50 Mockery Quotes To Get You Thinking

By Lia Munson | Published July 15, 2023

These mockery quotes show us how the behavior has evolved over time and become an integral part of parody pop culture.

Tell us your favorite mockery quote in the comment section.

Why Read Mockery Quotes?

At times, mockery was considered insulting, denigrating, and just plain rude.

But the culture around mockery is changing.

It’s safe to say that mockery has become closely related to parody and satire.

Many modern movies and shows use mocking behavior to unify people in a humorous, relatable way.

Some great examples of this include:

Borat

The Simpsons

American Vandal

Saturday Night Live

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

These shows and movies use humor to mock certain subjects, but they also have underlying messages meant to inspire critical thinking about controversial topics and current events.

Of course, there are times when mockery can be offensive and hurtful.

Mocking a person or thing to demean or insult is considered mean and inappropriate behavior.

The key difference between mockery and parody is the intent behind it.

Mockery is meant to belittle someone or something, whereas parody is intended to entertain and amuse by exaggerating or poking fun at a person, situation, or topic.

While mockery and parody can involve humor, the approach is different.

Parody is a creative way to make light of a subject, while mockery is generally hurtful.

Mockery as a form of disrespect has largely faded from modern society and has been replaced with humorous, lighthearted parodies meant to entertain.

Still, it’s essential to be aware that different people take mockery in different ways, and we should always be respectful of others’ feelings and emotions when using mocking behavior.

We hope you enjoy these quotes about mockery!

Short Mockery Quotes

Here are some simple yet wise mockery quotes.

1. “Mockery is the acid of the soul.” — Mark Twain

2. “Mockery is the mask of insecurity.” — Stewart Stafford

3. “Do not mock a pain that you haven’t endured.” — Confucius

4. “The only way to deal with a fool is to mock him.” — Anais Nin

5. “Mockery is the last refuge of the unenlightened.” — Confucius

6. “It is easy to mock what we do not understand.” — Leo Tolstoy

7. “Mockery is a weak person’s imitation of strength.” — Eric Hoffer

8. “Mockery is often the result of a wounded spirit.” — Steve Maraboli

9. “The art of mocking is also the art of insult.” — Edmond de Goncourt

10. “Do not mock the crocodile until you have crossed the river.” — Sudanese Proverb

Quotes About Why People Mock Others

These mockery quotes illustrate who uses mockery in a negative context and why.

11. “Mockery is the tribute that mediocrity pays to genius.” — Oscar Wilde

12. “The greatest mockers are often the most self—deceived.” — George MacDonald

13. “Those who can’t do, mock, those who do, have no time to mock.” ― Abhijit Naskar

14. “Mockery is often the refuge of the defeated and the desperate.” — Aung San Suu Kyi

15. “Mockery is the refuge of those who have nothing worthwhile to say.” — Lemony Snicket

16. “When you mock someone, you are really mocking yourself, for you are revealing your own character.” — Haruki Murakami

Mockery Quotes from the Bible

Here are a few pieces of scripture that refer to mocking.

17. “He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker.” — Bible, Proverbs 17:5

18. “A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise.” — Bible, Proverbs 15:12

Mockery As A Weapon

19. These mockery quotes show that using mockery as a weapon is never good.

20. “Mockery is the weapon of those who have no other.” — Samuel Johnson

21. “Mockery is a shield for the weak, a weapon for the cruel.” — Sarah J. Maas

22. “Mockery is the weapon of those who are afraid of the truth.” — Paulo Coelho

23. “The problem with using mockery as a weapon is that it often boomerangs back at you.” — Karen Traviss

24. “Mockery is a weapon of mass destruction; it destroys relationships, trust, and self—esteem.” — Vironika Tugaleva

Mockery Quotes About Parody and Humor

These quotes illustrate how mockery evolved to be lighthearted and funny, not intentionally insulting.

25. “Parody is the sincerest form of flattery.” — Charles Caleb Colton

26. “Parody is a loving imitation that pokes fun at its source.” — Terry Pratchett

27. “Parody is the art of imitation and exaggeration for comic effect.” — David Mitchell

28. “Parody is a form of imitation, but imitation with a critical difference.” — John Hollander

29. “Parody is imitation with a twist, a playful act of both homage and subversion.” — Margaret Atwood

30. “Parody is a form of art that simultaneously celebrates and challenges the original work.” — Salman Rushdie

31. “Parody is a way of paying homage to a work by imitating and mocking it simultaneously.” — Jean Baudrillard

32. “Parody is a creative act that allows us to have a dialogue with the works that have influenced us.” — Neil Gaiman

33. “Parody is a kind of game that writers play with readers, and they enjoy it as much as the readers do.” — Isaac Asimov

34. “The art of mockery is a delicate one, requiring a certain intelligence, restraint, and sense of timing.” — Margaret Atwood

35. “Parody is a way of looking at something familiar from a different angle and finding humor in the absurdities of life.” — Carl Hiaasen

36. “Parody is the imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.” — Umberto Eco

37. “Mocking a woman is like drinking too much wine; it may be fun for a short time, but the hangover is hell.” — Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings

How to Handle Mockery

Below are some insightful mockery quotes about what to do when someone mocks you.

38. “When people mock you, do not return the mockery, but return the prayers.” — Rumi

39. “Don’t listen to people who mock you because you talked about who you want to be!” — Israelmore Ayivor

40. “Give yourself a pat on the back for getting mocked by those who have never tried their hands at anything.”― Michael Bassey Johnson

More Mockery Quotes

Below are some more pertinent quotes about mockery.

41. “Pride and ego makes a mockery of an apology.” — T.F. Hodge

42. “Mockery ends where understanding begins.” ― Erich von Däniken

43. “Mockery is the twin of ignorance; they go hand in hand.” — Rick Riordan

44. “The devil…the prowde spirite…cannot endure to be mocked.”― Thomas More

45.“The mockery towards the ignorant reflects ignorance.” ― Jaime Tenorio Valenzuela

46. “Better to be mocked for being true to yourself than to be loved for being someone you’re not.” — Andre Gide

47. “When the gates of mockery and abuse is opened, the heart becomes a shock absorber.” ― Ikechukwu Izuakor

48. “A person who is truly confident in themselves doesn’t feel the need to mock or belittle others.” — Roy T. Bennett

49. “Until pains are endured, depressions surmounted, mockeries ignored and goliaths conquered, destiny might not be achieved” ― Ikechukwu Izuakor

50. “Displaying vice to the mockery of men deals it a great blow. Men put up with admonition but are loath to be mocked. One might be willing to be wicked; one cannot bear to appear foolish.” ― Molière

“Mockumentaries”

A mockumentary is a type of film or television show presented in a documentary style but is a work of fiction created for comedy and satire.

Mockumentaries have existed for several decades but became popular after the 1984 release of the mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap.

Directed by Rob Reiner, This is Spinal Tap parodied the world of rock music and followed the fictional band on a disastrous concert tour.

Since then, the mockumentary genre has continued to be a popular form of entertainment, with many more films and television shows being created in that format.

Some mockumentary TV shows of the 2000s that were wildly popular include: