31 Unforgettable Carol Burnett Quotes

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Carol Burnett may be known for her Tarzan yell, but her speaking voice is pretty great too, especially when it's delivering her characteristic wit and wisdom. No joke: The iconic comedian has been inspiring fans for decades, since breaking the glass ceiling of comedy in 1967 with her variety program The Carol Burnett Show. Ahead of her 90th birthday, we compiled 31 of her best quotes to make you laugh, smile and contemplate life.

Best Carol Burnett Quotes

1. “I have always grown from my problems and challenges, from the things that don't work out; that's when I've really learned.”

2. “Adolescence is just one big walking pimple.”

3. “As for the career, sometimes I catch myself daydreaming about being young again and doing it all over. Then I bring myself up short when I realize how incredibly fortunate I was.”

4. “We all get where we're going by circuitous journeys, and some of the setbacks are warranted.”

5. “No one ever said life was fair. Just Eventful.”

6. “Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me."

7. “Just scream! You vent, and the body just feels good after a good old yell.”

8. “It all happened the way it was supposed to. I wouldn't change anything. I had such a great run.”

9. “Comedy = tragedy + time.”

10. “It's almost impossible to be funnier than the people in Washington.”

11. “I was once asked to do my Tarzan yell at Bergdorf Goodman, and a guard burst in with a gun! Now I only do it under controlled circumstances.”

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12. “I think the hardest thing to do in the world, show-business-wise, is write comedy.”

13. “I love to write. I have always loved writing. That was my first love.”

14. “When you have a dream, you've got to grab it and never let go.”

15. “When I was little I would always stand in front of a mirror and cross my eyes. Then my mother would come in and say, ‘Stop that, nothing will ever come of it!’”

16. “I never regretted turning down anything, I never regretted losing a job because I always felt something else was out there.”

17. “Ask anyone who's successful how they got there, you're going to hear a different story.”

Related: Carol Burnett Reveals What She's Grateful For Ahead of 90th Birthday

18. “I think the reason I was successful is that I was never cynical.”

19. “You have to really want it, and don't take it personally if you don't get a job. Because sometimes you're not the type. And sometimes it's somebody else's turn.”

20. “When I went to New York to try and make it, I never thought it wouldn't happen.”

21. “Cavort, dear, just cavort.”

22. “You have to have faith that there is a reason you go through certain things. I can't say I'm glad to go through pain, but in a way one must, in order to gain courage and really feel joy.”

23. “I'm not always optimistic. You wouldn't have all cylinders cooking if you were always like Mary Poppins.”

Related: Julie Andrews Proudly Supports Carol Burnett at Taping of Her Birthday Special in Sweet Photos

24. “Giving birth is like taking your lower lip and forcing it over your head.”

25. “My childhood was rough, we were poor and my parents were alcoholics, but nobody was mean. I knew I was loved."

26. “We don’t stop going to school when we graduate.”

27. “When things are a disappointment, try not to be so discouraged.”

28. “You have to go through the falling down in order to learn to walk. It helps to know that you can survive it. That's an education in itself.”

29. “...It makes you feel good when you help others. I've been helped by acts of kindness from strangers. That's why we're here, after all, to help others.”

30. "“If someone tells you that you cannot do something and you believe it, they are right.”

31. “Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own.”

Next, Carol Burnett's 90th Birthday Special Will Feature Loads of Famous Friends: All About the NBC Tribute