It's hard to imagine that the funniest man in history had a far from happy childhood. An absent father and a life of poverty led him to begin working at a tender age of nine. But Charlie Chaplin had a happy soul and a genius mind. Not one to be bogged down by 

life's miseries, he turned pain into something more meaningful – laughter. The famous Tramp character that he created for his films catapulted his status to iconic in no time. And why not, the ability to laugh at oneself is just so rare in this world. We 

bring you 11 quotes by the comic genius that teach us not to take life too seriously.  

1. Always look at life in long-shot.  

“Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.”

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2. It truly is. 

“In the end, everything is a gag.” 

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3. Did you laugh today? 

“A day without laughing is a day wasted.” 

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4. The ability to laugh at oneself is the greatest quality of all. 

“Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself.” 

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5. Life is not complicated. We make it. 

“Simplicity is not a simple thing.” 

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6. The most talented people are also the most humble. 

"That's all any of us are: amateurs. We don't live long enough to be anything else.” 

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7. If the subject of your joke doesn't find it funny, your joke is not good enough.  

“My pain may be the reason for somebody's laugh.

But my laugh must never be the reason for somebody's pain.” 

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8. You will never have a bird poop on your face if you are looking up. 

“You will never find a rainbow if you are looking down.” 

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9. Jellyfish – 1, humans – 0  

“Life is a beautiful magnificent thing, even to a jellyfish.” 

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10. We don't laugh; we type LOL 

“We think too much and feel too little.”

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11. Life is not to be taken seriously. 

“We must laugh in the face of our helplessness against the forces of nature – or go insane.”

© Thinkstock Photos/ MensXP_Disha Bhatia