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
Fill in the blank: "You must love in such a way that the person you love feels ___." - Thích Nhất Hạnh

More Inspiration

happiness theme icon

The winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.

separator icon
Edward Gibbon
motivation theme icon

Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.

separator icon
Henry David Thoreau
hope theme icon

Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time.

separator icon
Hermann Hesse
love theme icon

It isn't just talent. You have to have something else. You have to have a kind of nerve.

separator icon
Georgia O’Keeffe
wisdom theme icon

It's more difficult to be simple, and it's easier to be more complicated.

separator icon
Black Francis
happiness theme icon

Human beings must always be on the watch for the coming of wonders.

separator icon
E.B. White
motivation theme icon

Resilience — the ability to brush off pain.

separator icon
Kristen Roupenian
hope theme icon

Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.

separator icon
Alan Watts
love theme icon

When you enter those places of trust, or power, dream a little before you think.

separator icon
Toni Morrison
wisdom theme icon

If you want to look good in front of thousands, you have to outwork thousands in front of nobody.

separator icon
Damian Lillard
happiness theme icon

One shouldn't just hope to be treated well: one must insist on it.

separator icon
Abraham Verghese