Why do people tend to shut up and listen when Louis CK talks? Three reasons seem to stand out: For one, he’s honest, and so we can trust him. Second, he’s an average guy, and thus we can relate to him. And of course, he’s insightful, saying things that we may have realized, but were never able to verbalize.

Below are eight lessons Louis CK has taught us through his standup, TV show episodes and interviews.

1. “I’m bored” is a useless thing to say. You live in a great, big, vast world that you’ve seen none percent of. Even the inside of your own mind is endless. The fact that you’re alive is amazing, so you don’t get to say ‘I’m bored’.”

There’s a common perception that people who say they’re bored are actually boring. While we’ve all been bored at one point or another, those who are consistently bored may want to look inward. Life isn’t meant to be spent in front of a television. It’s your responsibility to unbore yourself with meaningful projects. If you feel that you should be entertained constantly, that’s called entitlement.

2. “Everything that’s difficult you should be able to laugh about.”

A sense of humor can combat the most devastating scenarios and hardships in life. Sometimes we need to distance ourselves from the seriousness of life, and realize that everything is relative. While you may not be able to laugh at yourself yet, you can at least work on seeing what’s humorous about a bad situation. If it seems a bit morbid and absurd, you’re doing it right.

3. “It’s not your life, it’s life. Life is bigger than you. It isn’t something you possess. It’s something you take part in and witness.”

This is especially important for Americans, as materialism can lead us to feel entitled to things that we don’t even possess. Nature and Earth don’t really belong to us. We’re simply lucky enough to experience them. So the next time you get frustrated or feel the need to control life, remind yourself to experience it instead. Life wasn’t made for you, and that should feel liberating, not depressing.

4. “Kids are the only people in the world that we’re aloud to hit. They’re the most vulnerable and the most destroyed by being hit, but it’s totally ok to hit them.”

In the old days, parents hit their children for misbehaving without a second thought. But what adult remembers these experiences without a torrent of negative emotions, or at the very least, uneasiness? Studies have shown that children respond better to positive reinforcement. Thus to punish our children harshly is really just lazy and abusive.

5. “Some things I think are very conservative or very liberal. It doesn’t make sense to me that you’d have the same solution to every issue.”

Unfortunately, a lot of the disagreement in our world comes from resentment and an unwillingness to understand. If we tried, we might be able to see certain issues from a perspective outside of our usual one. However, many times irrational fears and narrow thinking gets us stuck in patterns that don’t serve us, or anyone. The world isn’t black and white, and it never will be.

6. “If you work harder and apply more energy and time, and more consistency, you get a better result. It comes from the work.”

Nowadays, its common for everyone to be busy almost all of the time. We pack our schedules with task after task. The question is, are we busying ourselves with the right tasks? Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you’re truly working hard or being consistent. This is what leads to true, fulfilling success.

7. “Perception is created and twisted so quickly.”

Have you ever judged someone immediately upon meeting them, or even worse, based on what someone told you about them? Then, have you spent time with the person, only to dramatically change your opinion of them? The point is, don’t get too caught up in perceptions unless you’ve really given something a lot of thought. Especially in regards to the media’s influence, we have to keep in mind that everything we hear is simply one person’s perception, not a truth or a fact.

8. “There are times when I get a bad feeling in my gut that this might be too much, but you feel pressure when you’re not doing something.”

The key lesson in this quote is that action holds power. Pressure, anxiety, uncertainty and depression; all of these things can only exist when we are inactive. When we don’t do anything and anticipate our lives away, all of these dreaded feelings will arise. For those who “crack under pressure,” the problem is really that they don’t act. Pressure can never dissipate until we are actually doing something.

This has been your Louis CK dose of the day.