65 Phrases From Mafalda Full Of Humor, Social Criticism And Irony
Mafalda is a fictional character created by the Argentine comedian Quino , whose real name is Joaquín Salvador Lavado Tejón. This girl, who is part of a comic strip, aims to represent and reflect the idealism of the middle and progressive class and the concern and rebellion against the problems of today’s society. Her witty phrases invite us to reflect on numerous aspects of our daily lives in an ironic and irreverent way.
It is for all these reasons that this article collects a selection of Mafalda’s phrases
1. Life is beautiful, the bad thing is that many confuse beautiful with easy
Difficulties and obstacles are something we have to continually deal with throughout life, and they actually allow us to mature and learn to value their beauty.
2. If living is lasting, I prefer a Beatles song to a Boston Pops Long Play
This phrase expresses the need to live intensely and without fear taking advantage of our lives regardless of how long we are here.
3. Half the world likes dogs; and to this day no one knows what wow means
Criticism of the lack of knowledge, communication and mutual understanding.
4. As always; As soon as you put your feet on the ground, the fun is over.
Mafalda points out that extreme realism leads us to worry excessively and does not allow us to dream.
5. The problem is that there are more interested people than interesting people
Nowadays the prevailing culture tends towards individualism there is a wide segment of the population that focuses its behavior and lifestyle solely on the search for personal benefit.
6. They cook beans everywhere, but no one dares to strangle the maitre d’.
This phrase expresses that although there are many problems, the majority limit themselves to suffering them without seeking a real solution that will end them.
7. Life is beautiful, the bad thing is that many confuse beautiful with easy
Difficulties and obstacles are something we have to continually deal with throughout life, and they actually allow us to mature and learn to value their beauty.
8. What do years matter? What really matters is to verify that at the end of the day the best age in life is to be alive
Reflection that encourages us to stop valuing age so much since it is not what is important. There is no age that has to be better than another. We have to focus on what is important: living.
9. Stop the world, I want to get off!
This phrase, originally from Groucho Marx, expresses a criticism of the functioning of the current world and the need for change.
10. Do we send a parent every day so that damn office can return this to us?
In this phrase from Mafalda criticism is made of the excessive level of demand and absorption into the world of work.
11. The ideal would be to have the heart in the head and the brain in the chest. So we would think with love and love with wisdom
Reflection that leads us to value the need for emotion and reason to go hand in hand.
12. What if instead of planning so much we flew a little higher?
Mafalda questions the fact that we do not dare to go further in our dreams and ambitions, limiting ourselves to acting based on self-imposed limits.
13. Yes, I know, there are more problemologists than solutionologists, but what are we going to do?
In this sentence Mafalda criticizes that most people tend to limit themselves to complaining about reality and pointing out what is wrong and very few try to find solutions.
14. We have men of principles, it’s a shame they never let them go beyond the beginning
In today’s society, values and principles are often beaten and ignored out of interest, restricting and not allowing those who try to act in accordance with them to advance.
15. And isn’t it that in this world there are more and fewer people?
Criticism of the progressive dehumanization of society focused on the economic and competitive and increasingly less concerned about its peers.
16. The checks of your mockery do not have funds in the bank of my soul
The ridicule and attempts of others to harm us do not have to affect us.
17. The bad thing about the mass media is that they do not leave us time to communicate with each other.
The excess of information available through the mainstream media means that we often forget the importance of communicating with others or even with ourselves.
18. It’s not that there is no goodness, it’s just that it is incognito
Kindness is a concept that we can apply in our daily lives, although in recent times it rarely appears in a selfless way.
19. Start your day with a smile and you will see how much fun it is to go around clashing with everyone
Criticism of the excessive rigidity, seriousness and sadness that most people manifest, since it is not so common to find expressions of joy in our daily lives.
20. Raise your hands if you are tired of seeing the world run with your feet!
Here dissatisfaction is expressed about how things are and the type of management of global society.
21. The problem with closed minds is that they always have their mouths open.
Those who are less flexible and more intolerant tend to continually reflect and perpetuate their ideas, trying to impose them on others.
22. In this family there are no bosses, we are a cooperative
This phrase is criticizes the traditional patriarchal model in which the man is seen as the head of the family.
23. If you don’t do stupid things when you’re young you have nothing to smile about when you’re old.
Phrase that encourages us to enjoy youth and not take things too seriously at this stage of life, as well as to experiment and live new things and/or things that make us enjoy.
24. Some love me for who I am, others hate me for the same reason, but I came into this life to try to be happy…not to please anyone!
We must forget and stop giving importance to what others think of us and how we are and focus on living freely, in our own way.
25. The bad thing about the great human family is that everyone wants to be the father
This phrase expresses that everyone wants to command and impose their way of acting and their points of view, which is why conflicts arise between people, countries and cultures.
26. Newspapers make up half of what they say. And if we add to that the fact that they don’t tell half of what happens, it turns out that newspapers don’t exist.
This is a criticism of the manipulation and lack of truthfulness of many media outlets.
27. As always: the urgent leaves no time for the important
We are in a very demanding society in which we constantly have something to do and finish promptly, often leaving aside vital aspects for us or forgetting to address aspects that, although they may be in the minority, are still of great importance.
28. Have you ever thought that if it weren’t for everyone, no one would be anything?
Mafalda makes us see that although we can go very far in life, the fact of doing so is largely due to the contribution or effect of those and what surrounds us.
29. They say that man is an animal of habit, but rather man is an animal of habit.
Reflection on cruelty and stubbornness of the human being.
