“Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing.”

— Ken Kesey, book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Source: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962), Ch. 5
Context: Maybe not you, buddy, but the rest are even scared to open up and laugh. You know, that's the first thing that got me about this place, that there wasn't anybody laughing. I haven't heard a real laugh since I came through that door, do you know that? Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Man, when you lose your laugh you lose your footing." by Ken Kesey?

Ken Kesey103

novelist 1935–2001

Related quotes

“Then you must teach my daughter this same lesson. How to lose your innocence but not your hope. How to laugh forever.”

Amy Tan The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club (1989)

“We are here just for a spell and then pass on. So get a few laughs and do the best you can. Live your life so that whenever you lose it, you are ahead.”

Will Rogers (1879–1935) American humorist and entertainer

Inscribed on the Will Rogers Memorial Building in Claremore, Oklahoma.
Variants: We are all here for a spell; get all the good laughs you can.
As quoted in Peter's Quotations : Ideas for Our Time (1979) by Laurence J. Peter, p. 285
We are all here for a short spell; so get all the good laughs you can.
As quoted in Civilization's Quotations : Life's Ideal (2002) by Richard Alan Krieger, p. 69
As quoted in ...

“Childishness? I think it's the equivalent of never losing your sense of humor. I mean, yes there's a certain something that you retain. It's the equivalent of not getting so stuffy that you can't laugh at others.”

Walt Disney (1901–1966) American film producer and businessman

Year unknown, published in 2001, The Quotable Walt Disney (2001)

“When you step on the brakes your life is in your foot's hands.”

George Carlin (1937–2008) American stand-up comedian

“To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.”

Sören Kierkegaard (1813–1855) Danish philosopher and theologian, founder of Existentialism

“At moments when life is at its worst there are two things you can do:
1.) break down, lose hope and refuse to go on while lying face down on the ground banging your fists and kicking your legs, or 2.) laugh. Bobby and I did the latter.”

Cecelia Ahern book A Place Called Here

Variant: At moments when life is at its worst there are two things that you can
do: 1) break down, lose hope, and refuse to go on while lying facedown on the ground
banging your fists and kicking your legs, or 2) laugh.
Source: A Place Called Here