the humor-importance graph
In discussing an aspect of current politics, the phrase "court jester" helped me to isolate an issue I've seen cropping up in several places lately.
Let's look at four people on a graph that measures attempted humor and importance of topic:
(With all love to Steven Covey, who addled a generation of businesspeople, the quadrants go counterclockwise.)
The Boor is the radiologist who corners you at a party and solemnly recounts the entire plot of a movie on finding out you haven't seen it.
In the same no-humor hemisphere, the Statesman in Quadrant II is also humorless and possibly boring, but [ideally] is tackling important issues; you're [ideally] more motivated to stick with these people.
Down in Quadrant IV, the Class Clown uses humor to deflect from even the most serious issue — especially the most serious, even. Whether from shallowness or hurt, this frustrating person blockades any real topic.
Up in Quadrant I, the Court Jester uses humor in precisely the opposite way, to delve *in* to a serious issue — especially the most serious. Court Jesters therefore do the opposite of blockading real topics, because they're more likely to open that topic where it may have been closed before.
Each Quadrant has its temptations. The Court Jester's temptation is to put so much mayonnaise on the sandwich (in the form of Quadrant IV fart jokes) that you miss the meat. The Statesman's temptation is to think the meat, served dry, is the whole meal.
My least favorite kind of teacher, for obvious reasons, was the kind who could never tell the difference between class clown and court jester.
Let's look at four people on a graph that measures attempted humor and importance of topic:
(With all love to Steven Covey, who addled a generation of businesspeople, the quadrants go counterclockwise.)
The Boor is the radiologist who corners you at a party and solemnly recounts the entire plot of a movie on finding out you haven't seen it.
In the same no-humor hemisphere, the Statesman in Quadrant II is also humorless and possibly boring, but [ideally] is tackling important issues; you're [ideally] more motivated to stick with these people.
Down in Quadrant IV, the Class Clown uses humor to deflect from even the most serious issue — especially the most serious, even. Whether from shallowness or hurt, this frustrating person blockades any real topic.
Up in Quadrant I, the Court Jester uses humor in precisely the opposite way, to delve *in* to a serious issue — especially the most serious. Court Jesters therefore do the opposite of blockading real topics, because they're more likely to open that topic where it may have been closed before.
Each Quadrant has its temptations. The Court Jester's temptation is to put so much mayonnaise on the sandwich (in the form of Quadrant IV fart jokes) that you miss the meat. The Statesman's temptation is to think the meat, served dry, is the whole meal.
My least favorite kind of teacher, for obvious reasons, was the kind who could never tell the difference between class clown and court jester.
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