. Key Takeaway Embrace humor to stay grounded. Themes humor humility human nature Mood lighthearted thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - team meetings - public speaking - conflict resolution Key Concepts self‑deprecation social critique Questions to Reflect On - When does humor become harmful? - How can we use humor constructively? A Different Perspective Humor can be misread as disrespect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Foibles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foibles/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Funny Precisely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-precisely-5714179/) [Healthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy/) [Innocent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocent/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Laughter Healthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter-healthy-3218437/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response/) [Seriously Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seriously-laughter-2508827/) [Theologian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theologian/) ## Related quotes > [What is funny about us is precisely that we take ourselves too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/what-is-funny-about-us-is-precisely-that-we-take-ourselves-too/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [In our house we don't take ourselves too seriously, and laughter is the best form of unity, I think, in a marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/in-our-house-we-don-t-take-ourselves-too-seriously-and-laughter-is/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [“Spreading laughter is healthy and more fun than sex. Well... unless you do them at the same time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-clutton/spreading-laughter-is-healthy-and-more-fun-than-sex-well-unless-you/) [Michael Clutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-clutton/) > [Laughter is such a healthy exercise. Somebody is laughing - that's perfectly good exercise, join him. Somebody is being playful - if you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/laughter-is-such-a-healthy-exercise-somebody-is-laughing-that-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Perhapsthemost sublimeinsights oftheJewishprophets and the Christian gospel is the knowledge that since perfection is love, the apprehension of perfection is at once the means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/perhapsthemost-sublimeinsights-ofthejewishprophets-and-the-christian/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [“Flaws weren't pariah; foibles were badges of character. Not something to be brushed away in Photoshop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tieryas-liu/flaws-weren-t-pariah-foibles-were-badges-of-character-not-something/) [Peter Tieryas Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tieryas-liu/) > [As intellectual as we think we are, you still trip, we still have human foibles, sexuality, all the different things to still make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/as-intellectual-as-we-think-we-are-you-still-trip-we-still-have-human/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [Moskin has brought together with care and lucidity an inside history of American diplomacy written through the eyes of the many diplomats who conceived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-r-pickering/moskin-has-brought-together-with-care-and-lucidity-an-inside-history/) [Thomas R. 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Sin is committed in that freedom. Sin can therefore not be attributed to a defect in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-essence-of-man-is-his-freedom-sin-is-committed-in-that-freedom/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Liberalism makes this mistake in regard to private property and Marxism makes it in regard to socialized property... 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It's necessary for the individual, because the individual, no matter how good the society is, every individual has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/freedom-is-necessary-for-two-reasons-it-s-necessary-for-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The pretensions of final truth are always partlyan effort to obscure a darkly felt consciousness of the limits of human knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-pretensions-of-final-truth-are-always-partlyan-effort-to-obscure/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [All social cooperation on a larger scale than the most intimate social group requires a measure of coercion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/all-social-cooperation-on-a-larger-scale-than-the-most-intimate/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Man is always worse than most people suspect, but also generally better than most people dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/man-is-always-worse-than-most-people-suspect-but-also-generally/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [When a church reaches up beyond its group and tries to enforce its standards upon a society that doesn't accept these standards, and perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/when-a-church-reaches-up-beyond-its-group-and-tries-to-enforce-its/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [...(I)ndividual selfhood is expressed in the self's capacity for self-transcendence and not in its rational capacity for conceptual and analytic procedures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/i-ndividual-selfhood-is-expressed-in-the-self-s-capacity-for-self/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The whole art of politics consists in directing rationally the irrationalities of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-whole-art-of-politics-consists-in-directing-rationally-the/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Religion is so frequently a source of confusion in political life, and so frequently dangerous to democracy, precisely because it introduces absolutes into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/religion-is-so-frequently-a-source-of-confusion-in-political-life-and/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) [Explore all 200 Reinhold Niebuhr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) ## 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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