Good morning, digital neighbors! Happy Thursday to all you fine gents and ladies across the interwebs at Locals and Substack. Wherever you hang your hat, I am thankful that our paths have crossed, even if it is just a casual passing afforded us by this amazing medium of the internet. These encounters are far better than 99% of internet interactions. The most benign aspect of the internet is a time thief; the most insidious aspect is the corruption and poison it can introduce to your life. Like many things in life, it is all in how you use it.

Ben Shapiro made a comment in his recent interview with TRIGGERnometry that funny rarely builds. I think he is partially correct. Humor rarely builds culture; it comments on it. It pokes fun at it and often mocks it. As far as culture goes, humor is rarely if ever a contributor. I think at its best, it can point out some of the absurdities that too often take place in communities. Witty humor is probably the most innocent, being clever without targeting a person as much as a moment or the oddities of life. Puns tend to fall in that category of groan-inducing but innocent humor. I can’t believe I made that admission. Disparaging humor is probably the type that I think Ben is focusing on. Also, his remarks on the entertainment class thinking they are experts are spot on. Sure, they have an opinion, and they have an anus—both often contribute the same value.

But without humor, you won’t have a culture worth sustaining. It can wake us up to better thinking about what matters to us. Humor and comedy build the bonds of familiarity and can be the springboard of community and friendship. From those bonds, often formed by laughter and humor, can come shared endeavors and visions that might build culture. Humor can open the door to other conversations and more shared activities or goals that advance human life. Happy Thursday, my friends. I hope today holds some joy for you and perhaps a little laughter to lighten your pilgrimage.

“The freedom of any society varies proportionately with the volume of its laughter.” —Zero Mostel

“The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool.” —George Santayana

“I am persuaded that every time a man smiles—but much more so when he laughs—it adds something to this fragment of life.” —Laurence Sterne

Lago di Molveno, Molveno, Italia - Nicola D'Anna - Unsplash