"It sees war as a tragedy so great that only the mask of comedy allows one to look it in the eye." Salman Rushdie on Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five”. Comedy is an attempt, whereas humour happens, both serve the same purpose, most of the times. It’s like the spoon full of sugar helping the medicine. The writer Mark Twain once said: "Humour is tragedy plus time." If we are willing to laugh at ourselves, to begin with, life becomes lighter. The heaviness of our being comes from the "I" and "me". "How can I do that?" "Why I made that mistake?" "How could they fool me?" "I will show them..." and many such questions or phrases don't allow us to see things the way they are and then laugh on them. And also laugh at ourselves. Humour is thus a function of both intelligence and wisdom. Intelligence because one has to get it in the first place and wisdom because it can set you free.
The premise of identity is in "Looking Good" in front of everyone.
From our formative years, we are conscious of the importance of 'Identity'. We associate our education to it, our skills to it, our culture, behaviour and also our emotions. We don't want to make fun of our identity. It defeats the whole purpose of its creation in the first place. The premise of identity is in "Looking Good" in front of everyone. Those who know us, as well as those who might be strangers. But, especially in front of people who know us. That is why some people find it comfortable to be open in front of new people. They are self-expressive and funny when on vacation, at new places. The same person who wins "The jolliest person of the tour" is a badass boss in the office. In some cases, the identity takes different roles in different settings. Fun-loving chap with friends but a lout at home. Humour, however, has the ability to transcend all these identities and situations.
If we observe our life with openness and lightness, we can see that it's full of humour. The Roman Stoic, Seneca identified humour as a vital element of serenity. He stated, "All things are cause for either laughter or weeping", and concluded, "It is more fitting for a man to laugh at life than to lament over it".
Seneca identified humour as a vital element of serenity. He stated, "All things are cause for either laughter or weeping", and concluded, "It is more fitting for a man to laugh at life than to lament over it".
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