Comedy is surprises, so if you're intending to make somebody

“Comedy is surprises, so if you're intending to make somebody laugh and they don't laugh, that's funny.” — Norm MacDonald

In this paradoxical and luminous saying, Norm MacDonald, the philosopher disguised as a jester, unveils a truth both simple and profound — that comedy, like life itself, thrives in the unexpected. His words are not merely a clever remark about laughter, but a reflection on the essence of creativity, humility, and the strange beauty of failure. For to say that even failure in humor is funny is to recognize that the universe itself is a great and mysterious joke — one in which control is an illusion and surprise is the pulse of all that is real.

To the ancients, surprise was the heartbeat of wonder. Aristotle himself wrote that the root of both philosophy and art lies in thaumazein — astonishment. What is comedy, then, but astonishment turned into laughter? When a joke lands unexpectedly, the mind, for a brief moment, is caught off guard — its defenses fall, and in that instant, truth slips in wearing a smile. Norm’s insight that “comedy is surprises” reminds us that laughter is not born from logic or predictability, but from the sudden shattering of expectation. It is a reminder that joy and revelation share the same spark — that moment when the known world gives way to the unknown.

But Norm’s genius lies in the second part of his saying: “If you’re intending to make somebody laugh and they don’t laugh, that’s funny.” Here, he touches the deeper chord — the comedy not only of success, but of failure itself. The ancients would have understood this as the wisdom of the fool, the sacred paradox of existence: that to stumble is sometimes to dance. When a comedian fails to make others laugh, the absurdity of the moment turns upon itself — the performer’s expectation collapses, and irony is born. It is the comedy of imperfection, the laughter that arises not from mastery, but from humanity.

Consider the story of Diogenes the Cynic, the philosopher who lived in a barrel and mocked the vanities of his age. When Alexander the Great offered him wealth, Diogenes replied, “Stand out of my sunlight.” The crowd laughed at the audacity of the beggar before a king — yet beneath the laughter lay something profound. Diogenes was not performing for approval; he was being, fully and freely, himself. In that same spirit, Norm MacDonald’s view of comedy reminds us that the truest humor is not about pleasing others, but about revealing truth, even through discomfort or silence. If no one laughs, the silence itself becomes the mirror — absurd, humbling, and, in its way, hilarious.

At its heart, this quote is a teaching about freedom — the freedom to fail, to embrace unpredictability, to find meaning even when the world refuses to play along. The comedian who laughs at his own failure becomes the philosopher who laughs at the cosmos. For life, too, often unfolds as a series of failed expectations. We plan, we hope, we aim for applause — and sometimes, all we receive is silence. Yet in that silence, there is an opportunity to see the divine joke: that we are small, imperfect, and yet still capable of joy. To laugh at failure is to triumph over it; to see humor in rejection is to rise above it.

There is also humility in Norm’s words. By saying that failure itself is funny, he dismantles the pride of the performer. He reminds us that art, like life, is not about control, but participation — about surrendering to the moment. “Comedy is surprises,” he says, meaning that even the artist cannot command laughter; he can only invite it. The audience, like life itself, will respond in its own mysterious way. This is the humility of the wise — to understand that even in one’s missteps, there is beauty, even in silence, a kind of laughter.

So, my child, take this lesson to heart: embrace the surprises of life. Do not fear failure, for it is the soil from which wisdom grows. When your efforts fall short, when your words go unheard, when your intentions miss their mark — smile. For in that moment, you are living the greatest truth of all: that existence itself is a comedy written by unseen hands. Learn to laugh not only when things go as planned, but especially when they don’t. For laughter born of surprise, even of defeat, is the laughter that frees the soul.

And remember this: the wise and the joyful are one and the same, for both have learned to find delight in the unpredictable. When the world refuses to laugh at your joke — laugh anyway. For that, too, is funny.