--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ambiguity around ambiguity is forgivable…" description: "\"Ambiguity around ambiguity is forgivable in an unpublished poet and expected of an arts student on the pull: for a professional comedian demoting himse..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/robert-webb-7719_ambiguity_ambiguity-around-ambiguity-is-forgivable_2395057.jpg" --- # Ambiguity around ambiguity is forgivable in an unpublished… ![“Ambiguity around ambiguity is forgivable in an unpublished poet and expected of an arts student on the pull: for a professional comedian demoting himself to the role of 'thinker', with stadiums full of young people hanging on his every word, it won't really do.” quote by Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/robert-webb-7719_ambiguity_ambiguity-around-ambiguity-is-forgivable_2395057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/robert-webb-7719_ambiguity_ambiguity-around-ambiguity-is-forgivable_2395057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/robert-webb-7719_ambiguity_ambiguity-around-ambiguity-is-forgivable_2395057.jpg) > “Ambiguity around ambiguity is forgivable in an unpublished poet and expected of an arts student on the pull: for a professional comedian demoting himself to the role of 'thinker', with stadiums full of young people hanging on his every word, it won't really do.” [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A comedian must balance humor with intellectual depth, acknowledging that audiences expect both entertainment and insight. **In simple terms:** Comedians need to be both funny and thoughtful. Key Takeaway Blend humor with thoughtful content. Themes performance intellect audience expectations Mood playful thoughtful Type inspirational cautionary When to use this quote - stand‑up shows - lecture tours - media appearances Key Concepts comedic timing philosophical humor public speaking Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep jokes insightful? - When does depth distract from humor? A Different Perspective Finding depth in comedy can be risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambiguity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Arts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arts/) [Comedian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedian/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Student](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/student/) [Thinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinker/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) ## Related quotes > [Reagan's genius as a communicator lies in his use of ambiguity. ... Ambiguity is the mother of Teflon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lakoff/reagan-s-genius-as-a-communicator-lies-in-his-use-of-ambiguity/) [Robin Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lakoff/) > [Whenever there's chaos, there's ambiguity, and where there's ambiguity, there's fear. And fear gets manipulated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/whenever-there-s-chaos-there-s-ambiguity-and-where-there-s-ambiguity/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [As the poet has expected, the alarms now are sounded, for - and it must be said again - the birth of a poet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvatore-quasimodo/as-the-poet-has-expected-the-alarms-now-are-sounded-for-and-it-must/) [Salvatore Quasimodo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvatore-quasimodo/) > [“An as-yet-unpublished poet in Boulder, Colorado, once said to me that anything worth doing was worth doing badly. I may seem, in the foregoing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-russ/an-as-yet-unpublished-poet-in-boulder-colorado-once-said-to-me-that/) [Joanna Russ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-russ/) > [To be very clear, I have completely ruled out state funding for stadiums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-greitens/to-be-very-clear-i-have-completely-ruled-out-state-funding-for/) [Eric Greitens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-greitens/) > [Today, you're either very big or you're playing stadiums or you're not playing anymore. You're either popular where everybody will go to a 20,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-vinton/today-you-re-either-very-big-or-you-re-playing-stadiums-or-you-re-not/) [Bobby Vinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-vinton/) > [A university is a college with a stadium seating over 40,000.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-university-is-a-college-with-a-stadium-seating-over-40-000/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the reasons a strategist never sits in a stadium and gets caught up in the crowds - and never sits watching a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-rollins/one-of-the-reasons-a-strategist-never-sits-in-a-stadium-and-gets/) [Ed Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-rollins/) > [I’ve done all kinds of cool things as an actor—I’ve jumped out of helicopters and done some daring stunts and played baseball in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pratt/i-ve-done-all-kinds-of-cool-things-as-an-actor-i-ve-jumped-out-of/) [Chris Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pratt/) > [I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. I accepted Herzog and De Meuron's invitation to collaborate on the design, and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-see-the-beijing-national-stadium-as-an-architectural-project-i/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I have not become the artist I believe I am. I want to become a stadium act. I'm not done