What’s Behind A Joke?
Behind a joke there may be different intentions. In this sense, a joke is a joke, cheat or trick that is done on someone on purpose to make them feel ridiculed or cheated, usually out of humor.
The intention of a joke is to laugh at the recipient (or with him), but without actually causing him any harm. Of course, sometimes jokes hide an inherent cruelty and are malicious, they have hidden intentions.
It is common for some jokes to exceed their limits and end up being truly cruel to their recipients, generating discomfort and discomfort in the receiver. That is, sometimes when someone is “telling a joke,” they are actually speaking from the utmost sincerity. The popular saying already affirms it: “between jokes the truth appears”.
So what is the function of a joke? Why do we go to it to express what we feel or think? We talk about it.
Thoughts and feelings behind a joke
In these lines we do not want to downplay the role of humor, which provides great benefits for people. What’s more, it could be a sign of intelligence.
According to a study carried out at the University of Wien, Austria, people with a great sense of humor scored very high in verbal intelligence and emotional intelligence.
What happens is that at certain moments behind a joke feelings or thoughts can be masked under the title of “joke”, when in reality he is wanting to say something without making it wrong or too direct. In this sense, you say what you feel or think, closing the speech immediately with a “joke” to take weight off what you want to express.
If the person receiving the message feels uncomfortable or attacked, the phrase “it was a joke” frees us from the responsibility of what we had said, thus transforming the message and the situation into humor. We cover ourselves under the phrase “just kidding” and we continue as if nothing had happened.
At that moment, we are justifying ourselves, taking away the real meaning of what we have said, avoiding a confrontation. We turn a statement into something unimportant or funny simply by indicating that it is a joke.
Cover the truths with jokes
It could be understood then that the fact of saying “I’m joking” means to excuse ourselves, we are looking for a free pass so that the other does not get angry or do not realize our true ideas or opinions. In a way we disguise hidden feelings or thoughts behind a joke. Perhaps out of fear of saying what we think or out of fear of the reaction of others.
That is, the joke can be a way of channeling certain ideas and opinions that we do not want to say openly. Sigmund Freud highlights the role of humor as a means of knowing the repressed desires of a person and a society. Likewise, for Freud the joke is a means to discharge emotional tension, which plays a civilizing role. Instead of directly attacking or attacking the other, witty language is used to express some hidden hostility.
In short, jokes, in their proper measure, fulfill a social function, it is a way of relating to people. Of course, if you are a joker and you tend to cover truths with jokes, they will not believe you when you argue something that is true. In turn, if you are in front of someone who jokes constantly, ask yourself what they mean and what is the code message behind the joke.
