George Carlin: A master of whimsical philosophy

I recall being a fan of comedian George Carlin for most of my younger days.

I was always drawn to his off-beat, philosophical approach to the craft of stand-up comedy, and I always admired his unique way with words.

Here are a handful of examples of his amazing quotes. In some cases, it’s hard to believe he said such things decades ago.

•“A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff.”

How true. It seems to me that no matter how hard you try to “live simpler,” you always end up thinking, “where did all this stuff come from?”

•“Don’t just teach your children to read. Teach them to question what they read. Teach them to question everything.”

Amen to that. I believe there isn’t as much questioning as there should be, and there’s far too much blind acceptance going on. And that’s being passed down from the elders to the youngsters.

•“Isn’t it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do ‘practice?’”

Yes, it is (as my wife and I often say). And if “practice makes perfect,” then what the heck is going on?

•“In America, anyone can become president. That’s the problem.”

I’ll add to that: The best people for that position have no interest in it, because high government is such a twisted game, and could arguably be called a complete farce.

•“’Bipartisan’ usually means that a larger-than-usual deception is being carried out.”

But at the same time, anything being called “bipartisan” is usually applauded as if there was something good involved.

•“By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth.”

It’s my opinion that it’s very hard to tell when someone is speaking truth these days because many have become so good at lying. And again, the lies aren’t being questioned, so if we fall prey, we have nobody to blame but ourselves.

•“Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.”

I love this one. And it speaks for itself.

•“I love and treasure individuals as I meet them, but I loath and despise the groups they identify with or belong to.”

I so agree. In singular form, people are usually pretty cool. But when they form collectives, something frequently goes sideways.

•“There’s no present. There’s only the immediate future and the recent past.”

Wow, is that ever profound. It’s also impossible to argue with, because having a true present would mean time has stopped, and that ain’t happening.

•“If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done?”

Try analyzing that one. Your head will spin.

•“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

Imagine a world in which everyone actually understood that. It would be breath taking.

•“Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.”

If laughter is the best medicine as the old saying goes, then it stands to reason that lots of it would have to be very good for anyone and everyone. May you laugh heartily at least once today.

Anyway, there’s a million more where that came from, because George Carlin was a highly intelligent man with a passion for stretching peoples’ minds to the limit. He even said, “I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.”

You often hear talk about the “legacy” someone has left behind. In my view, George Carlin’s is one-of-a-kind and his contribution to history is uniquely worthwhile.

Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.