"Oak before Ash, we're in for a splash. Ash almost dead, what more can be said?"
A good joke is like a glass of fine wine – it has the power to unite people, to make everyone feel equal, even if just for a moment.
There's nothing like a good dose of absurdity to make us laugh until we cry, but it has its perils too. Imagine you're gearing up for a serious conversation with your boss and, to break the tension, you picture them naked. Sure, you're no longer stressed, but now you're skating on the thin ice of keeping a straight face and your job!
What goes on in your head is your own circus, but once you start sharing the clowns, it's good to know your limits. A great joke can unite people, making everyone feel equal for a moment, no matter their background, beliefs, or preferences — so I said…
I, like every intelligent human, love to laugh but I also see that not only I am evolving but also the world around me with its humour.
Yesterday, I had a chat with Joanna Kolaczkowska and Szymon Majewski, comedians nominated for the “Best Stream Awards” (If you're a fan — vote!). We agreed they wouldn't perform some sketches from a few years ago in the same way. Times change. Political and racial jokes, along with just plain mockery, are not that tasteful anymore.
Even in the most open-minded relationships, it used to be cool to use humiliation as humour, but now it seems people have realised it reflects not wit, but a low sense of self-worth. When joking, it's good to strike a balance. Think of it like knowing that “gently” and “shut up” shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, unless the noun “the door” can be implied.
But hey, everyone makes mistakes and everyone evolves. I also played borderline and wrote texts that I laughed about for days but wouldn’t necessarily publish today.
So, if you weren’t born to be a comedian, play it safe in public and stick to the one type of humour that can’t get anyone else to a muddy field — self-deprecating humour — and there you can enjoy as much as you like.
“The secret to happiness is a good sense of humour and a bad memory.”
Ps: Big shout-out to all the friends with whom I can have a good laugh – you’re the real MVPs!
And if you were hoping for some Monday morning laughs on the 113th anniversary of Czeslaw Miłosz's birth, I was going to share one of his frivolous poems. But then I remembered that not everyone appreciates the same irony and highbrow poetic antics.
I always happy when I read your amazing lesson's ❣️❣️