“If I had no sense of humor I should long ago have committed suicide.”
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Attribution note
Widely attributed to Gandhi but only in quote databases and a gift-book compilation; no Harijan/Young India/CWMG citation found. Also references suicide, which is unsuitable for narration regardless.
Likely origin: No primary source; appears in modern compilations (e.g., Blue Mountain Arts, 2007) and quote databases.
Review the attribution sourceAbout this quote
Being able to laugh — especially at yourself and at hardship — gives you room to breathe when circumstances turn grim. Humor doesn't pretend the difficulty away; it loosens its grip, restores a sense of proportion, and makes heavy stretches bearable enough to keep going.
When to use it
- A nurse on a brutal shift who keeps the whole team moving with one well-timed joke.
- A family getting through a stressful move by laughing at everything that goes wrong.
- Someone facing a run of setbacks who holds perspective by not taking himself too seriously.