Where are the limits of humor? – A digital experiment
April 3, 2020The Corona crisis has brought public life to a virtual standstill - the LUDWIGGALERIE, like all other museums in Germany, had to close its doors. This also meant that our planned events could not take place.
We conducted a digital experiment and asked the actors to write or audibly record their statements. Jacques Tilly gave an audio statement, Christoph Müller and Thomas Holtbernd answered our questions in writing. The last question will be answered for everyone.
Jacques Tilly
Born in Düsseldorf in 1963, he began working on the construction of carnival floats in 1983
1985 to 1994 studied communication design at the University of Essen, then worked as a freelance designer and continued to build carnival floats
1998 Self-employment in the field of large-scale sculpture construction
Since 2005, Tilly has been the sole designer of the carnival floats that come out of his workshop
2007 Honorary membership in the Network for Art and Culture in Düsseldorf and Cologne
2008 Klinzing Plaque – the plaque is considered the highest award given by the Düsseldorf Carnival.
Over the years, various awards in the Düsseldorf Carnival
2017 Human Rights Award from Amnesty International
2019 Award for Civil Courage from the Heinrich Heine Kreis e. V.
2019 Art Prize of the Düsseldorf Jonges
Tilly is a member of the board of trustees of the evolutionary humanist Giordano Bruno Foundation
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Thomas Holtbernd
born in 1959, studied Catholic theology, education, psychology and philosophy.
After a period as a hospital chaplain, he taught at nursing schools and specialist seminars for geriatric care. He trained as a Gestalt therapist, has a psychological practice, works as a psychological expert, and has hosted philosophical cafes for many years. He also began writing at an early age, initially writing poems, short stories, and reviews, then books on humor and other topics. His articles in books and magazines revolve around topics such as loneliness, trust, attitude, play, and joy in life, among others, which he primarily looks at from the perspective of a phenomenological philosophy. In everything, cheerfulness as a way of life is at the forefront.
Tilly’s language is universal – are jokes about Corona different in Europe?
I'm not so sure whether Tilly's language is universal. His caricatures are understood in many countries around the world, and this is made very clear in the exhibition. Humor and jokes are different in different European countries, as can be seen in what the Germans hoard, for example, toilet paper and pasta, while the French buy red wine and condoms. A society is shaped very deeply. If you read Michel Eyguem de Montaigne's travelogues from the 16th century, for example, you are amazed at the peculiarities of the peoples described; they still seem to hold true. Richard Wiseman conducted an international internet study on joke preferences a few years ago and it revealed clear differences or preferences between peoples. Maledictology, i.e. research into swear words, comes to similar conclusions. However, in the age of the internet and globalization, jokes are becoming more and more similar. In contrast, the differences are made into folklore or simply asserted and stylized into a running gag, such as the "enmity" between Düsseldorf and Cologne.
When does humor turn into gallows humor and sarcasm?
I don't even know whether humor turns into gallows humor or sarcasm, I might as well start with that. It depends on the situation, in times of crisis it is obvious that one develops a gallows humor. I would attribute sarcasm to certain personality traits. I also don't like the supposed difference between good and bad humor. There are simply bad jokes and good jokes, but that is not a moral assessment, rather an aesthetic judgment. And there are joke tellers who do not sense the audience and do not react to it. This can be seen very well at the moment when cabaret shows are broadcast from home offices. Without an audience, the punchlines seem strangely funny.
Do you joke about yourself and how important is it to joke about yourself sometimes?
The jokes about myself are of course the hardest. I know that I would just be seen as an annoying joke teller if I didn't laugh at myself. I think self-irony is important. For me, it is also a sign of adulthood that I can joke about myself. There is a wonderful poem by Wilhelm Busch that I can use to explain this well:
Self-criticism has a lot to offer,
suppose I blame myself,
So first of all I have the profit,
that I am so humble;
Secondly, people think
The man is pure honesty.
Thirdly, I also take this bite
Before the other critics;
And fourthly, I also hope
To contradiction, which I approve of.
So it finally turns out,
That I have a really splendid house.
"Memes" can be seen everywhere on the internet, including on the topic of Corona, and videos on short video platforms such as TikTok or on Facebook also mostly deal with the topic in a humorous way. Is this a good way of dealing with the crisis? To what extent does it help people psychologically to cope with this crisis? What boundaries should we not cross in this particular case?
Humor has always been a good guide in difficult and stressful situations. The current situation in particular shows that humor can compensate for the forced physical distance from other people. A bridge of laughter and smiles is created that stretches across the depths of our fears. When you laugh, you are distracted for a moment and that is a time-out from the stress of being alone, fear of infection and worries about others dying or about yourself being threatened. In Monty Python's "Life of Brian", I think this power of humor is wonderfully portrayed. Jesus, or Brian, hangs on the cross and sings the song "I always look on the bright side of life." Humor or jokes are a resilience factor; they strengthen the immune system. The joke breaks off brooding because something unexpected happens. And in times of crisis, it is difficult to escape the pull of new news, information about the conditions in hospitals, etc. With the joke, I create a break. I don't see any limits to jokes, I don't like being too vulgar or too macabre. But if a joke helps someone to bring a little cheer into their dark everyday life, then it should be worth it. A good joke is also characterized by the fact that an idea is caricatured, something is exaggerated to such an extent that I am irritated in my firmly established opinions and views and I become more aware of my limitations.
