If golf wasn't enjoyable and there wasn't a lot of humor and

“If golf wasn’t enjoyable and there wasn’t a lot of humor and enjoyment, even though the game is so frustrating, you would wonder why you put yourself through it.”
Thus spoke Ray Romano, the jester-philosopher of our modern age — a man who has peered into the soul of both comedy and competition, and found there the same eternal truth: that joy and humor are the only lights that can lead us through frustration. His words, though about a game, are truly about life itself. For golf, with its endless trials, its humbling mistakes, and its moments of fleeting triumph, mirrors the condition of the human spirit. It demands patience, humility, and laughter — or else it becomes torment.

To “put yourself through it” — this is the essence of human persistence. Why does one rise each morning to face the same difficulties, the same failures, the same elusive victories? Romano answers with gentle irony: because of enjoyment and humor. These are not mere entertainments; they are sacred medicines for the weary heart. Without them, effort turns into burden, and ambition into despair. Just as the golfer swings again after countless missed shots, so too must the human being continue the game of life — smiling, even while struggling — for the sake of joy itself.

In the ancient world, the philosopher Epictetus taught that peace comes not from controlling the outcome, but from controlling one’s response to it. “It is not things that trouble us,” he said, “but our opinion of things.” Golf — and life — both teach this lesson relentlessly. The frustrated golfer curses the wind, the terrain, the gods; the wise one laughs, accepts the imperfection, and swings again. So too does Romano, a man of humor, reveal that frustration without laughter becomes suffering, but frustration embraced with humor becomes growth. The game does not change; only the spirit within it does.

There is a story told of the great Babe Ruth, who, though known for baseball, also loved the challenge of golf. Once, after missing an easy putt, he threw down his club and burst into laughter, saying, “Even a king can’t tell that ball where to go.” In that moment, he understood what Romano speaks of — that humor restores dignity when pride falters. To laugh at one’s failure is not weakness; it is mastery. For laughter is the mark of freedom — the proof that the soul is larger than the moment that defeats it.

Romano’s reflection also speaks to the nature of passion itself. Anything worth doing — whether art, work, or love — carries frustration within it. The painter ruins his canvas, the writer erases his words, the lover missteps in tenderness — yet all continue. Why? Because within the difficulty there is delight. The joy of the struggle, like the joy of golf, comes not from perfection but from participation. Humor, in this way, becomes an act of faith: a declaration that the journey, however foolish, is still worth the walk.

The origin of this quote lies not just in Romano’s love of golf, but in his lifelong devotion to comedy — that ancient art of turning pain into laughter. As an actor and writer, he has known frustration intimately: the blank page, the silent audience, the imperfect delivery. Yet his craft, like the golfer’s swing, demands persistence. Through humor, he finds release; through laughter, he finds connection. His words are thus the creed of the enduring spirit — one who fails often, but finds meaning in the enjoyment, and grace in the absurdity.

So let this be the teaching drawn from Ray Romano’s simple yet profound wisdom:

1. Laugh at your struggles, for laughter transforms frustration into strength.

2. Find enjoyment in imperfection, for life’s beauty lies not in mastery, but in motion.

3. Persevere with joy, for even the hardest game becomes sacred when played with love.

4. Remember that humor is wisdom in disguise, the secret art of living lightly amid the heavy burdens of being human.

Thus spoke Ray Romano, and through him the timeless voice of all who have faced the futility of effort and chosen laughter instead. His words remind us that life, like golf, will always humble the proud, confound the clever, and test the patient — but it will always reward those who smile. So, O seeker, when you stand before your next challenge, when your aim falters and your spirit wavers, remember this: swing again, and laugh. For it is not victory that redeems the struggle, but the joy of playing the game at all.