the foundations of personality-第69章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ugh　is　in　part　one　of　triumph；　in　part　one　of　pleased　surprise。　I　shall　not　attempt　an　analysis　of　the　psychology　of　humor；　for　illustrious　writers　and　thinkers　have　stubbed　their　intellectual　toes　on　this　rock　for　centuries。　In　later　years　the　analyses　of　Freud　and　Bergson　are　noted；　but　there　is　a　list　of　writers　from　Aristotle　down　whose　remarks　and　observations　have　brought　out　clearly　certain　trends。　For　us　the　direction　that　any　one's　humor　takes　is　a　very　important　phase　in　the　study　of　character。　Humor　is　a　weapon；　and　the　humorist　has　two　ends　in　view：　the　one　to　please　his　audience　and　to　align　them　on　his　side；　the　second　to　attack　either　playfully　or　seriously　some　person　or　institution　with　the　technique　of　humor。　Certain　trends　are　seen　in　humor；　one　to　seek　a　feeling　of　superiority　by　revealing　the　inferiority　of　others　in　a　surprising　way；　another　to　release　a　burdensome＇1＇　inhibition；　a　third　to　play　with　and　in　a　sense　mock　the　disagreeable　features　of　life；　and　the　fourth　to　seek　detachment　from　one's　self；　to　seek　relief　from　sorrow；　disappointment　and　deprivation　by　viewing　the　self　as　from　afar。　＇1＇　In　this　way　humor　is　an　effort　for　freedom；　through　humor　one　tastes　of　experiences　otherwise　forbidden。

So　there　is　a　sarcastic　humor　which　points　out　the　foibles　and　weaknesses　of　others　either　grossly　or　delicately。　Usually　these　others　are　those　differing　from　one's　own　groupthe　Irish；　Jew；　farmer；　Negroand　the　jokes　either　deal　with　their　personal　appearance　（a　low　humor）　or　their　characteristic　expressions；　points　of　view　and　actions。　The　audience　is　convulsed　at　their　quaintness　or　folly；　though　often　enough　on　the　stage　the　comic　figure　delivers　a　sort　of　wisdom　mingled　with　his　foolishness；　and　this　adds　to　the　humorous　explosion。　The　sarcastic　humor　in　its　highest　form　reaches　satire；　where　under　a　disguise　powerful　institutions　or　the　habit　and　ways　of　life　of　a　group　are　criticized。　In　polite　society　people　are　continually　attacking　each　other　in　a　kind　of　warfare　called　repartee；　in　which　the　tension　is　kept　just　without　the　bounds　of　real　hostility；　while　the　audience　sides　with　the　one　whose　shaft　is　the　most　telling。　In　the　lower　ranks　this　interchange；　which　is　surprisingly　frequent；　is　coarse　and　insulting。　It　is　supposed　to　be　a　test　of　character　to　be　able　to　〃stand〃　these　attacks　with　equanimity　and　even　to　join　in　the　laugh　against　oneself。　To　〃kid〃　and　take　〃kidding〃　is　thus　an　important　social　trait。　Humor　is　often　used　to　expose　the　folly　of　the　pretentious。　Much　of　the　stock　in　trade　of　the　humorist　lies　in　his　attack　on　the　pedant；　the　pompous；　the　great；　the　new…rich；　the　over…important　of　one　kind　or　another。　To　find　them　less　than　they　pretend　to　be　gives　two　especial　kinds　of　pleasure　to　the　audience；　the　first　the　stripping　away　of　disguise　（Bergson）；　and　the　second　the　relief　of　our　own　feeling　of　inferiority　in　their　presence　by　showing　how　inferior　they　really　are。　Since　inhibition　wears　on　us；　the　great　inhibitions　are　directly　attacked　by　the　humorist。　Thus　sex　forms　one　of　the　great　subjects　of　humor；　and　from　the　obscene　story　told　by　those　on　whom　the　sex　inhibitions　rest　lightly　to　the　joke　about　clothes；　etc。；　told　by　those　who　mock　the　opposite　sex；　the　whole　idea　is　to　bring　about　pleasure　in　the　release　of　inhibitton　and　the　play　of　the　mind　around　the　forbidden。　Freud　has　some　interesting　remarks　on　this　type　of　humor；　which　he　regards　largely　as　sexual　aggression。　It　is　necessary　to　say　that　the　release　of　inhibition　is　always　that　of　an　inhibition　not　too　strongly　felt　or　accepted。　A　really　modest　person；　one　to　whom　the　sex　code　is　a　sacred　thing；　does　not　find　pleasure　in　a　crude　sex　joke。　Similarly　with　the　inhibition　surrounding　marriage；　which　is　a　stock　subject　of　humor。　The　overearnest　person　dislikes　this　type　of　humor　and　reacts　against　it　by　calling　it　〃in　bad　taste。〃　In　the　Middle　Ages　（and　to…day　among　those　opposed　to　the　Catholic　church）；　the　priest　and　nun　were　slyly　or　coarsely　attacked　by　the　humorist；　and　in　all　times　those　somewhat　skeptical　find　in　religion；　its　ceremonials　and　customs；　a　field　for　joke　and　satire。　