at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-cliff/i-have-not-become-the-artist-i-believe-i-am-i-want-to-become-a/) [Jimmy Cliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-cliff/) > [It's silly to call me the new Ed Sheeran. He can fill stadiums as a solo artist, but I'm not like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bay/it-s-silly-to-call-me-the-new-ed-sheeran-he-can-fill-stadiums-as-a/) [James Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bay/) > [Stadiums are for spectators. We runners have Nature, and that is much better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juha-vaatainen/stadiums-are-for-spectators-we-runners-have-nature-and-that-is-much/) Juha Vaatainen > [They brought on someone who cost more than our stadium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-rodgers/they-brought-on-someone-who-cost-more-than-our-stadium/) [Brendan Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-rodgers/) > [We don't want you at the rink, we don't want you in the stadium, we don't want you to watch hockey,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-roenick/we-don-t-want-you-at-the-rink-we-don-t-want-you-in-the-stadium-we-don/) [Jeremy Roenick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-roenick/) ## More by Robert Webb > [We have a family holiday once a year, usually abroad, but that's it. I feel I should have holidays for my family's sake, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/we-have-a-family-holiday-once-a-year-usually-abroad-but-that-s-it-i/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [He likes 'Confetti,' and he doesn't like 'Star Wars.' I think that just relieves us from the burden of ever having to take Mark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/he-likes-confetti-and-he-doesn-t-like-star-wars-i-think-that-just/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [Missing out an apostrophe or two does not make you an idiot. But equating party allegiance with nationhood certainly makes you a thug. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/missing-out-an-apostrophe-or-two-does-not-make-you-an-idiot-but/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [It's odd because some actors are very scared of comedians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/it-s-odd-because-some-actors-are-very-scared-of-comedians/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [I am a feminist. I don't especially care for the term, but there it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/i-am-a-feminist-i-don-t-especially-care-for-the-term-but-there-it-is/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [I'd kill to be 'Doctor Who.' Maybe they could make the Doctor two people? He has got two hearts, after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/i-d-kill-to-be-doctor-who-maybe-they-could-make-the-doctor-two-people/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [“And yes, women do it too – of course they do. The difference is that they haven’t been encouraged since childhood to wear a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/and-yes-women-do-it-too-of-course-they-do-the-difference-is-that-they/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [Where you have 20 people who all share roughly the same educational and life experiences, they're going to come up with the same solutions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/where-you-have-20-people-who-all-share-roughly-the-same-educational/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [I don't care where you went to school. There - have I made your day? No? All right, I'll go further: I also don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/i-don-t-care-where-you-went-to-school-there-have-i-made-your-day-no/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [My parents' marriage was already shaky when I came along. They split up when I was five, and I didn't see Dad all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/my-parents-marriage-was-already-shaky-when-i-came-along-they-split-up/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [It was quite an honour when 'New Woman' magazine voted me 88th sexiest man in the world. I think I was one in front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/it-was-quite-an-honour-when-new-woman-magazine-voted-me-88th-sexiest/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [I had a friend at college who took being poor very personally. He started showering in the sports centre next door and said he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/i-had-a-friend-at-college-who-took-being-poor-very-personally-he/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [Like most men, I can't say I am thrilled my hair's falling out, but then, if I really cared, I suppose I would wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/like-most-men-i-can-t-say-i-am-thrilled-my-hair-s-falling-out-but/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [Ukippers are the kinds of fools who haven't noticed they're sleep-walking towards fascism. Many UKIP candidates are of the age when their parents fought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/ukippers-are-the-kinds-of-fools-who-haven-t-noticed-they-re-sleep/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [“The great thing about refusing to feel feelings is that, once you’ve denied them, you don’t have to take responsibility for them. Your feelings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/the-great-thing-about-refusing-to-feel-feelings-is-that-once-you-ve/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) [Explore all 88 Robert Webb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) ## More Ambiguity quotes > [The position is clear - there is no ambiguity in Sinn Fein's position. We, along