What I Learned from Jimmy Carr

Getting advice from comedians is like getting advice from a funny person that has managed to survive one of the most difficult vocations around. I don’t have to tell you that comedians come out on stage, into what is historically a hostile environment their only weapons a mic and their words. Who better to give survival tips? Jimmy Carr is a British stand-up comedian known for his offensive one-liners and deadpan delivery. “I could have phoned in a showbiz book of 60,000 words, stuck a couple of pictures in, cash the cheque, great. But I didn’t want to shortchange anybody and in the end it became a labour of love.” - Jimmy Carr. Carr turns out to be a huge fan of self-help books. He read lots when he was in his early 20s, trudging to his marketing job at Shell each day, dissatisfied with his life and longing for some excitement. “Self-help opened my eyes a little bit to the idea that the rules that affect our lives aren’t written. — The Guardian’s Tim Jones, September 2021. I too love self-help books. I don’t care if they say the same thing over and over. I need the reminding. I’m not especially prone to joining cults so there’s no danger of me sending a charismatic all of my money. I’ve taken 12 pages of notes and recorded them here but I can recommend this book as a great listen. I got it on Audible. I hope you like it too. BOLD is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boldacting.substack.com