The Anatomy of a Joke and How Jokes Help Your Anatomy
There Was a Minister, A Priest and A Rabbi ...
A minister, a priest and a rabbi walk into a bar and the bartender says,
“Say, is this some kind of joke?”
What is it about ministers, priests and rabbis?
Why do jokes tend to use “threes?”
And, why do the rabbis get to deliver the punchlines?
Well, to take the first question first (perhaps the first and last logical move in this book), maybe it’s because these archetypal clergy folks are the closest we have to representing our perception of God (i.e., the All-Knowing Unknowable), and yet still be human. In a joke like this, there is a conversation going on between the part of us that is human, and the part that is Divine. The humor simultaneously escalates and releases the tension.
Secondly, in regard to “threes,” three is a number of resolution. Think Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Too hot, too cold, just right. Not this, not this ... but this. Bada bing, bada boom. That is the rhythm of a joke. The first entity (e.g., a priest) sets the stage. The second entity (e.g., a minister) further amplifies or adds weight to where the story is logically going. The third entity (e.g., the rabbi) takes us somewhere else entirely. We are surprised, and we laugh.
A minister, a priest and a rabbi walk into a bar and the bartender says,
“Say, is this some kind of joke?”
What is it about ministers, priests and rabbis?
Why do jokes tend to use “threes?”
And, why do the rabbis get to deliver the punchlines?
Well, to take the first question first (perhaps the first and last logical move in this book), maybe it’s because these archetypal clergy folks are the closest we have to representing our perception of God (i.e., the All-Knowing Unknowable), and yet still be human. In a joke like this, there is a conversation going on between the part of us that is human, and the part that is Divine. The humor simultaneously escalates and releases the tension.
Secondly, in regard to “threes,” three is a number of resolution. Think Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Too hot, too cold, just right. Not this, not this ... but this. Bada bing, bada boom. That is the rhythm of a joke. The first entity (e.g., a priest) sets the stage. The second entity (e.g., a minister) further amplifies or adds weight to where the story is logically going. The third entity (e.g., the rabbi) takes us somewhere else entirely. We are surprised, and we laugh.
The Purpose of a Joke
What is the purpose of a joke?
To the uninitiated into the path of Foo Ling, a joke is a quip or a story designed to elicit laughter. Yes, and there’s more ...
In its highest form, a joke creates a playful communication between the right (intuitive and expansive) and left (logical and linear) hemispheres of the brain. A joke intentionally brings together elements / ideas that wouldn’t normally be related, and apparently we laugh in surprise in delight when the connection is made. In this sense a joke is a lot like a magic trick. We are purposely misled to one conclusion and then – presto – the proverbial rabbit is pulled out of the proverbial hat. The punchline is revealed.
Metaphysically speaking, the purpose of a joke is to release emotional energy and gain a flash of insight. If a joke is really powerful, not only does it bring our two human sides together, but it actually unites heaven and earth. In a flash of enlightening, we are simultaneously grounded and elevated and in that moment we completely inhabit both physical and spiritual reality.
The one joke I always use to demonstrate what it’s like for a joke to create both physical and emotional release, and mental and spiritual understanding is the supposedly true story of something that happened during the Cuban missile crisis. Apologies if you’ve heard this one before, but this time see if you can experience the integrating power of this story:
At the time of the crisis there were some American and Soviet delegates meeting to discuss possible trade between the two countries. When news of the missile crisis hit, there was tremendous tension and the room fell silent. Finally, one of the Soviet delegates stood up and proposed that they take turns telling jokes. He volunteered to start. “What’s the difference between capitalism and communism?”
USE MY FIBER EXPERIENCE INSTEAD....
“In capitalism, man exploits man. In communism, it’s the other way around.”
Through this one story and in this one transformational moment, an amazing healing took place. In addition to the release of physical and emotional tension, a powerful spiritual insight emerged, powerful enough so that the individuals in that room could feel relatedness while the two sides teetered on the brink of calamity. Maybe, as Swami says, “if we tittered on the brink of disaster” instead, we would have fewer calamities.
So, as you enjoy the jokes in this section – primarily about the most perturbing aspects of the human condition – notice how these jokes “ambush” the logical mind and propel us out of the box of ordinary thinking. That’s why humor and creativity are so intimately connected. If you find these jokes silly, even better, because what we call “sillium” – the active ingredient in silly jokes – actually make us younger. That’s why children, whose daily lives contain plenty of sillium, laugh an average of 400 times a day, while the average adult laughs only 18 times. Do the math. More importantly, do the aftermath.
To the uninitiated into the path of Foo Ling, a joke is a quip or a story designed to elicit laughter. Yes, and there’s more ...
In its highest form, a joke creates a playful communication between the right (intuitive and expansive) and left (logical and linear) hemispheres of the brain. A joke intentionally brings together elements / ideas that wouldn’t normally be related, and apparently we laugh in surprise in delight when the connection is made. In this sense a joke is a lot like a magic trick. We are purposely misled to one conclusion and then – presto – the proverbial rabbit is pulled out of the proverbial hat. The punchline is revealed.
Metaphysically speaking, the purpose of a joke is to release emotional energy and gain a flash of insight. If a joke is really powerful, not only does it bring our two human sides together, but it actually unites heaven and earth. In a flash of enlightening, we are simultaneously grounded and elevated and in that moment we completely inhabit both physical and spiritual reality.
The one joke I always use to demonstrate what it’s like for a joke to create both physical and emotional release, and mental and spiritual understanding is the supposedly true story of something that happened during the Cuban missile crisis. Apologies if you’ve heard this one before, but this time see if you can experience the integrating power of this story:
At the time of the crisis there were some American and Soviet delegates meeting to discuss possible trade between the two countries. When news of the missile crisis hit, there was tremendous tension and the room fell silent. Finally, one of the Soviet delegates stood up and proposed that they take turns telling jokes. He volunteered to start. “What’s the difference between capitalism and communism?”
USE MY FIBER EXPERIENCE INSTEAD....
“In capitalism, man exploits man. In communism, it’s the other way around.”
Through this one story and in this one transformational moment, an amazing healing took place. In addition to the release of physical and emotional tension, a powerful spiritual insight emerged, powerful enough so that the individuals in that room could feel relatedness while the two sides teetered on the brink of calamity. Maybe, as Swami says, “if we tittered on the brink of disaster” instead, we would have fewer calamities.
So, as you enjoy the jokes in this section – primarily about the most perturbing aspects of the human condition – notice how these jokes “ambush” the logical mind and propel us out of the box of ordinary thinking. That’s why humor and creativity are so intimately connected. If you find these jokes silly, even better, because what we call “sillium” – the active ingredient in silly jokes – actually make us younger. That’s why children, whose daily lives contain plenty of sillium, laugh an average of 400 times a day, while the average adult laughs only 18 times. Do the math. More importantly, do the aftermath.
