--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Strict seriousness was far more dangerous…" description: "\"Strict seriousness was far more dangerous than any joke.\" — Saul Bellow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6e/saul-bellow-558_dangerous_strict-seriousness-was-far-more-dangerou_2859696.png" --- # Strict seriousness was far more dangerous than any joke. ![“Strict seriousness was far more dangerous than any joke.” quote by Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6e/saul-bellow-558_dangerous_strict-seriousness-was-far-more-dangerou_2859696.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6e/saul-bellow-558_dangerous_strict-seriousness-was-far-more-dangerou_2859696.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6e/saul-bellow-558_dangerous_strict-seriousness-was-far-more-dangerou_2859696.png) > “Strict seriousness was far more dangerous than any joke.” [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Taking things too seriously can be more harmful than humor, as it stifles flexibility and perspective. **In simple terms:** Being overly serious is dangerous. Key Takeaway Balance seriousness with humor. Themes responsibility humor balance Mood reflective cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - workplace stress - personal relationships - creative projects Key Concepts psychology risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - When have you let seriousness limit you? - How could a lighter view change the outcome? A Different Perspective Humor can also mask avoidance of deeper issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) [Dangerous Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous-joke-3852531/) [Far Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/far-dangerous-372958/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Seriousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seriousness/) [Seriousness Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seriousness-far-3852532/) [Strict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strict/) [Strict Seriousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strict-seriousness-3852530/) ## Related quotes > [First, Resolve upon, and daily endeavour to practise, a life of seriousness and strict sobriety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brainerd/first-resolve-upon-and-daily-endeavour-to-practise-a-life-of/) [David Brainerd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brainerd/) > [“I am so tired. I have grown old from being serious. I have grown ill from being serious. I want to laugh at myself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/i-am-so-tired-i-have-grown-old-from-being-serious-i-have-grown-ill/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“Not loving is a letting go. Listen, The terrain around here Is Far too Dangerous For That.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/not-loving-is-a-letting-go-listen-the-terrain-around-here-is-far-too/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Most of Mycroft's ideas were far too dangerous to even think about, much less let loose on a world unprepared for hyper-radical thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/most-of-mycroft-s-ideas-were-far-too-dangerous-to-even-think-about/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Making movies is far more dangerous than people appreciate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-murray/making-movies-is-far-more-dangerous-than-people-appreciate/) [Bill Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-murray/) > [By far the most dangerous people in the world are optimists (those who believe that all can be made well here below). If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/by-far-the-most-dangerous-people-in-the-world-are-optimists-those-who/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-strummer/i-m-far-more-dangerous-now-because-i-don-t-care-at-all/) [Joe Strummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-strummer/) > [In the long run, it is far more dangerous to adhere to illusion than to face what the actual fact is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/in-the-long-run-it-is-far-more-dangerous-to-adhere-to-illusion-than/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [You're killing me here! You are far more dangerous than I am!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/you-re-killing-me-here-you-are-far-more-dangerous-than-i-am/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [“a serial killer armed with a couple of feet of clothesline is far more dangerous than a cheerleader with a bazooka.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/a-serial-killer-armed-with-a-couple-of-feet-of-clothesline-is-far/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“A belief in one's own virtue is far more dangerous than a belief in one's cunning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/a-belief-in-one-s-own-virtue-is-far-more-dangerous-than-a-belief-in/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [Princes and governments are far more dangerous than other elements within society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/princes-and-governments-are-far-more-dangerous-than-other-elements/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Love is a far more dangerous motive than dislike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-violet/love-is-a-far-more-dangerous-motive-than-dislike/) [Lady Violet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-violet/) > [Suddenly all those careful preparations disintegrated as predators far more dangerous than the walking dead proved what all wise killers already knew: that nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-maberry/suddenly-all-those-careful-preparations-disintegrated-as-predators/) [Jonathan Maberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-maberry/) > [Things that appear on the front page of the newspaper as 'fact' are far more dangerous than the games played by a novelist, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-doctorow/things-that-appear-on-the-front-page-of-the-newspaper-as-fact-are-far/) [E. L. Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-doctorow/) ## More by Saul Bellow > [... a fellow can't predict what he will pick up in the form of influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-fellow-can-t-predict-what-he-will-pick-up-in-the-form-of-influence/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [If I'm out of my mind, it's all right with me, thought Moses Herzog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/if-i-m-out-of-my-mind-it-s-all-right-with-me-thought-moses-herzog/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [I have begun in old age to understand just how oddly we are all put together. We are so proud of our autonomy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/i-have-begun-in-old-age-to-understand-just-how-oddly-we-are-all-put/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“On Broadway it was still bright afternoon and the gassy air was almost motionless under the leaden spokes of sunlight, and sawdust footprints lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/on-broadway-it-was-still-bright-afternoon-and-the-gassy-air-was/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [There are evils that have the ability to survive identification and go on for ever... money, for instance, or war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-are-evils-that-have-the-ability-to-survive-identification-and/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Myself is thus and so, and will continue thus and so. And why fight it? My balance comes from instability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/myself-is-thus-and-so-and-will-continue-thus-and-so-and-why-fight-it/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“A strange heart. I myself can't account for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-strange-heart-i-myself-can-t-account-for-it/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [The late philosopher Morris R. Cohen of CCNY was asked by a student in the metaphysics course, Professor Cohen, how do I know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/the-late-philosopher-morris-r-cohen-of-ccny-was-asked-by-a-student-in/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“Therefore we didn't talk of genuine things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/therefore-we-didn-t-talk-of-genuine-things/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Is our species crazy? Plenty of evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/is-our-species-crazy-plenty-of-evidence/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“But now the emphasis has shifted to making it. People have surrendered their personal moral objectives to government or schools or psychologists. It’s a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/but-now-the-emphasis-has-shifted-to-making-it-people-have-surrendered/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [There's a kind of emptiness at the center of life ... nothing to form your life on, or by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-s-a-kind-of-emptiness-at-the-center-of-life-nothing-to-form/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“I don't know how it all at once came to me to talk a lot, tell jokes, kick up, and suddenly have views. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/i-don-t-know-how-it-all-at-once-came-to-me-to-talk-a-lot-tell-jokes/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [There are times when the most practical thing is to lie down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-are-times-when-the-most-practical-thing-is-to-lie-down/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“For knowledge of death makes us wish to extend our lives at the expense of others. And this is the root of the struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/for-knowledge-of-death-makes-us-wish-to-extend-our-lives-at-the/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) [Explore all 464 Saul Bellow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) ## More Dangerous quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-temptations-of-god-were-always-more-dangerous-for-mankind-than/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/) [Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The more people that learn about you, even if you're an underdog, then you can come under fire a lot and the more attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/the-more-people-that-learn-about-you-even-if-you-re-an-underdog-then/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) [Browse all 6,450 Dangerous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Strict seriousness was far more dangerous than any joke.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Saul Bellow" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/strict-seriousness-was-far-more-dangerous-than-any-joke/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dangerous" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/strict-seriousness-was-far-more-dangerous-than-any-joke/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6e/saul-bellow-558_dangerous_strict-seriousness-was-far-more-dangerou_2859696.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6e/saul-bellow-558_dangerous_strict-seriousness-was-far-more-dangerou_2859696.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6e/saul-bellow-558_dangerous_strict-seriousness-was-far-more-dangerou_2859696.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Strict seriousness was far more dangerous than any joke.” — Saul Bellow", "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": "Saul Bellow", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Strict seriousness was far more dangerous...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/strict-seriousness-was-far-more-dangerous-than-any-joke/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/strict-seriousness-was-far-more-dangerous-than-any-joke/#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 } } ] } ```