--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any comic is a tragic soul. Comedy is one…" description: "\"Any comic is a tragic soul. Comedy is one of the things that allows one to survive. Particularly if one has been in the process of separating off the e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/twyla-tharp-1069_comedy_any-comic-is-a-tragic-soul-comedy-is-one_1159101.jpg" --- # Any comic is a tragic soul. Comedy is one of the things… ![“Any comic is a tragic soul. Comedy is one of the things that allows one to survive. Particularly if one has been in the process of separating off the emotions, it's one place you can process them.” quote by Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/twyla-tharp-1069_comedy_any-comic-is-a-tragic-soul-comedy-is-one_1159101.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/twyla-tharp-1069_comedy_any-comic-is-a-tragic-soul-comedy-is-one_1159101.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9b/twyla-tharp-1069_comedy_any-comic-is-a-tragic-soul-comedy-is-one_1159101.jpg) > “Any comic is a tragic soul. Comedy is one of the things that allows one to survive. Particularly if one has been in the process of separating off the emotions, it's one place you can process them.” [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy lets people process deep emotions by framing them humorously, serving as a coping mechanism. **In simple terms:** Comedy helps us handle feelings. Key Takeaway Use humor to process pain. Themes creativity emotion resilience humor Mood reflective lighthearted Type psychological artistic When to use this quote - Therapy sessions - stand-up comedy - team building workshops - personal journaling Key Concepts Psychology of humor emotional regulation artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - When does humor become avoidance? - Can comedy replace other emotional tools? A Different Perspective Humor may mask issues instead of resolving them. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Tragic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragic/) ## Related quotes > [The only hope we have are our bodies. We're all trapped in them and we all hate them, and it's this reason why we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcclanahan/the-only-hope-we-have-are-our-bodies-we-re-all-trapped-in-them-and-we/) [Scott McClanahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcclanahan/) > [“You are the soul of comedy, Mrs. Emerson.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvain-reynard/you-are-the-soul-of-comedy-mrs-emerson/) [Sylvain Reynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvain-reynard/) > [The comic and the tragic lie inseparably close, like light and shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-comic-and-the-tragic-lie-inseparably-close-like-light-and-shadow/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [I don't see any division between the comic and the tragic. I feel like I'm writing about serious things, and humour is one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/i-don-t-see-any-division-between-the-comic-and-the-tragic-i-feel-like/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [Humanity as a concept is neither comic nor tragic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-ganz/humanity-as-a-concept-is-neither-comic-nor-tragic/) [Megan Ganz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-ganz/) > [The comic, more than the tragic, because it ignites hope, leads to more, not less, participation in the struggle for a just world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/the-comic-more-than-the-tragic-because-it-ignites-hope-leads-to-more/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [“Comic and tragic how we follow ourselves no matter where we go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-teets/comic-and-tragic-how-we-follow-ourselves-no-matter-where-we-go/) [William Teets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-teets/) > [I've always been part of comedy. One of the things about our family was that if we were reasonably funny with each other, particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/i-ve-always-been-part-of-comedy-one-of-the-things-about-our-family/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [In my comedy, I put things through a lens that is very specific to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-torres/in-my-comedy-i-put-things-through-a-lens-that-is-very-specific-to-me/) [Julio Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-torres/) > [Even in the depths of dreadful situations, there's usually something rather comic, or something you can laugh about afterwards, at least. So, I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colm-meaney/even-in-the-depths-of-dreadful-situations-there-s-usually-something/) [Colm Meaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colm-meaney/) > [I think that comedy is one of the more serious things that you can do in our day, especially in the world that we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-banderas/i-think-that-comedy-is-one-of-the-more-serious-things-that-you-can-do/) [Antonio Banderas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-banderas/) > [It's interesting, in the U.K., I'm known for doing comedy things, which often doesn't translate to the U.S.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/it-s-interesting-in-the-u-k-i-m-known-for-doing-comedy-things-which/) [Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/) > [I mean, there's an aspect I've always said that is - it's, you know, it's not poetry but it's kind of like it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/i-mean-there-s-an-aspect-i-ve-always-said-that-is-it-s-you-know-it-s/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [There's all sorts of terrible things that happen around the world. And comedy's one of those few things where you can discuss those things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasan-minhaj/there-s-all-sorts-of-terrible-things-that-happen-around-the-world-and/) [Hasan Minhaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasan-minhaj/) > [When you're doing comedy, it is so subjective. What is funny to you is not funny to another person. What is dirty to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-the-cable-guy/when-you-re-doing-comedy-it-is-so-subjective-what-is-funny-to-you-is/) [Larry the Cable Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-the-cable-guy/) ## More by Twyla Tharp > [“A lot of habitually creative people have preparation rituals linked to the setting in which they choose to start their day. By putting themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/a-lot-of-habitually-creative-people-have-preparation-rituals-linked/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I have learned over the years that you should never save for two meetings what you can accomplish in one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-have-learned-over-the-years-that-you-should-never-save-for-two/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I always find that the best collaborations are when you work with people that know what they're doing, and you leave them alone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-always-find-that-the-best-collaborations-are-when-you-work-with/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I don't mean this, but I'm going to say it anyway. I don't really think of pop art and serious art as being that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-don-t-mean-this-but-i-m-going-to-say-it-anyway-i-don-t-really-think/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [The art of these Fifties movies was in sustaining forever the moment before sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/the-art-of-these-fifties-movies-was-in-sustaining-forever-the-moment/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [This is not a pleasant route for many young people to consider. You have to be either hopelessly passionate, or very stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/this-is-not-a-pleasant-route-for-many-young-people-to-consider-you/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I often say that in making dances I can make a world where I think things are done morally, done democratically, done honestly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-often-say-that-in-making-dances-i-can-make-a-world-where-i-think/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I had received my first establishment grants in response to applications filed the year before. To the pages of baffling forms I had simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-had-received-my-first-establishment-grants-in-response-to/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I find the aesthetics of the 20th century hopelessly barren.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-find-the-aesthetics-of-the-20th-century-hopelessly-barren/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I don't think that scheduling is uncreative. I think that structure is required for creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-don-t-think-that-scheduling-is-uncreative-i-think-that-structure-is/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I have always felt one of the things dance should do - its business being so clearly physical - is challenge the culture's gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-have-always-felt-one-of-the-things-dance-should-do-its-business/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [There really is nothing I ever had access to that I didn't appreciate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/there-really-is-nothing-i-ever-had-access-to-that-i-didn-t-appreciate/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [Destiny, quite often, is a determined parent. Mozart was hardly some naive prodigy who sat down at the keyboard and, with God whispering in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/destiny-quite-often-is-a-determined-parent-mozart-was-hardly-some/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [When it all comes together, a creative life has the nourishing power we normally associate with food, love and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/when-it-all-comes-together-a-creative-life-has-the-nourishing-power/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [Things change all the time, so why do people make such a philosophical to-do that things are constantly in transition?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/things-change-all-the-time-so-why-do-people-make-such-a-philosophical/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) [Explore all 298 Twyla Tharp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) ## 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": "Any comic is a tragic soul. Comedy is one of the things that allows one to survive. 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