Humour, The Great Diffuser
Humour is the energy and spirit which gives more than it takes
👋🏼 Hey, I’m Joanna! I’m a communications consultant sharing insights and ideas relating to democracy, wellbeing, AI, culture, spiritualism and the human condition…read on if this has piqued your interest.
Apparently we’re now in Autumn?
When I sat down to write this newsletter, I had another (rather serious) subject in mind to write about. But as the last week has been one full of sniggers, unexpected laugh out loud moments, emphasis on entertainment, annoying news and bizarre spectrums of humour for me, I thought I would write on a more light-hearted subject this week: humour as the great diffuser.
I love humour, humour loves humanity and humans love humour. It’s a cycle of communication which gives more than it takes and gives us a new perception of something which we weren’t open to before. Which is why I’m choosing to embrace it more in my work. Recent events and synchronicities have suggested I do.
I’ve been writing on Substack for just over a year now, exploring which themes interest me, which ones zip me in, what resonates with readers, and which don’t. Most of my subject matters have a serious streak to them, some are on the more whimsical, curious side. Which makes sense bearing in mind I have a legal background, have expertise in constitutional and democracy issues and was an academic at Cambridge University for a period. But on the flip side of this I started my career in the communications business, I now run my own communications consultancy working for individuals and companies, with some clients having a strong creative flair to their work. And as someone who also shares a strong creative and visual flair, working with them feeds my creative energy, a mirroring of sorts. This is why I’m leaning more heavily into my creative brain and why humour is a key element to that.
Humour diffuses more than it uses. It gives us a sense of space, giddiness, connection and freedom that we all crave as a vital life force. It doesn’t take much effort or time to be humorous, anyone can be funny if the conditions are right, and people are open to receiving it and being tickled by it. There are different types of humour like there are different types of people. Some people are more naturally humorous than others, they were born with a funny bone and can’t help but use it. Unlike the thinking mind which often succeeds by being alone, thinking deep thoughts, the humorous mind largely relies on other people to live and thrive. With humour you can be forgiven; with more serious matters and moments you can’t. That’s why humour is essential to humanity and how we connect.
Humour requires someone else to find it funny, and the energy of this to tickle others. It’s why AI will never succeed in this department; you can’t programme the unexpected quirks of humour. Humour is only understood by humans who experience it. Its success also depends on its delivery and landing, of which no AI could be tweaked enough to do. It’s a quirk of the human imagination that can’t be measured, and the flavour of humour can differ ever so slightly according to geography, background, age etc. So, my advice to AI and AI developers is to not even bother.
AI is controlled and deliberately executed; humour rarely is, and if it were, it wouldn’t be humourous. This is why it’s a great diffuser. In a photography context, a camera diffuses the light evenly, reducing harsh shadows. This is humour in a nutshell; it reduces the harshness of a given situation to the extent that it takes the fear out of something. When we laugh, our energy changes, we feel good, and life doesn’t seem as dour as it did ten seconds ago. It changes our energy, and we change our perception. The world is experienced in a new light and reality.
Humour is oddly similar to life in that it can be wildly unpredictable and surprising. We make plans, we have ideas, we try to control a given situation, and we end up falling flat on our faces when they don’t work out. But rather than staying on the ground in a pit of gloom and doom, the only choice is to laugh, get up and get on.
The annoying news that I mentioned at the start put me into this exact scenario at the beginning of this week, which is perhaps why I became more aware of the random spurts of humour surrounding me. Humour colours our existence like nothing else can. Which is why I’m excited to discover how one of my creative projects – with some very deliberate humour weaved in - currently in the works will land with those who see it coming to life and into fruition.
In the plot twists of life, the slightly parallel and surreal developments in my work life – from having a professor at Cambridge University politely advise me the other year on the first draft of an essay which turned into a historic book chapter on the UK’s relationship with the EU, to now having a Hollywood producer scribble in red block capitals MORE ENTERTAINMENT HERE on my creative project – just goes to show that humour is the diffuser which lets interesting events and twists occur.
When I decided to pursue this project, humour was, without really thinking about it too much, part of it: “HA, just imagine if I created X, wouldn’t that be such a funny plot twist to the sort of work I’ve done so far.” Flicking the switch to humour, laughs, creativity and adventure usually lead somewhere worthwhile. We are more open to ideas and suggestions when we laugh, we follow a curious road and the let the wave of good energy in and consume us. If we enjoy the journey, we know for a fact that the destination ends up being great.
Life may catch us by surprise with its occasional shades of sadness, which makes it all the more important that we recognize and value humour in all its forms and disguises along each step of the way.