“There is much truth in jest!”

I love, love LOVE this quote and have been using it almost ad nauseum since I first heard it about 10 years ago.  It basically means that although our jokes aren’t meant to be taken completely seriously, they still reveal a lot of truth about us as they show what we value and believe.  For example, a person who jokes about being fat probably actually feels that way (at least somewhat) about him/herself.  Likewise, people who make jokes (though perhaps lighthearted in tone) about the fiasco involving the website of the Affordable Care Act (as hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley recently just did on the CMAs), are making some kind of a statement against it.

I LOVE jokes, I LOVE humor, and I LOVE wordplay.  But not everything in our world is worthy of being included in our jokes.  I personally will NEVER make a joke that hints of racism, abuse, discrimination, or pornography even in the slightest (read more here!).  We must be careful to not cross that line of propriety, and use humor wisely and tactfully.

Text-to-self Connection:

1.  What kind of things do you like to find humor in?  Why?

2.  What sorts of topics are off-limits for jokes?  Why?

Shakespeare said it best:

“There is much TRUTH in jest!”

🙂