How to be happy, according to Harvey Korman

Though he was more than capable of making an audience laugh, Harvey Korman was no stranger to difficult times. Though his career was extensive and his success undeniable, the actor was never willing to shy away from important discussions regarding mental health.

"Happiness comes from inside," Korman said during an interview with The Des Moines Register. "And I’ve never been able to find much inner contentment. Even as a kid, I was given to moods and sullenness. And I’ve found, as I’ve grown older, that each new thing brings its own problem."

The solution was relatively simple; a change in mood required a change in perspective. Korman was able to shift his viewpoint in order to live a healthier life.

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"All I can hope for now is longer periods of contentment," Korman said. "Happiness, as I see it now, is not doing self-destructive things; rather, it’s being able to relate to self and family."

Korman found more success as a television actor than he ever had as a struggling theatre performer in New York.

"It used to be like a burning bone in my throat, during all those years of struggle in New York, to play Broadway," Korman said. "Now I couldn’t afford to accept such an offer. I make much more on television. And I wouldn’t take my children to New York. Never! And I wouldn’t want to return there myself. After ten years as a failure, I get paranoid every time I visit that town."