Life would be tragic if it weren't funny.

The line expresses a stoic, darkly comic outlook: human existence contains suffering, limitation, and inevitable loss—elements that could make it purely “tragic.” Humor becomes a counterweight, a way of reframing hardship so it is bearable and even meaningful. In Hawking’s case, the sentiment is often read biographically, given his long life with ALS and his public insistence on curiosity, wit, and perspective despite severe physical constraints. More broadly, the quote suggests that laughter is not a denial of tragedy but a survival strategy that restores proportion and agency in the face of what cannot be changed.