Article image

The Meaning of Life, in 10 Amusing Quotes

In life, it’s natural to win some battles and lose others. But often the hardships that befall us cast a shadow over all the other great things we have going for us. Sometimes all it takes is one bad day — a broken garbage disposal, a frustrating phone call, or a ruined meal — to put us in a foul mood.

In those moments, it can be difficult to see the forest for the trees. It’s often only in retrospect that we realize how disproportional our reactions can be — how things that seemed like such a big deal in the moment were really just blips in the long arc of our lives. It’s crucial to remember that so much of our understanding about the meaning of life lies in our attitude toward it.

This is why a healthy sense of humor can be an invaluable tool to help us get through bumpy times and find purpose amid the chaos of the everyday. Sometimes a few funny quotes are just what we need to pick ourselves back up and feel less isolated in our experiences. Here, we’ve rounded up 10 amusing quotes about the meaning of life that remind us not to take the whole thing too seriously.

Do not take life too seriously — you will never get out of it alive.
Elbert Hubbard

Share Quote

I enjoy life when things are happening. I don't care if it's good things or bad things. That means you're alive. Things are happening.
Joan Rivers

Share Quote

My favorite thing on this planet to do is to play games. And if you don't enjoy games, then you're really missing the point of what this life is. Honestly, it's important to not take this whole process of life on this planet too seriously.
RuPaul

Share Quote

Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.
George Bernard Shaw

Share Quote

My mama always said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.”
Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) in “Forrest Gump”

Share Quote

I have a simple philosophy: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. And scratch where it itches.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth

Share Quote

I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party.
Ron White

Share Quote

All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then Success is sure.
Mark Twain

Share Quote

I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way.
Carl Sandburg

Share Quote

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
Mae West

Share Quote

Featured image credit: Larry Busacca/ Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

Author image
About the Author
Joyce Chen
Joyce Chen is a writer, editor, and community builder based in Seattle, Washington.
Play more header background
Play more icon
Daily Question
Who said, "It is important that the musician just lets the music be written"?

More Inspiration

happiness theme icon

Don't wait. The time will never be just right.

separator icon
Napoleon Hill
motivation theme icon

Love is space and time made perceptible to the heart.

separator icon
Marcel Proust
hope theme icon

The best thing one can do when it is raining is to let it rain.

separator icon
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
love theme icon

Trust your gut. Forgive yourself. Be grateful.

separator icon
Cheryl Strayed
wisdom theme icon

Chance favors only the prepared mind.

separator icon
Louis Pasteur
happiness theme icon

It's only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis.

separator icon
Margaret Wander Bonanno
motivation theme icon

Success isn’t about how your life looks to others; it’s about how it feels to you.

separator icon
Michelle Obama
hope theme icon

Be happy, take care of your teeth, always let your conscience be your guide.

separator icon
Patti Smith
love theme icon

Nothing succeeds like success. Get a little success, and then just get a little more.

separator icon
Maya Angelou
wisdom theme icon

The avant-garde spirit is not just a youthful sentiment — I live my life by it.

separator icon
Yohji Yamamoto
happiness theme icon

I wish that every human life might be pure transparent freedom.

separator icon
Simone de Beauvoir