Does your joke hurt others?

Does your joke hurt others?

There are few things more satisfying than a good belly laugh. We are talking about the deep sort of laugh that takes over your entire body. The type that forces your head to fall back, tears to stream from your eyes, while stealing your breath and rendering you incoherent; the type of laugh that physically hurts, and leaves you aching afterward. As painful as it sounds, there are few things more satisfying. It is even more delightful when you are the person who brought about such a laugh. This is a pleasure that you look forward for an opportunity to do.
But we need to remember that majority of our laughs come at someone else’s expense. It preys on people’s mistakes and spotlights the socially taboo. We watch these on replay, make memes and graphic tales about them, and even morph them into auto-tuned songs. We chuckle under our breath at innuendos and curt jokes. We have been conditioned to laugh not with, but at others. Funny and degrading comments about something someone did, a mistaken understanding they had, or something they do frequently. Of course the more vulgar the better.
It is rare to see someone crack a joke about some foolishness they themselves committed, or a funny habit they have. It may be for two different reasons. First reason is that they are not aware of it and think what they do is correct. Second thing is they choose not to expose themselves.
So how do we learn to start laughing with people, not at people? It may be a good idea that before you crack a joke about someone, to consider yourselves in the shoes of the person you are joking about. That would be even more important to do so when the joke is cracked about someone who is not there in our midst and is unable to defend themselves or give a suitable answer to your jibes. This may help reduce the possibility of your joke or jibe turning nasty.
Laughing with people – it is easier said than done. The\ first question you need to ask yourself is “Do You Ever Laugh at the Misfortune of Others?” Don’t you think people sometimes find others’ suffering funny? If the answer is yes, then it may help to remember that you are just as likely to have a bad day as the sufferer. It is just not the day for you today, but bad days never leave anyone untouched.
To laugh with others you ought to have a real touch of humour. Jokes, especially situational jokes are the most harmless of jokes and seldom hurt others. A look at most really humorous books or movies are often neutral in their storyline. It is aimed at a situation rather than a persons. It speaks of something that happened that was really funny, but does not laugh at the misfortune of someone who fell. The story of you losing your way and ending up in a situation that was truly unexpected. The happening and the outcome can be really funny and can evoke a laughter without hurting another person.
However having a laugh at seeing an old man stepping on a banana peel by accident and landing on his back side is hardly the topic of a good and clean joke. But the worst jokes are those made about people who are not there in the vicinity, especially about their failures or misfortunes. Such jokes are in very bad taste and you need to remember that those listening are laughing with you but also judging you for what you are. It is definitely a reflection of your character.