--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The State trained us to make other…" description: "\"The State trained us to make other people's terrible jokes work, which is the other part of the game when you're here.\" — Robert Ben Garant" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c87/robert-ben-garant-11413_games_the-state-trained-us-to-make-other-peopl_2048706.jpg" --- # The State trained us to make other people's terrible jokes… ![“The State trained us to make other people's terrible jokes work, which is the other part of the game when you're here.” quote by Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c87/robert-ben-garant-11413_games_the-state-trained-us-to-make-other-peopl_2048706.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c87/robert-ben-garant-11413_games_the-state-trained-us-to-make-other-peopl_2048706.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c87/robert-ben-garant-11413_games_the-state-trained-us-to-make-other-peopl_2048706.jpg) > “The State trained us to make other people's terrible jokes work, which is the other part of the game when you're here.” [Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He explains that the State taught them to adapt others' jokes, highlighting the collaborative and improvisational nature of comedy. **In simple terms:** Comedy often builds on others' material. Key Takeaway Learn to refine and repurpose humor. Themes collaboration improvisation adaptation Mood playful thoughtful Type educational entertaining When to use this quote - stand‑up - sketch shows - improv classes Key Concepts comedic timing social dynamics creative teamwork Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain your voice while adapting jokes? - When does adaptation become imitation? A Different Perspective Reliance on others' jokes may stifle originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Jokes Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes-work-1693321/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-terrible-875074/) [State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state/) [State Trained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-trained-3850144/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Terrible Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible-jokes-3850145/) ## Related quotes > [I make terrible jokes every time I go into a hospital. I think it's a defence mechanism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjeev-bhaskar/i-make-terrible-jokes-every-time-i-go-into-a-hospital-i-think-it-s-a/) [Sanjeev Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjeev-bhaskar/) > [You don't want to just do a joke because it works - we can make a lot of jokes work - you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/you-don-t-want-to-just-do-a-joke-because-it-works-we-can-make-a-lot/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“How do jokes work? The beginning of each good one challenges you to think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/how-do-jokes-work-the-beginning-of-each-good-one-challenges-you-to/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Knowing what jokes will work is second nature; you just feel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermaine-fowler/knowing-what-jokes-will-work-is-second-nature-you-just-feel-it/) [Jermaine Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermaine-fowler/) > [At the end of the day people should remember that we are just trying to make people laugh. Some jokes work and some don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiku-sharda/at-the-end-of-the-day-people-should-remember-that-we-are-just-trying/) [Kiku Sharda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiku-sharda/) > [Suppose the world were only one of God's jokes, would you work any the less to make it a good joke instead of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/suppose-the-world-were-only-one-of-god-s-jokes-would-you-work-any-the/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Usually the beginning of a story that people hear a lot. 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They can bear anything. Anything! People are hard and brutal. And everyone is disposable. Everyone! That's the lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-werner-fassbinder/people-are-terrible-they-can-bear-anything-anything-people-are-hard/) [Rainer Werner Fassbinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-werner-fassbinder/) > [“The most peaceble people will do the most terrible things when they're pushed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-most-peaceble-people-will-do-the-most-terrible-things-when-they/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [It's hard to describe to people how terrible it was when you could only watch cartoons at a certain time in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-janney/it-s-hard-to-describe-to-people-how-terrible-it-was-when-you-could-2/) [Allison Janney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-janney/) > [“People do terrible things, sometimes, for the best reasons. “What’s”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/people-do-terrible-things-sometimes-for-the-best-reasons-what-s/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Hope can make people do terrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/hope-can-make-people-do-terrible-things/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) ## More by Robert Ben Garant > [There were guys in 'The State' who would take one script and rewrite it and rewrite it and rewrite it and fight for it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ben-garant/there-were-guys-in-the-state-who-would-take-one-script-and-rewrite-it/) [Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) > [You need to know that going in, and you also need to be able to write all the time. 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That's not self-loathing. That's true!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ben-garant/we-joke-a-lot-about-how-in-hollywood-the-writer-is-one-step-below-the/) [Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) > [For a living I write stuff that I know is gonna sell to a studio and make a lot of money at the multiplex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ben-garant/for-a-living-i-write-stuff-that-i-know-is-gonna-sell-to-a-studio-and/) [Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) > [There are a huge amount of people who sell a TV pilot every year, but most of them never get produced. It's very easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ben-garant/there-are-a-huge-amount-of-people-who-sell-a-tv-pilot-every-year-but/) [Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) > [It's much easier to get your material out to the public now than it was in 1988, when you basically had to get onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ben-garant/it-s-much-easier-to-get-your-material-out-to-the-public-now-than-it/) [Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) > [You can't teach somebody how to be a good writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ben-garant/you-can-t-teach-somebody-how-to-be-a-good-writer/) [Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) > ['Balls of Fury' was my first time directing, and that's a movie that I think parts of it are great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ben-garant/balls-of-fury-was-my-first-time-directing-and-that-s-a-movie-that-i/) [Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) > [ You have to be willing to throw \[writing\] stuff away and replace it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ben-garant/you-have-to-be-willing-to-throw-writing-stuff-away-and-replace-it/) [Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) [Explore all 60 Robert Ben Garant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) ## 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. 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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. 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