30. Have you gained two kilos since last summer? Well, millions of people couldn’t gain weight because they had nothing to eat. But I guess you need comfort and not feel so stupid
Concern about the figure is something that obsesses today’s developed societies, but it does not take into account that a large part of humanity suffers from hunger and dies of starvation.
31. It is always late when happiness is bad
Mafalda expresses a somewhat pessimistic point of view of reality, as we can see in this phrase that opposes the popular saying.
32. I am not disheveled but my hair has freedom of expression
Comical phrase that, however, can express both a criticism of the absence of freedom of expression and the existence of the consideration that anything can be done based on it.
33. Wouldn’t it be more progressive to ask where we are going to continue, instead of where we are going to stop?
Through language Mafalda expresses the need to make things flow and continue instead of focusing on giving them an end.
34. It is not true that every time in the past was better. What was happening was that those who were worse off had not yet realized
We must try not to mythologize the past. This is often remembered with nostalgia without taking into account that at that time there were also different difficulties.
35. Don’t put off until tomorrow trying to fit in someone else what you have to do today
Not very subtle criticism of the tendency to look for someone who will save us work by doing what we should do ourselves.
36. I want to congratulate the countries that lead world politics. So I hope there are some reasons
Mafalda expresses her discontent with how the world and current politics work.
37. Work for a living. But why does that life that one earns have to be wasted on working to earn a living?
Mafalda wonders why we centralize life so much around the world of work and ignore or put down other aspects that are as important or more important, such as enjoyment or personal relationships.
38. It’s funny, you close your eyes and the world disappears
We are often too focused on what surrounds us, on the demands of work and society, what they will think about…but in the end we are going to be the ones to live our lives and we must live it at our own pace.
39. Better go take a look, and if there is freedom, justice and those things, it wakes me up, no matter what number of world it is, are we here?
Phrase that reflects that today the world is still full of injustice which we have to fight to achieve a better world.
40. The bad thing about reports is that you have to answer in the moment to a journalist everything that you never knew how to answer yourself in your entire life… And on top of that they try to make you look intelligent
This phrase expresses the fact that there is a large number of things that we do not know about ourselves or that we do not dare to ask ourselves, and that when they are pointed out they surprise us.
41. We dream, guys! It turns out that if you don’t hurry to change the world, then the world changes you!
This phrase pushes us not to settle and fight to change what we consider unfair.
42. No one can amass a fortune without making others miserable
This phrase expresses a criticism of the way of stepping on and using others to achieve benefits that is still used today.
43. I would say that we should all be happy without asking why
Happiness and joy should not have an ulterior motive for existing or require an explanation.
44. In all parts of the world the law of compensation has worked very well, whoever raises his voice will lower his voice.
This phrase from Mafalda talks about the risk of protesting against what is established due to the punishment it can entail.
45. Wouldn’t the world be beautiful if libraries were more important than banks?
This phrase criticizes the excessive value we give to money and the little importance that is truly given to knowledge.
46. Of course money is not everything, there are also checks
Again, an acidic criticism of the excessive importance given to money and economic wealth so that seems to be all that matters.
47. Life should not throw you out of childhood without first getting you a good position in your youth
The need to be able to be a child and have basic aspects such as sustenance or education guaranteed in order to develop into adulthood is expressed.
48. There is never someone missing who is left over
There will always be something or someone that we don’t like and that opposes what we believe or do.
49. At the end of the day, humanity is nothing more than a meat sandwich between heaven and earth
Little reflection that puts us all on the same level: we are all people, no more no less
50. Smile! It’s free and relieves headaches
Mafalda encourages us to try to be happy instead of worrying and thinking about everything.
51. Where do they sell cheap bugs? It’s just that mine have been very expensive…
Failure, errors and incorrectness were some of the recurring themes that Quino addressed in his comics.
52. The great answer always comes to us 5 minutes after giving a stupid answer.
Something that many of us can undoubtedly see ourselves reflected in.
53. Isn’t it amazing how much a pencil can hold?
An allegory of the immensity of the human imagination.
54. Could it not be that this modern life is more modern than life?
Mafalda regularly criticized the problems of modern Western society.
55. Some people have not understood that the Earth revolves around the sun, not them.
A very obvious criticism of self-centered and selfish people.
56. In this world everyone has their small or big worry.
Most people have their own problems and their magnitude depends on how they conceive them.
57. I would think that… But it’s better not to touch on the subject, right?
A humorous phrase that refers to discussing controversial or provocative topics.
58. In the end, what is the matter? Does one carry one’s life forward, or does one’s life take one’s way?
A reflection that many adults have made throughout their lives.
59. I am not antisocial, I am socially selective.
A phrase that perfectly and humorously sums up introverts.
60. (Referring to a police officer’s baton) See? This is the stick to dent ideologies.
Mafalda criticized the powers and institutions of the state, including the police, for decades.
61. From time to time it is a good idea to take your instinct out for a walk.
Instinct will help us on many occasions to take the right direction.
62. Undoubtedly, spring is the most advertising thing in life.
Spring is the most spectacular season of the year, in which all life is reborn.
63. (Referring to a band-aid) Well, how does one stick this to their soul?
Interpersonal relationships, pain, poverty, injustice… These were some of the topics that the great Quino dealt with in his cartoons.
64. Doesn’t it hurt you a little to call the country underdeveloped? And what do you want me to tell him? An amateur country.
In Mafalda’s cartoons we can also find many protest messages in favor of social progress and against injustice.
65. Where should we push this country to move forward?
The problems that Argentina was going through for several decades are usually a common theme in Mafalda’s comics.
