--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most jokes are based on surprise. They…" description: "\"Most jokes are based on surprise. They take advantage of a confusion of language, or a twist in logic, or a contradiction of some perceived truth, or s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/richard-herring-5479_language_most-jokes-are-based-on-surprise-they-ta_2088963.jpg" --- # Most jokes are based on surprise. They take advantage of a… ![“Most jokes are based on surprise. They take advantage of a confusion of language, or a twist in logic, or a contradiction of some perceived truth, or sometimes just saying something so shocking and offensive that the audience will gasp and then (hopefully) guffaw.” quote by Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/richard-herring-5479_language_most-jokes-are-based-on-surprise-they-ta_2088963.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/richard-herring-5479_language_most-jokes-are-based-on-surprise-they-ta_2088963.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/richard-herring-5479_language_most-jokes-are-based-on-surprise-they-ta_2088963.jpg) > “Most jokes are based on surprise. They take advantage of a confusion of language, or a twist in logic, or a contradiction of some perceived truth, or sometimes just saying something so shocking and offensive that the audience will gasp and then (hopefully) guffaw.” [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor relies on unexpected twists that disrupt normal expectations, creating surprise that triggers laughter. **In simple terms:** Jokes work by surprising the audience. Key Takeaway Use surprise to make ideas memorable. Themes humor surprise communication language logic Mood playful provocative Type observational explanatory When to use this quote - stand‑up comedy - advertising - teaching - public speaking Key Concepts cognitive dissonance incongruity timing Questions to Reflect On - How can you craft surprise without offending? - When does surprise become confusing? A Different Perspective Not all audiences appreciate shock; cultural context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [It's all based on saying the shocking thing. We used to have a great time going to Hollywood parties and saying 'I think George…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-parker/it-s-all-based-on-saying-the-shocking-thing-we-used-to-have-a-great/) [Trey Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-parker/) > [My stand-up has always been very character-based. I'm not really the kind of person that's like, 'Hey, here's what's on my mind! Tip your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lynn-rajskub/my-stand-up-has-always-been-very-character-based-i-m-not-really-the/) [Mary Lynn Rajskub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lynn-rajskub/) > [Not Going Out's jokes were based on the American mentality in terms of how often the jokes appear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/not-going-out-s-jokes-were-based-on-the-american-mentality-in-terms/) [Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/) > [As far as I know, the question of whether and how it could be strategically or morally justified was never the subject of open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-far-as-i-know-the-question-of-whether-and-how-it-could-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [The dialectic is neither fiction nor mysticism, but a science of the forms of our thinking insofar as it is not limited to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/the-dialectic-is-neither-fiction-nor-mysticism-but-a-science-of-the/) [Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/) > [Trying to understand the way nature works involves a most terrible test of human reasoning ability. It involves subtle trickery, beautiful tightropes of logic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/trying-to-understand-the-way-nature-works-involves-a-most-terrible/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [“Religion, like science, is only noteworthy when it emphasizes a matter of what is true rather than whose belief is greater or lesser or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/religion-like-science-is-only-noteworthy-when-it-emphasizes-a-matter/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Companies are not charitable enterprises: They hire workers to make profits. In the United States, this logic still works. In Europe, it hardly does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/companies-are-not-charitable-enterprises-they-hire-workers-to-make/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-harper/both-fact-and-logic-seem-to-me-to-support-the-view-that-savings/) F. A. Harper > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [“What you owe your critics are your RESULTS not explanations not defence just RESULTS.Evidence terminates Arguments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-durotoye/what-you-owe-your-critics-are-your-results-not-explanations-not/) [Fela Durotoye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-durotoye/) > [“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/when-dealing-with-people-remember-you-are-not-dealing-with-creatures/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [If we were to expect the unexpected, then the unexpected would become expected, so we might as well say expect the expected, but then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-were-to-expect-the-unexpected-then-the-unexpected-would-become/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Logic is essentially a tool for getting at truth; it is the tool, for without it no reasoning is possible in any field of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oderberg/logic-is-essentially-a-tool-for-getting-at-truth-it-is-the-tool-for/) David Oderberg ## More by Richard Herring > [Nobody at school would have expected me to be involved in anything that might have been perceived as cool. I was trying to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/nobody-at-school-would-have-expected-me-to-be-involved-in-anything/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [If I was happy for eternity I don't think I could enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/if-i-was-happy-for-eternity-i-don-t-think-i-could-enjoy-it/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [Sometimes my jokes are meant to be tasteless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/sometimes-my-jokes-are-meant-to-be-tasteless/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [I have a lack of practical skills. I can't mend anything or do anything manly; I don't understand how anything works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/i-have-a-lack-of-practical-skills-i-can-t-mend-anything-or-do/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [It's easy to pass judgement on someone else's racism, but what about your own?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/it-s-easy-to-pass-judgement-on-someone-else-s-racism-but-what-about/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [I have never been a massive fan of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/i-have-never-been-a-massive-fan-of-music/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [I had a very happy upbringing; I love funny people and love to make them laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/i-had-a-very-happy-upbringing-i-love-funny-people-and-love-to-make/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [I've always liked science fiction as a way of commenting on ourselves and it's wrong that it is seen as less valid than other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/i-ve-always-liked-science-fiction-as-a-way-of-commenting-on-ourselves/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [Sometimes with relationships where you work in the same job, it becomes all about the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/sometimes-with-relationships-where-you-work-in-the-same-job-it/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [On one podcast, I attempt to antagonise and lose listeners by commentating on myself playing snooker against myself in my basement. Most people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/on-one-podcast-i-attempt-to-antagonise-and-lose-listeners-by/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [I can't be the only one who watches 'Footloose' and hopes that John Lithgow will stop Kevin Bacon ever dancing again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/i-can-t-be-the-only-one-who-watches-footloose-and-hopes-that-john/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [I've run a marathon - I think that's the most surprising thing about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/i-ve-run-a-marathon-i-think-that-s-the-most-surprising-thing-about-me/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [You can joke about anything. It just depends on your angle and the way you go about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/you-can-joke-about-anything-it-just-depends-on-your-angle-and-the-way/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [I was into Simon & Garfunkel before my friends got into punk and laughed at me for liking Paul Simon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/i-was-into-simon-garfunkel-before-my-friends-got-into-punk-and/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [For me genius is '1% inspiration and 99% procrastination.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/for-me-genius-is-1-inspiration-and-99-procrastination/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) [Explore all 100 Richard Herring quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) ## 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": "Most jokes are based on surprise. They take advantage of a confusion of language, or a twist in logic, or a contradiction of some perceived truth, or sometimes just saying something so shocking and offensive that the audience will gasp and then (hopefully) guffaw.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Herring" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/most-jokes-are-based-on-surprise-they-take-advantage-of-a-confusion/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comedy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/most-jokes-are-based-on-surprise-they-take-advantage-of-a-confusion/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/richard-herring-5479_language_most-jokes-are-based-on-surprise-they-ta_2088963.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/richard-herring-5479_language_most-jokes-are-based-on-surprise-they-ta_2088963.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/richard-herring-5479_language_most-jokes-are-based-on-surprise-they-ta_2088963.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most jokes are based on surprise. They take advantage of a confusion of language, or a twist in logic, or a…” — Richard Herring", "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": "Richard Herring", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Most jokes are based on surprise....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/most-jokes-are-based-on-surprise-they-take-advantage-of-a-confusion/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/most-jokes-are-based-on-surprise-they-take-advantage-of-a-confusion/#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 } } ] } ```