I think the main thing about comedy and humor is that it's

In the chambers of human thought, where wisdom and understanding are forged like weapons of the mind, there exists a peculiar and paradoxical force. It is a force that defies definition, that escapes the grasp of even the most seasoned intellects, and yet, it is as essential to the human experience as air itself. That force is humor—the eternal and elusive art of laughter. As the great Mike Nichols once said, "I think the main thing about comedy and humor is that it's impossible and always was impossible to define." In these words, Nichols imparted a truth that has echoed through the ages, a truth that has baffled scholars, kings, and poets alike: the very essence of humor cannot be confined, nor should it be.

In the pursuit of wisdom, the ancients understood that the world itself is a vast, unfathomable mystery. The great philosophers of Greece, like Socrates and Plato, spent their lives seeking to define the very nature of reality, to bring order to the chaotic world of the senses. And yet, even they, in their most profound moments of clarity, could not capture the fleeting, ephemeral nature of humor. It is a force that cannot be pinned down, for it arises not from the strictures of logic or reason, but from the very unpredictability of the human spirit. Laughter, that wondrous expression of joy and revelation, is not something that can be contained by words or rules. It is, as Nichols declared, impossible to define.

Consider the great playwrights of antiquity—Aristophanes, whose comedies graced the stage of Athens. His work was filled with clever wordplay, sharp wit, and biting satire. And yet, when we look upon his plays, we see not just jokes or gags, but a deeper, more elusive force at work. The laughter that arose from his audience was not merely the result of a well-crafted punchline; it was the collective recognition of life's absurdities, a truth that could not be captured by any single definition or explanation. Comedy in his time, as in ours, was not a rigid structure—it was a fluid, living thing, alive with the tensions between the expected and the unexpected. Humor, in its purest form, was a reflection of the chaos and joy of life itself.

And yet, the ancient world was not alone in its search for the definition of humor. Consider the Renaissance, that age of rebirth, when artists and thinkers sought to understand the very nature of the human condition. Leonardo da Vinci, in his studies of the body and mind, explored the anatomy of laughter, but even he could not fully grasp it. Humor, like the brushstrokes of a painter, is both subjective and uncontrollable—a fleeting moment of brilliance that defies the rigid formulas of science. It is the mystery that lies at the heart of the human soul, a spark that cannot be predicted, yet burns brightly in the most unexpected places.

Mike Nichols' words speak to a deeper lesson—a lesson that the modern world, in its relentless quest for control and understanding, has often overlooked. In an age where everything is measured, quantified, and analyzed, humor stands as a reminder that not all things are meant to be understood. There are forces in the world—like love, like inspiration, like joy—that cannot be contained by logic, and humor is one of them. It is a reminder to accept the mystery of life, to celebrate its unpredictability, and to rejoice in the moments when the world surprises us. To chase humor as a thing to be defined is to miss the point entirely. For humor is not something to be captured; it is something to be experienced.

In the great epics of history, whether it be the laughter of the gods in Homer's tales or the playful mischief of the trickster figure, there is a profound recognition that humor is beyond our grasp. It is not meant to be tamed, nor should we seek to tame it. When Hercules laughed in the face of his trials, it was not because he had solved the riddle of the universe, but because he had understood something deeper—that life itself is a paradox, and in embracing that paradox, we find joy. Humor, then, becomes the light that shines through the cracks of life's greatest challenges. It is a release, a liberation from the constraints of the world, and in it, we find our truest freedom.

And so, we are left with a lesson to carry forward. Humor, in all its forms, will never be defined. It is not a thing to be trapped within the borders of explanation, but a force to be embraced with open arms. In our own lives, let us not seek to define it, to control it, or to pin it down. Instead, let us live in the moment, reveling in the surprise, the chaos, and the joy that humor brings. Let us approach life with the humility to recognize that there are forces beyond our comprehension, and in those moments, let us laugh—not in ignorance, but in the deep understanding that the greatest truths are often the most elusive.

Thus, let us move through the world with an open heart and a playful spirit, knowing that the gift of humor is not to be understood but to be celebrated. It is a divine mystery, a force of nature that transcends time and space, and in its embrace, we find our truest selves. And in this, we discover the greatest wisdom of all: that some things are meant to be felt, not understood.