All of the people in my building are insane. The guy above me designs synthetic hairballs for ceramic cats. The lady across the hall tried to rob a department store...with a pricing gun. She said, 'Give me all of the money in the vault, or I'm marking down everything in the store.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A long joke about neighbors doing absurd, low-stakes criminal acts.
- In plain terms
- People around you do strange things that seem normal to them.
- What can you take from it?
- Surroundings can define perceived normality.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who decides what is insane?
- How do we live with difference?
Another view
It relies heavily on specific, niche absurdity.
More from Steven Wright
After they make styrofoam, what do they ship it in?
Permalink to quote #8 All the plants in my house are dead---I shot them last night. I was teasing them by watering them with ice cubes.
Permalink to quote #10 About a year ago, my girlfriend was on the pill, wearing a diaphragm, and an IUD all at once. Recently, she had a baby; baby was born wearing armor.
Permalink to quote #7
Related quotes
Imagine being killed by a bow and arrow. That would suck. An arrow killed you, they would never solve the crime. 'Look at that dead guy. Let's go that way.'
Mitch HedbergMitch Hedberg quote #2 Homosexuality in Russia is a crime and the punishment is seven years in prison, locked up with the other men. There is a three year waiting list.
Yakov SmirnoffYakov Smirnoff quote #2 I think crime pays. The hours are good, you meet a lot of interesting people, you travel a lot.
Woody AllenWoody Allen quote #2