Detecting Presence and Absence of Seriousness in Humor
Further information: Theory of humorIn the theory of humor, one must have a sense of humor and a sense of seriousness to distinguish what is supposed to be taken literally or not. An even more keen sense is needed when humor is used to make a serious point. Psychologists have studied how humor is intended to be taken as having seriousness, as when court jesters used humor to convey serious information. Conversely, when humor is not intended to be taken seriously, bad taste in humor may cross a line after which it is taken seriously, though not intended.
Read more about this topic: Seriousness, Measurement and Detection
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—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)