Who said “The laughter of man is more terrible than his tears, and takes more forms -- hollow,…”?

Verified

James Thurber. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceNew York Times Magazine (7 December 1958).

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“The laughter of man is more terrible than his tears, and takes more forms -- hollow, heartless, mirthless, maniacal.”
— James Thurber
VerifiedNew York Times Magazine (7 December 1958). · evidenceLaughter
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: New York Times Magazine (7 December 1958)..

APA

Thurber, J. (n.d.). The laughter of man is more terrible than his tears, and takes more forms -- hollow, heartless, mirthless, maniacal. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/25481-the-laughter-of-man-is-more-terrible-than/

MLA

Thurber, James. “The laughter of man is more terrible than his tears, and takes more forms -- hollow, heartless, mirthless, maniacal.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/25481-the-laughter-of-man-is-more-terrible-than/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Thurber, James. “The laughter of man is more terrible than his tears, and takes more forms -- hollow, heartless, mirthless, maniacal.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/25481-the-laughter-of-man-is-more-terrible-than/.

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More quotes by James Thurber

“He who hesitates is sometimes saved.”
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“You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.”
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“Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?”
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All 54 James Thurber quotes →