Jimmy Carr: British comedian, TV host, and author known for rapid-fire one-liners; a Cambridge graduate who writes about happiness and purpose in his book.
What this episode covers
Jimmy Carr opens up to Steven Bartlett about a side of himself viewers rarely see: a thoughtful, philosophical thinker behind the one-liner comedian persona. He traces his journey from a dyslexic kid in special-ed who cheered up his depressed mother, to Cambridge, to quitting a corporate marketing job at Shell to chase comedy. He explores purpose, the difference between sadness and depression, gratitude versus ambition, the role of hard work, and how beliefs shape your life. He candidly discusses his public tax-avoidance shaming, panic attacks, depression, losing his religious faith, and late personal milestones, framing happiness as a responsibility worth pursuing.
Recommended on this episode
Zen and the Art of Making a Living
Laurence G. Boldt
“there's two books. Um Zen and the Art of Making a Living I would recommend to people. It's still available”— Jimmy Carr
Understanding Myself (Jordan Peterson personality test)
Jordan Peterson
“there's a Jordan Peterson one understanding myself. like 100 questions and it tells you things that's that's worth I had a crack at that recently and really enjoyed it”— Jimmy Carr
The guest's own work
Before & Laughter
Jimmy Carr
“the premise of the book kind of is there's nothing special about me. It was not pre-ordained that I was going to be a successful comedian”— Jimmy Carr
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
Selfie
Will Storr
“there's a great book called Selfie and a great book called Tribe. I remember sort of reading them back to back and thinking, yeah, something's going on here”— Jimmy Carr
Tribe
Sebastian Junger
“there's a great book called Selfie and a great book called Tribe. I remember sort of reading them back to back and thinking, yeah, something's going on here”— Jimmy Carr
Enlightenment Now
Steven Pinker
“I love that kind of Steven Pinker enlightenment now thing about right it's the best it's ever been”— Jimmy Carr
What Color Is Your Parachute?
Richard N. Bolles
“And there's a book called um What Color Is Your Parachute? They're quite corporate. both of them”— Jimmy Carr
Catch-22
Joseph Heller
“This guy made more money one day last week than you made out of catch 22. Like laughs at him”— Jimmy Carr
Big reveals from this episode
- Carr says his mother was depressed and he became the family's mood-changer, which became the foundation of his comedy career.
- He reveals he hasn't seen or had a relationship with his father in about 20 years.
- He recounts his public tax-avoidance scandal, describing it as feeling like 'suicide with a bungee rope.'
- He describes having panic attacks and not sleeping for three days when the tax news broke, being prescribed beta blockers and Valium.
- He describes a severe depressive episode in Australia in 2018 after roughly 160 flights that year left him 'stripped of serotonin.'
- He shares that he didn't lose his virginity until he was 26.
- He states his future ambition is to 'disturb people' on stage, inspired by Dave Chappelle, moving from one-liners to longer routines.
Worth remembering
- Carr says he was very dyslexic and didn't learn to read and write with proficiency until age 10 or 11, then got himself to Cambridge.
- He cites a Chinese proverb: 'The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.'
- He only got formally diagnosed as dyslexic at college to get a free laptop and extra exam time.
- He took a 5,000-pound voluntary redundancy from Shell, meaning they paid him to leave.
- In his first five years of comedy he performed roughly 300 nights a year.
- He recounts the Vonnegut/Heller 'I've got enough' anecdote about a Hamptons party.
- He frames happiness as living in 'flow states' where you lose track of time.
- He took a 20-day NLP course funded by Shell's training budget, taught by Ian McDermott.