--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Humor results when society says you can't…" description: "\"Humor results when society says you can't scratch certain things in public, but they itch in public.\" — Tom Walsh" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/tom-walsh-21995_humor_humor-results-when-society-says-you-can_1410918.jpg" --- # Humor results when society says you can't scratch certain… ![“Humor results when society says you can't scratch certain things in public, but they itch in public.” quote by Tom Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/tom-walsh-21995_humor_humor-results-when-society-says-you-can_1410918.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/tom-walsh-21995_humor_humor-results-when-society-says-you-can_1410918.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d33/tom-walsh-21995_humor_humor-results-when-society-says-you-can_1410918.jpg) > “Humor results when society says you can't scratch certain things in public, but they itch in public.” [Tom Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walsh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor emerges when societal taboos clash with natural urges, creating tension. **In simple terms:** Humor arises from forbidden public urges. Key Takeaway Explore taboo topics to spark laughter. Themes humor taboo social norms psychology creativity Mood playful provocative Type entertainment social When to use this quote - stand‑up routines - social commentary - writing workshops Key Concepts social tension comedic timing cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - What taboos can be humorously addressed? - How does humor challenge norms? A Different Perspective Humor can alienate if not handled sensitively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Humor Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor-results-4971512/) [Itch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/itch/) [Itch Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/itch-public-4971510/) [Public Itch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-itch-4971509/) [Says Scratch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says-scratch-4971511/) ## Related quotes > [My problems are sort of more on a nuisance level. I can't stand scratchy clothes, I've got to have soft kinds of cotton against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/my-problems-are-sort-of-more-on-a-nuisance-level-i-can-t-stand/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [“Being in a room with that many people was starting to make me itch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-anne-gilman/being-in-a-room-with-that-many-people-was-starting-to-make-me-itch/) [Laura Anne Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-anne-gilman/) > [We live one day at a time and scratch where it itches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-royal/we-live-one-day-at-a-time-and-scratch-where-it-itches/) [Darrell Royal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-royal/) > [A burning itch to know is higher than a solemn vow to pursue truth. To feel the burning itch of curiosity requires both that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/a-burning-itch-to-know-is-higher-than-a-solemn-vow-to-pursue-truth-to/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [The itch of scribbling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/the-itch-of-scribbling/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [When I don’t understand, I have an unbearable itch to know why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/when-i-don-t-understand-i-have-an-unbearable-itch-to-know-why/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“As simple an act as reading or writing a sentence must be surrounded by perceptory nap and weave . . . an itch, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/as-simple-an-act-as-reading-or-writing-a-sentence-must-be-surrounded/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [“I felt a queasy mixture of relief and horror: when you finally stop an itch and realize it’s because you’ve ripped a hole in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/i-felt-a-queasy-mixture-of-relief-and-horror-when-you-finally-stop-an/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [As I ponder pass I tend to itch my noggin often rockin to a beat to crop my verse until my urn or coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/as-i-ponder-pass-i-tend-to-itch-my-noggin-often-rockin-to-a-beat-to/) [C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/) > [“My fingernail itches. I need to scratch it with my skin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-fingernail-itches-i-need-to-scratch-it-with-my-skin/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I wear my underwear on the outside of my itch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wear-my-underwear-on-the-outside-of-my-itch/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [People often want the big dramatic works, not the smaller quieter ones, but I don't worry about how it fits together anymore; I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-parker/people-often-want-the-big-dramatic-works-not-the-smaller-quieter-ones/) [Cornelia Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-parker/) > [After having played serious drama for so long, I needed to scratch the itch of versatility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-wyle/after-having-played-serious-drama-for-so-long-i-needed-to-scratch-the/) [Noah Wyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-wyle/) > [“...The devil had long ago taken a shine to Tert Card, filled him like a cream horn with itch and irritation. His middle name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-annie-proulx-author/the-devil-had-long-ago-taken-a-shine-to-tert-card-filled-him-like-a/) [E. Annie Proulx (Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-annie-proulx-author/) > [One learns to itch where one can scratch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-learns-to-itch-where-one-can-scratch/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Tom Walsh > [“just for today, i'll do something nice for someone who's not expecting it. .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-walsh/just-for-today-i-ll-do-something-nice-for-someone-who-s-not-expecting/) [Tom Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walsh/) > [“Sometimes we mistake patience for weakness, but the patient person often realizes that it's much more important for another person to discover his or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-walsh/sometimes-we-mistake-patience-for-weakness-but-the-patient-person/) [Tom Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walsh/) > [“We must trust that what we're doing has a purpose. We must realize that we're not here to make kids conform or perform, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-walsh/we-must-trust-that-what-we-re-doing-has-a-purpose-we-must-realize/) [Tom Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walsh/) > [“just for today, i'll try to maintain a positive perspective, no matter what the situation. . .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-walsh/just-for-today-i-ll-try-to-maintain-a-positive-perspective-no-matter/) [Tom Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walsh/) > [“When we separate ourselves from the rest of the world, the world becomes a lonely and difficult place to live in. When we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-walsh/when-we-separate-ourselves-from-the-rest-of-the-world-the-world/) [Tom Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walsh/) > [“This need to be right has put a huge burden on me, one that I never deserved to have to carry. 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Tasks that used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-walsh/it-seems-that-the-more-we-learn-about-our-work-the-easier-and-the/) [Tom Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walsh/) > [“Our culture values independence and isolation far too much, it seems to me--we have a hard time making ourselves part of things, of making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-walsh/our-culture-values-independence-and-isolation-far-too-much-it-seems/) [Tom Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walsh/) > [“We lose our ability to live fully if we neglect or ignore our responsibility to the other people who share this planet with us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-walsh/we-lose-our-ability-to-live-fully-if-we-neglect-or-ignore-our/) [Tom Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walsh/) > [“So it's important to remember that our job isn't to solve other people's problems for them, but to help them to discover the ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-walsh/so-it-s-important-to-remember-that-our-job-isn-t-to-solve-other/) [Tom Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walsh/) [Explore all 28 Tom Walsh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walsh/) ## 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. 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