--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Humor levels the playing field. I…" description: "\"Humor levels the playing field. I understood that early on - that was something I had.\" — Robert Mankoff" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/robert-mankoff-12259_comedy_humor-levels-the-playing-field-i-underst_2655260.png" --- # Humor levels the playing field. I understood that early on… ![“Humor levels the playing field. I understood that early on - that was something I had.” quote by Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/robert-mankoff-12259_comedy_humor-levels-the-playing-field-i-underst_2655260.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/robert-mankoff-12259_comedy_humor-levels-the-playing-field-i-underst_2655260.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/robert-mankoff-12259_comedy_humor-levels-the-playing-field-i-underst_2655260.png) > “Humor levels the playing field. I understood that early on - that was something I had.” [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor equalizes social interactions, and he recognized its importance early in his career. **In simple terms:** Humor makes everyone equal. Key Takeaway Leverage humor to bridge gaps. Themes humor social dynamics equality Mood lighthearted analytical Type practical philosophical When to use this quote - team building - public speaking - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology of laughter communication theory Questions to Reflect On - When is humor inappropriate? - How can you gauge audience reception? A Different Perspective Humor can be misinterpreted across cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Playing fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-fields/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that education is the greatest equalizer; thus, I will continue to fight to equalize the playing field in an educational atmosphere that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-gruwell/i-believe-that-education-is-the-greatest-equalizer-thus-i-will/) [Erin Gruwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-gruwell/) > [Broadband access is the great equalizer, leveling the playing field so that every willing and able person, no matter their station in life, has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-powell/broadband-access-is-the-great-equalizer-leveling-the-playing-field-so/) [Michael K. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-powell/) > [A natural environment is far more complex than any playing field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/a-natural-environment-is-far-more-complex-than-any-playing-field/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [In investing, just as in baseball, to put runs on the scoreboard, one must watch the playing field, not the scoreboard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/in-investing-just-as-in-baseball-to-put-runs-on-the-scoreboard-one/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [The playing field is more sacred than the stock exchange, more blessed than Capital Hill or the vaults of Fort Knox. The diamond and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/the-playing-field-is-more-sacred-than-the-stock-exchange-more-blessed/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) > [It will level the playing field, ... It will give American workers choice, confidence and also control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-chao/it-will-level-the-playing-field-it-will-give-american-workers-choice/) [Elaine Chao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-chao/) > [The best place to catch a baseball hit by (Mark) McGwire is definitely not within the confines of the playing field, or sometimes even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-boswell/the-best-place-to-catch-a-baseball-hit-by-mark-mcgwire-is-definitely/) [Thomas Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-boswell/) > [Instant messaging and chat rooms have basically created a level playing field for deaf people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instant-messaging-and-chat-rooms-have-basically-created-a-level/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The values learned on the playing field-how to set goals, endure, take criticism and risks, become team players, use our beliefs, stay healthy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-de-varona/the-values-learned-on-the-playing-field-how-to-set-goals-endure-take/) [Donna de Varona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-de-varona/) > [No one can stop a home run. No one can understand what it really is, unless you have felt it in your own hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadaharu-oh/no-one-can-stop-a-home-run-no-one-can-understand-what-it-really-is/) [Sadaharu Oh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadaharu-oh/) > [Tuesday's victory was big. But it did nothing more than level the playing field and give you a shot. Take it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/tuesday-s-victory-was-big-but-it-did-nothing-more-than-level-the/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [It's such a huge playing field, especially with the wind and shifting tides and only three women out. It's almost like you are fending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malia-manuel/it-s-such-a-huge-playing-field-especially-with-the-wind-and-shifting/) Malia Manuel > [If the CEO doesn’t see the playing field, nobody else can. The team may need to see it too, but the CEO really needs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/if-the-ceo-doesn-t-see-the-playing-field-nobody-else-can-the-team-may/) [Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) > [There is no level playing field. Any time our society says that a powerful chemical company has the same right as a low income…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-bullard/there-is-no-level-playing-field-any-time-our-society-says-that-a/) [Robert D Bullard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-bullard/) > [You cover 50 yards on the playing field of faith with a story that downplays your success. You cover 3 yards, or you may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/you-cover-50-yards-on-the-playing-field-of-faith-with-a-story-that/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) ## More by Robert Mankoff > [I will pick a raft of cartoons. And then later, it'll come time to run this cartoon. And I'll look at it, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/i-will-pick-a-raft-of-cartoons-and-then-later-it-ll-come-time-to-run/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [Humor of all types is notoriously subjective. That's true not only between different people but even within an individual at different times. This subjectivity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/humor-of-all-types-is-notoriously-subjective-that-s-true-not-only/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > ['The New Yorker' didn't invent the magazine cartoon, but it did really establish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-new-yorker-didn-t-invent-the-magazine-cartoon-but-it-did-really/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [I have been married three times and it just keeps better and better, but I'm going to stop here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/i-have-been-married-three-times-and-it-just-keeps-better-and-better/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [The line between humor and bad taste is your audience, in which some people will find everything offensive, and some people will find nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-line-between-humor-and-bad-taste-is-your-audience-in-which-some/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [The generations that were exposed to sitcom have the people actually saying the line, saying the joke, whereas sort of before that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-generations-that-were-exposed-to-sitcom-have-the-people-actually/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [When you look back at the older cartoons, they're very much more observational cartoons. And the cartoon, the people in the cartoons are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/when-you-look-back-at-the-older-cartoons-they-re-very-much-more/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [There's usually nothing in a guy's joke in which we have to understand what's going on in someone else's mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/there-s-usually-nothing-in-a-guy-s-joke-in-which-we-have-to/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [I'm pretty adept with computers and Photoshop for my blog, and I found my style with a conversational voice and an image-ready column.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/i-m-pretty-adept-with-computers-and-photoshop-for-my-blog-and-i-found/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [Cartoons are like fruit flies. Biologists use fruit flies because their large chromosomes and short life cycle make them ideal for studying hereditary changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/cartoons-are-like-fruit-flies-biologists-use-fruit-flies-because/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [I know everybody wants humor to be subversive and speak truth to power. I don't think power's been listening, incidentally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/i-know-everybody-wants-humor-to-be-subversive-and-speak-truth-to/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [I think what Jewish culture taught me and what the - and Jewish culture now is everyone's culture - is all these embarrassing things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/i-think-what-jewish-culture-taught-me-and-what-the-and-jewish-culture/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [People think you get one idea for a cartoon every week, and that's not the way it works. You usually get 10 or 15,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/people-think-you-get-one-idea-for-a-cartoon-every-week-and-that-s-not/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [I'm making fun of myself and I think I'm making fun of all men in our desperate, desperate attempt to understand the people we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/i-m-making-fun-of-myself-and-i-think-i-m-making-fun-of-all-men-in-our/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [The most popular cartoon of mine is a guy on the phone looking at his appointment book and saying "No, Thursday's out. How about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-most-popular-cartoon-of-mine-is-a-guy-on-the-phone-looking-at-his/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) [Explore all 55 Robert Mankoff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) ## 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": "Humor levels the playing field. 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