Tig Notaro Quotes

Powerful Tig Notaro for Daily Growth

About Tig Notaro

Tig Notaro, born Margaret Louise Tig Notaro on March 24, 1971, in Pass Christian, Mississippi, is a renowned stand-up comedian, actress, and writer who has captivated audiences with her raw, honest, and often poignant humor. Raised in a conservative household, her interest in comedy was sparked at a young age when she discovered her father's tapes of Richard Pryor and George Carlin. Notaro began her comedic career in her late twenties after moving to Los Angeles. She faced initial rejections but persisted, honing her craft in various comedy clubs. In 2012, a life-altering event catapulted Notaro into the limelight: she was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia and subsequently discovered to have cancer in both breasts. This personal tragedy led to one of her most famous stand-up performances, "Live," recorded at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles, where she humorously and poignantly addressed her health crisis. The performance was released on CD and Netflix as "Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted." The special earned critical acclaim and multiple accolades, including a Peabody Award. In 2015, Notaro co-created, wrote for, and starred in the critically acclaimed Amazon series "One Mississippi," which was loosely based on her life. Notaro continues to tour as a stand-up comedian and has released several comedy albums, including "Good One" (2018), showcasing her unique blend of humor that seamlessly transitions between the painfully honest and the absurdly funny. Her influence extends beyond the stage, inspiring audiences and fellow comedians with her resilience, authenticity, and wit.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I'm just a girl who loves other girls and wears pants."

This quote highlights Tig Notaro's self-identification as a lesbian woman and her comfort in expressing her sexuality while also embracing traditional masculine attire, such as wearing pants. It underscores her acceptance of herself, her identity, and her relationships, celebrating individuality and gender fluidity.


"Every day is a good day when you have hope. It's just a matter of finding it."

This quote by Tig Notaro underscores the transformative power of hope in our daily lives. She suggests that even the most ordinary days can become meaningful and positive if we possess hope, which serves as an essential source of motivation and resilience. The key to finding hope lies in its presence within ourselves or in our surroundings; it's a matter of persistence and openness to new possibilities.


"Life has a funny way of testing your priorities."

This quote suggests that life often presents situations or challenges to help us understand what truly matters in our lives, thereby revealing or testing our priorities. It implies that we may have preconceived ideas about what's important to us, but only through real-life experiences can we determine if those priorities are genuinely ours and if they align with our actions and reactions to life's events.


"If the apocalypse were to happen, it would be a relief because I wouldn't have to think about my hair anymore."

This quote humorously implies that Tig Notaro finds mundane aspects of everyday life, such as worrying about her hairstyle, overwhelming at times. In an apocalyptic scenario, where traditional societal expectations and concerns may cease to exist, she sees relief, suggesting a yearning for a simplified life free from these daily burdens.


"I don't know if I believe in God, but I do believe in the power of human connection."

Tig Notaro's quote suggests a nuanced view on spirituality and human relationships. By stating she doesn't necessarily believe in God, she may imply doubt or uncertainty about traditional religious beliefs, yet expresses faith in something more personal and tangible - the power of human connection. This could be interpreted as her belief that meaningful relationships between people can bring comfort, healing, growth, and a sense of belonging, serving as a source of strength, love, and purpose in life. This perspective underscores the importance of empathy, understanding, and unity among individuals as vital forces driving our lives.


My career has always kind of moved forward and upward. I've never had anything kind of stall out or go in the opposite direction. I've always kind of been moving in the right direction.

- Tig Notaro

Career, Always, Been, Upward

I've had an ongoing fantasy about being interviewed on, like, a '60 Minutes'-type show about this really inspiring woman that can do anything with a fake leg. And then the camera pans out, and I'm just holding a mannequin leg.

- Tig Notaro

Woman, Show, About, Leg

Basically I'm a female human being with brown hair, enjoy precision, reading the news, eating delicious food with my delicious friends and laughing at ridiculous things that don't translate while you are desperately trying to make them.

- Tig Notaro

Enjoy, Precision, While, Brown

I never really consider myself an awkward person, but once I got into stand-up, I kept hearing that word. The only thing I can trace it back to is that my mom had a similar sensibility. She always made people uncomfortable.

- Tig Notaro

Mom, Back, The Only Thing, Sensibility

I want to be silly, and that's being authentic just as much as being open and honest. It's authentic to make weird clown horn noises when it strikes you.

- Tig Notaro

Silly, Want, Being, Horn

I've toured around the world. I've worked with men, women. I feel like I've been unusually lucky to have supportive friends around me, and I feel tremendously supportive about my peers. I can't wait to brag about how funny my friends are.

- Tig Notaro

Lucky, Supportive, Been, Brag

My mother was a very, very funny, outrageous, outspoken person, and she never edited me. Her whole thing in my life was if anybody had a problem with me, tell them to go to hell.

- Tig Notaro

My Life, Anybody, Very, Outspoken

As a kid, I loved Paula Poundstone and Richard Pryor. But my mother was a huge influence on my comedy.

- Tig Notaro

Richard, Paula, Pryor, Huge Influence

When I was first asked for an autograph, I felt so uncomfortable that I just wrote, 'Tig's Autograph,' and from then on, that's what I write when I sign my name.

