You Can Take Your Life Seriously Without Taking Yourself Seriously

Somewhere along the way, meaning got confused with solemnity. People assume that a life devoted to something important has to look grave, that laughing at yourself is a betrayal of your ambitions. It is the opposite. The people who sustain hard, meaningful work over decades are usually the ones who can laugh at their own mistakes.

Lightness is not the enemy of depth — it is what keeps depth from collapsing into rigidity. Care about your life fiercely. Just do not forget that you are also allowed to find yourself a little ridiculous.