with all the other parties, have signed up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/the-position-is-clear-there-is-no-ambiguity-in-sinn-fein-s-position/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) > [Ambiguity is necessary in some of my stories, not in all. In those, it certainly contributes to the richness of the story. I doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/ambiguity-is-necessary-in-some-of-my-stories-not-in-all-in-those-it/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/during-the-cold-war-we-lived-in-coded-times-when-it-wasn-t-easy-and/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [You cannot grow in the integrative dance of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-grow-in-the-integrative-dance-of-action-and-contemplation/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [I blame my grandfather 100 percent for his oldest son's death. I don't think there's any ambiguity there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/i-blame-my-grandfather-100-percent-for-his-oldest-son-s-death-i-don-t/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [I think the relationship between social-dominance orientation in people and the extent to which they're made uncomfortable by ambiguity and novelty is really important.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-think-the-relationship-between-social-dominance-orientation-in/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Yet again, an ancient answer echoes across the centuries: Listen! Listen to stories! For what stories do, above all else, is hold up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-kurtz/yet-again-an-ancient-answer-echoes-across-the-centuries-listen-listen/) [Ernest Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-kurtz/) > [My path to wisdom began when I stopped pretending to know things I didn't know. When I explicitly admitted to the limits of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/my-path-to-wisdom-began-when-i-stopped-pretending-to-know-things-i/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [If there is a single tragic flaw that mars our biggest enterprises, it is conservatism - the failure to fail, and fail big, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-there-is-a-single-tragic-flaw-that-mars-our-biggest-enterprises-it/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [In order to be as free as I possibly can, in my own imagination, I can't take positions that are closed. Everything I've ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-order-to-be-as-free-as-i-possibly-can-in-my-own-imagination-i-can/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I've always been drawn to ambiguity in pop music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-ambiguity-in-pop-music/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I believe that we can still have a genre of scientific books suitable for and accessible alike to professionals and interested laypeople. The concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-believe-that-we-can-still-have-a-genre-of-scientific-books-suitable/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I am in the utmost perplexity, yand have wished a hundred times, that if there is a A God, nature would manifest him without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/i-am-in-the-utmost-perplexity-yand-have-wished-a-hundred-times-that/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [There's a lot of ambiguity in life, and so often, our art is very neatly wrapped up at the end, when our lives never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/there-s-a-lot-of-ambiguity-in-life-and-so-often-our-art-is-very/) [Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/) > [“Man must not attempt to dispel the ambiguity of his being but, on the contrary, accept the task of realizing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/man-must-not-attempt-to-dispel-the-ambiguity-of-his-being-but-on-the/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) [Browse all 431 Ambiguity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ambiguity around ambiguity is forgivable in an unpublished poet and expected of an arts student on the pull: for a professional comedian demoting himself to the role of 'thinker', with stadiums full of young people hanging on his every word, it won't really do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Webb" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/ambiguity-around-ambiguity-is-forgivable-in-an-unpublished-poet-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ambiguity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/ambiguity-around-ambiguity-is-forgivable-in-an-unpublished-poet-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/robert-webb-7719_ambiguity_ambiguity-around-ambiguity-is-forgivable_2395057.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/robert-webb-7719_ambiguity_ambiguity-around-ambiguity-is-forgivable_2395057.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/817/robert-webb-7719_ambiguity_ambiguity-around-ambiguity-is-forgivable_2395057.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ambiguity around ambiguity is forgivable in an unpublished poet and expected of an arts student on the pull…” — Robert Webb", "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": "Robert Webb", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ambiguity around ambiguity is forgivable in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/ambiguity-around-ambiguity-is-forgivable-in-an-unpublished-poet-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/ambiguity-around-ambiguity-is-forgivable-in-an-unpublished-poet-and/#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 } } ] } ```