- Tig Notaro

I Write, Wrote, Felt, Autograph

I don't personally feel like I've dealt with any sort of discrimination or sexism. I'm not doubting that there might have been that going on and I just didn't read it that way.

- Tig Notaro

Like, Been, Read, Doubting

One of my favorite songs is 'Ghost' by Indigo Girls. Emily Saliers wrote that, and she is one of the most talented songwriters ever.

- Tig Notaro

Songwriters, Most, Wrote, Emily

When you first start out in stand-up and, probably, as any performer, you enjoy the attention so much, and even though that hasn't died down on stage, it certainly has satiated whatever was in me that was needing that much attention. When I'm off stage, it's not something that I really need.

- Tig Notaro

Enjoy, Needing, Died, Much Attention

People ask what my influences are, and for me, it's not always obvious. One of my biggest inspirations was Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders. That's based on how she just does whatever she wants to do, and I love her attitude about everything. It bleeds over into my way of thinking and comedy.

- Tig Notaro

Love, About, Inspirations, Bleeds

I get kind of, um, bored by all the sexuality and gender labels because I feel like that's where the problem comes in, when people feel that they need to have these particular identities. If you didn't have these labels, and you just acted on how you genuinely felt at any point, then you wouldn't have anything to contend with.

- Tig Notaro

Gender, Sexuality, Genuinely, Um

Life can very genuinely and realistically pile things on. It doesn't dole out the heartache and pain, or joy, perfectly.

- Tig Notaro

Pain, Very, Perfectly, Dole

I was very into animals and nature, and really obsessed with cats and monkeys. I used to play in the woods, wander off into the woods for hours. I'd bring a clipboard and think that I was doing some work out there, following the trails of raccoons or collecting bird feathers.

- Tig Notaro

Play, Some, Very, Monkeys

It was a free-for-all with music when I was growing up. My mother was a huge music fanatic so I was listening to everything from country to heavy metal to Indigo Girls to Elton John. I guess when I was really young I didn't like Willie Nelson, and she obviously loved him. Now I do too, I'm so thankful to her for playing his music nonstop.

- Tig Notaro

Thankful, Young, Country, Elton

It's almost embarrassing how much support I have. I mean, I always tell people I feel like I'm perfectly set up to have cancer. I have great health insurance, I have a savings account. I have work lined up. I have friends and family. I have the best doctors I can get.

- Tig Notaro

Insurance, Perfectly, Almost, Lined

After 2012, I thought, 'Oh wow, I've lived through this, and now I have a free ride in life.' And I can't believe I really thought that. As soon as I was healed from cancer and everything I was going through, I got back out into life and realized it doesn't work out like that.

- Tig Notaro

Thought, Through, Back, Healed

I want people to talk about my comedy, about cancer, about body issues, about scars, because cancer, it's a big deal, but scars are not a big deal. My skin healed. Relax, you know? That's all it is.

- Tig Notaro

Big, Deal, Big Deal, Healed

It attracts all types. But I definitely call the comedy world the land of misfit toys. Looking around the room at my friends, that's what I see.

- Tig Notaro

Comedy, Toys, Types, Attracts

I got my first guitar when I was nine because I wanted to be the fifth Beatle, even though they had already broken up and John Lennon died that year.

- Tig Notaro

Broken, Nine, Though, Lennon

People don't talk about small-town racism in Illinois or upstate New York. They're like, 'It's the South.' And it is. It's there. But it's everywhere. But everywhere, there are also amazing people.

- Tig Notaro

Racism, New, Amazing People, Small-Town

I can't help but see things in life through a humorous lens, so anything that comes my way is gonna probably be, you know, bent in that direction.

- Tig Notaro

Through, Bent, Gonna, Humorous

I have somebody I admire and want to keep at a distance. I've had the opportunity to meet her a couple of times - it's Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders. I just am nuts about her, but I have no interest in meeting her because I just don't think she could live up to what she's been to me in my head.

- Tig Notaro

Distance, Been, Couple, Pretenders

Even in losing my mother, beautiful, amazing awakenings have happened within my family. Of course, losing her is not what you want. The things that happened after her death, she would be so just beside herself with joy that life turned out that way.

- Tig Notaro

Life, Death, Turned, Beside

People love to make comedians out to be miserable, dark, twisted people. And I just - I think a lot of people struggle with depression and mental illness and have issues and problems within their family. The mailman has it. Your neighbor has it. It's just that comedians have a microphone.

- Tig Notaro

Love, Mental, I Think, Struggle

I definitely still like writing one-liners, but I also think that I've changed a lot in that I've allowed myself freedom to grow.

- Tig Notaro

Grow, Think, Still, One-Liners

I feel like I am the most hopeful person you could possibly meet.

- Tig Notaro

Feel, Like, Could, Possibly

I failed eighth grade twice, and then they moved me up to ninth grade. Then I failed that and dropped out. My teacher would hand me a test, and I'd grade it myself with an F, then put my head down on the desk.

- Tig Notaro

Down, Moved, Dropped, Ninth

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