About this quote

When everything goes wrong, your body needs a release valve. You can cry until your eyes swell, or you can find the absurd joke hidden in the mess. Laughing is a highly practical survival strategy. It keeps you from getting bogged down in the heavy, messy aftermath of despair. Next time you hit a wall, look for the ridiculous angle so you can save your energy to fix the problem.

When to use it

• After staying up all night to finish a project, your client calls to say they changed their mind and want to start over from scratch. You look at your co-worker and say, 'Well, we can either cry or laugh, and my eyes are already too dry for tears.'
• You just spent two hours deep-cleaning the kitchen, only for your toddler to immediately drop a giant bowl of spaghetti on the floor. You take a deep breath, look at your partner, and say, 'I have to laugh, because if I cry, it's just going to take longer to clean up.'
• Your car breaks down on the exact day your rent is due, wiping out your entire savings in an instant. You text your sibling, 'My bank account is empty and my engine is dead, but at least I'm laughing instead of sobbing.'