There’s a genre in comedy called cynical comedy. I didn’t know that. But then I watched the special by Ricky Gervais on Netflix. Then I realised that being angry with the world and making jokes about it is a good way to face life.
Having a wry sense of humor towards life’s absurdities can help you tolerate it. For instance, making jokes about corporate jargon helps me to avoid the temptations of using them in the first place. If I make a circling back joke, then I would feel like a hypocrite if I use it in my mail. I now say dialing back on this.
Most things are tragically funny. The absolute irreverence of everyday life makes them funny. For example, when you ask for no sugar in your filter coffee and you get two heapfuls added, you laugh about it and order another one. Or even better gulp it down and let the bitter sweet aftertaste remind you of the unpredictability of life throughout the day.
Humour is a serious subject to write about. Often jokes are misinterpreted and you end up with a foot in your mouth. Most people don’t have the funny bone nowadays anyway. So even while cracking jokes one has to be careful of feelings and sensitivities. So that discourages joking in general because who wants to be known as the insensitive guy? In a world full of people pretending to be woke, making jokes is extremely difficult without offending at least a few folks in the room or a truckload full of people on the internet.
But that’s why making jokes to yourself is perhaps the best way of living. Just the way you keep your dreams and fantasies private, even our humourous outlook to the world is best kept private. Oftentimes, the inner dialogues can be much more funny. That’s why it sounded funnier in my head is a legitimate excuse for jokes that don’t land.
Though if you are around me, I’d love to hear your jokes. I’m not easily offended. Just don’t circle back to me.