Christoph Müller
Born in 1970 and raised around and in Düsseldorf
Journalist since 1989: first for regional editorial offices and religious agencies and newspapers; since the late 1990s working for specialist journals in social psychiatry and psychiatric care
Since 2017, editor-in-chief of the specialist journal “Psychiatric Nursing” (Hogrefe-Verlag); editorial board member of “Psychosocial Review” (Psychiatrie-Verlag), “Dr. med. Mabuse” (Mabuse-Verlag), “Pflege Professionell” (Facultas-Verlag)
has been working in psychiatric inpatient care since 1990; many years of experience in geriatric, general and forensic psychiatry in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Where do you set your limits in your work as a “nurse with humor”?
When I live with humor and cheerfulness in my everyday nursing work, it is first and foremost about opportunities for me. Humor and cheerfulness are indispensable for me in order to build relationships and facilitate encounters. This is evident every day. A cheeky remark as I pass by creates a good atmosphere between me and you. I can see this positive atmosphere as laying the foundation so that the sick person and I can set out on the journey together. When I realize that I have a similar sense of humor to the person I am talking to, it quickly becomes apparent that we have something in common.
As someone who grew up in Düsseldorf and now works in Cologne, I often play on the apparent conflict between people in the cathedral city and the state capital. I often ask people who are originally from Cologne whether they know the station chapel on the banks of the Rhine in Cologne. They are usually confused and even ask me where the chapel is, saying they don't know about it. It goes without saying that I then ask them whether they know the Gothic cathedral (Cologne Cathedral) that always overshadows the station forecourt. Of course I have to put up with being called a "scumbag". But the important thing is that the connection between people is established. It is then a pleasure to wait for the answer. It comes in any case.
There are hardly any limits for me. If I use humor and cheerfulness in my nursing work, then jokes or quick-witted remarks must not hurt people. The integrity of the person must be preserved. It must be clear that the use of humor and cheerfulness is fundamentally a balancing act. When people's souls become unbalanced (I know this area of nursing best), we come across existential experiences. Existential experiences must be met with strong jokes. Jokes and quick-witted remarks get to the point.
There are hardly any limits for me. If I use humor and cheerfulness in my nursing work, then jokes or quick-witted remarks must not hurt people. The integrity of the person must be preserved. It must be clear that the use of humor and cheerfulness is fundamentally a balancing act. When people's souls become unbalanced (I know this area of nursing best), we come across existential experiences. Existential experiences must be met with strong jokes. Jokes and quick-witted remarks get to the point.
Who Do your patients deal with their illnesses with humor?
This happens in very different ways. People have their own individual sense of humor. I see this every day. And what also differentiates people is their willingness and ability to laugh at themselves. Some people succeed, others don't.
Experience has shown that mental illnesses are associated with a specific smile and a certain type of laugh. When a depressed person smiles, it definitely seems to be tortured. People with manic symptoms always have a malicious laugh. Psychotics don't seem quite genuine when they smile or laugh. Smiling and laughing have to be authentic. I think that's how those affected feel too. They have to find themselves in what they do and feel.
If cheerfulness and humor played a role in the lives of those affected during healthy times, this is also the case during difficult personal times. They feel that they feel better when they can smile or laugh again. If they then come up with quick-witted remarks or even jokes, they are on the road to recovery. I am sure of that. Willibert Pauels, who performs on various stages as a Catholic deacon and cabaret artist, and who made his own depression public years ago, once told me this.
"Memes" can be seen everywhere on the internet, including on the topic of Corona, and videos on short video platforms such as TikTok or on Facebook also mostly deal with the topic in a humorous way. Is this a good way of dealing with the crisis? To what extent does this help people psychologically to cope with this crisis?
The Corona crisis is pushing us collectively to the brink. People are reaching their own limits. Now situations are arising that individuals may often want to avoid. Suddenly we are dependent on one another in families and shared flats. The question that arises is: can we put up with one another?
In some cases, we can endure this if we make everyday life lighter. At the dinner table, women, men, and children may make fun of each other. Personally, I can say that in my private life, my openness to wit and humor is once again increasing. In everyday working life in the clinic, it is exhausting. Corona has us somehow under control, there is a lot of uncertainty. Those affected have a great need to talk. That makes life difficult. When I leave the clinic, I enter a city in a strange state of emergency. I would also describe this as difficult. I have to feel lighter in my own four walls. I believe that other contemporaries feel the same way.
In some cases, we can endure this if we make everyday life lighter. At the dinner table, women, men, and children may make fun of each other. Personally, I can say that in my private life, my openness to wit and humor is once again increasing. In everyday working life in the clinic, it is exhausting. Corona has us somehow under control, there is a lot of uncertainty. Those affected have a great need to talk. That makes life difficult. When I leave the clinic, I enter a city in a strange state of emergency. I would also describe this as difficult. I have to feel lighter in my own four walls. I believe that other contemporaries feel the same way.
Cheerfulness and humor can certainly make the present situation easier. For the future, quick-wittedness and humor can make you think. But the decisive factor is the individual's actions.
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