Humour - A Serious Issue!

Have you noticed how, as we evolve into a more capitalist society, we are losing our sense of humour? We tend to take ourselves terribly seriously and get very annoyed at small examples of our unimportance. Like when the road in front does not clear automatically as one drives, and even after furious honking there are all those cars, bikes and, dash it all even cycles, in front of you. Or when at the supermarket, just as you quickly rush down the aisles towards the billing counter there is this one person who steps in front of you. Or when you are rushing off to this extremely important meeting, the security insists on you following the visitors procedure. Not only do all these people willfully ignore your importance, they even have the effrontery to imitate your actions. You, of course, are in no mood to accept `a taste of one’s own medicine’ with good grace and a grin.

But the bigger and, in my humble opinion, scarier scenario is one in which one you begin to talk in four syllable words and sentences so obscure in meaning that if you are ever called to really and truly explain yourself, you would be at a loss. This begins to happen at that point when you are so materialistic, that you begin to sound spiritual about it. Somewhat like when you hear about this couple who chartered a plane to rough it out at an ashram in the Himalayas to `synergise our spiritual self to the great one-ness of that central metaphysical being who is beyond the realization limits of the whole.’ There, the fact that I have been completely unable to formulate one sentence which will elevate you to a different `plane of existence’ shows that I am one of those idiots who have not arrived. But I pride myself on the fact that I have actually constructed a sentence which has no meaning, so I still have hope! (The eternal optimist!)

Now I find this a tad bit strange. I would have believed that it is socialists with their lofty ideals, about which they are terribly intense and passionate and earnest, would be the creators of a humourless society. Why? Simply because they have a noble goal (my opinion, but I acknowledge this is contestable) and nobility for some reason breeds righteousness and righteousness is a serious humour impediment. But, maybe this is an irony of existence, that society has a fantastic brand of humour – cynical, witty, intelligent and lastingly hilarious. That is perhaps a reaction to all the earnestness around and a reflection of the intelligence which tends to gravitate towards the left.

On the other hand, I would’ve tended to believe that life in a capitalist society is about prosperity and prosperous people would normally have more reason to smile and hence perhaps have a better sense of humour – basically, anyone who loves to laugh would appreciate great humour. But I have noticed that this is not the case. I think a capitalist society is driven by achievers and hence generally everybody is racing to achieve or whining about not being able to achieve. The achievers tend to look for appreciation of their efforts and don’t like being made fun of, and anyways in the course of busily achieving, they get very earnest and self-important. And of the remaining, there is one lot which makes enough for a good living and is content and complacent and complacence is right there alongside righteousness as a humour-murder-weapon. The other lot is the one which is branded as `losers’ in the current societal parlance and is basically too bitter about it or is perhaps in no mood to be funny.

I think the time has come to define exactly what I mean by humour – I don’t mean jokes or one-liners or stand-up comedy. This you actually find in plenty in a capitalist society. I am talking about that brand of humour which essentially is directed as much at yourself as it is at others. This is that brand of humour which springs from intelligence and awareness.

I do not mean to say that humour cannot exist at all in a capitalist society. Bill Waterson and Scott Adams are but two singular examples who can quickly prove me wrong. This more towards defining the general. The point I am trying to really make is that material societies are full of smart people whereas socialist societies are full of intellectuals. But we all know that both societies have their disadvantages. I have in this context used humour as a barometer of values. Because an ability to laugh at yourself is a rather delightful way of staying humble. And also when you don't take yourself seriously, it is very difficult to take others or other things very seriously and thereby there are no Holy Cows in existence and therefore, you have nothing that you will wage a war for.