rant · moment 13 of 24
Comedy vs. Surfing: All-In Dedication and Happiness
from #205 - Well, LA Was Fun | The Tim Dillon Show · #205
6 min
Tim compares the all-consuming dedication of pro surfers to that of comedians, arguing that total devotion to a craft doesn't guarantee happiness and that many aspiring comedians don't actually want the work, just validation.
- Tim: surfers aren't the brightest people, though standing on a board is an impressive athletic feat
- It's fascinating to dedicate your entire life to one thing, which overlaps between surfing and comedy
- Surfers structure everything around their craft—food, workouts, relationships, friendships—the way committed comedians do
- Tim doesn't believe the healthiest way to live is total dedication; balance is the opposite of what he described
- For surfers and comedians alike, their craft is where they truly live—on the board or on stage
- Many people on Twitter complaining about comedy don't actually want to be comedians; they just want community
- In entertainment, people stay and get angry rather than leaving like someone would quit surfing at the beach
- Most people waste their lives trying to get good at something and never do it
- The danger of dedicating your life to something: you might not be good, or good but unhappy anyway
- Comedians aren't doing it to be happy; they're trying to be happy but it isn't making them happy
surfingcomedy