The　most　interesting　of　the　types　of　humor　flirts　with　the　disagreeable。　Man　is　the　only　animal　foreseeing　death　and　disaster；　and　he　not　only　quakes　in　the　knowledge　of　misfortune；　but　also　he　jokes　about　it。　It　may　be　that　the　excitement　of　approaching　in　spirit　the　disagreeable　is　pleasant；　and　perhaps　there　is　pleasure　in　attacking　disaster；　even　in　a　playful　way。　The　ability　to　joke　about　other　people's　misfortunes　is　not；　of　course；　a　measure　of　gallantry　or　courage　and　usually　indicates　a　feeling　of　superiority　such　as　we　all　tend　to　feel　in　the　presence　of　the　unfortunate；　even　where　no　element　of　weakness　has　caused　their　mishap。　But　to　joke　about　one's　own　troubles；　danger　and　disaster　at　least　indicate　a　sense　of　proportion；　an　ability　to　stand　aloof　from　oneself。　This　propensity　is　remarkably　manifest　in　hospitals；　in　war　and　wherever　disaster　or　danger　is　present。　The　soldiers　nickname　in　a　familiar　way　all　their　troubles　and　all　their　dangers。　The　popular　phrases　for　dying　illustrate　this；croaked；　flew　up　the　spout；　turned　up　the　toes；　etc。　In　the　war　the　different　kinds　of　guns　and　missiles　had　nicknames；　and　puns　were　made　on　the　various　dreaded　results　of　injury。　It　was　declared　by　the　soldiers　that　no　missile　could　injure　any　man　unless　it　has　his　name　and　address　on　it；　which　is；　of　course；　a　poetical；　humorous　comparison　of　the　missile　to　a　longed…for　letter。　I　heard　a　wounded　man　say　the　only　trouble　was　that　the　postoffice　department　mistook　him　for　another　fellow。　Grim　humor　always　is　evident　in　grim　situations；　it　is　a　way　of　evasion　and　escape；　and　also　it　is　a　challenge。　When　one　objectifies　himself　so　that　he　sees　himself；　his　purposes　and　his　weaknesses　in　the　light　in　which　others　might　see　him　and　find　him　〃funny；〃　then　he　has　reached　the　heights　in　humor。　Certain　people　are　notoriously　lacking　in　this　quality　of　detachment；　and　they　cannot　laugh　at　themselves　or　find　any　humor　in　a　situation　that　annoys；　mortifies　or　hurts　them。　Others　have　it　to　a　remarkable　degree；　and　if　they　possess　at　the　same　time　the　art　of　telling　the　humorous　story　about　themselves；　they　become　very　popular。　This　popularity　accounts　for　a　good　deal　of　seeming　modesty　and　humorous　self…depiction；　it　is　a　sort　of　recompense　for　the　self…confessed　foible　and　weakness；　it　is　a　way　of　seeking　the　good　opinion　and　applause　of　others　and　is　sometimes　sought　to　a　ridiculous　extreme。　The　character　and　the　state　of　culture　stand　revealed　in　the　type　of　humor　enjoyed。　If　a　man　laughs　heartily　at　sex　jokes；　one　may　at　least　say；　that　while　he　may　live　up　to　the　conventions　in　this　matter；　it　is　certain　that　he　regards　the　inhibitions　as　conventions；　even　though　he　give　them　lip…homage。　No　one　finds　much　humor　in　the　things　he　holds　as　really　sacred；　and　if　these　are　attacked　in　the　joke　he　may　laugh；　but　he　is　offended　and　angry　at　heart。　Any　man　permits　a　joke　on　women　in　general；　but　he　will　not　permit　an　obscene　joke　about　his　wife　or　his　mother。　Humor　must　not　arouse　the　anger　of　the　audience　or　the　reader；　and　in　this　it　resembles　wrestling　matches　and　friendly　boxing；　which　are　pleasant　as　attacks　not　seriously　intended；　but　the　blows　must　not　exceed　a　certain　play　limit　or　war　is　declared。　To　be　entertained；　to　entertain；　to　escape　from　fatigue；　monotony；　inhibition；　to　seek　excitement；　to　while　away　the　time　and　thus　to　escape　from　failure；　regret　and　sorrow　are　parts　of　the　life　and　character　of　all。　They　who　have　nothing　else　but　these　activities　in　their　lives　are　to　be　pitied；　and　they　are　unwise　who　allow　themselves　too　little　amusement　and　recreation。　But　we　have　not　spoken　of　pleasure　as　a　whole；　pleasure　apart　from　entertainment；　play　and　humor。　The　satisfaction　of　any　physical　desire　is　pleasant；　so　that　to　eat　and　drink　and　have　sexual　relations　become　great　pleasure　trends。　There　are　some　who　live　only　for　these　pleasures；　ranging　from　glutton　to　epicure；　from　the　brutally　passionate　to　the　sexual　connoisseur。　Others　whose　appetites　are　hearty　subordinate　them　to　the　main　business　of　their　lives；　achievement　in　some　form。　Th