[news.admin] What is humour

alan@numm.nu.oz (Alan Hargreaves) (03/22/89)

I have been reading some Heinlein (please forgive spelling if i stuffed it)
and i found a line which I think is appropriate.

On being asked what makes man man, the reply is something along the lines of

	"Man is that which laughs at himself."

Most of the best jokes that I have heard and which people are claiming to
be racist come from the people ostensibly being discriminated against.

The bast jewish jokes mainly come from jews, the best irish jokes stem from
the irish, the best scottish jokes are told by the scots, and so on 
ad absurdium.

If yoyu take this argument to the absurd, there would be no humour at all
as, when you think about it, most (if not all) jokes poke fun at someone.

I think it would be a VERY sad world if we could not laugh at ourselves.

alan.
-- 
Alan Hargreaves	(vk2mgl)	ACSnet: alan@numm.nu.oz
Unix (Maths) System Manager	Phone: (049) 685 597
SNAIL: c/- Computing Centre, University of Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia.
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