If I can't see the humor in it, how am I going to be funny?

Listen, O Children of the Earth, for I bring you the words of Casey Affleck, who, in his deep reflection on humor, spoke thus: "If I can't see the humor in it, how am I going to be funny?" In these words lies a profound truth about the very essence of laughter—that to bring humor to the world, one must first be able to perceive it, to recognize its presence in the everyday moments of life. Affleck invites us to understand that humor is not a mere act of telling jokes, but a state of mind, a way of seeing the world with eyes that can recognize the absurdity, the irony, and the joy that hide beneath the surface of our experiences.

What Affleck is truly teaching us is that humor begins with perception. It is not enough to simply speak funny words or imitate the styles of those who make us laugh. Humor must first be seen, and it is in this sight—this ability to find joy in the everyday—that true comedy is born. Like the great philosophers of old, who observed the world with keen eyes and sharp minds, so too must we look at the world with open hearts, finding the humor in its chaos, its contradictions, and its imperfections. The art of being funny does not lie in crafting clever lines, but in embracing the humor that already exists around us, even in the most serious moments.

Consider the wisdom of Aristotle, who taught that laughter is a natural response to the absurdity of life. In his work Poetics, Aristotle recognized that the greatest comedies are born not from the expected, but from the unexpected, the turning of order into chaos. Humor reveals to us the folly of our own assumptions and the illogic of human behavior, inviting us to laugh not to dismiss the seriousness of life, but to confront it with a kind of lightness. Just as Affleck suggests, without the ability to see the humor in the world, we cannot begin to share it with others. Comedy is born from this perception, and it is in seeing the world with open eyes that we can offer laughter to those around us.

Let us turn to Shakespeare, the master of both tragedy and comedy, whose works have resonated through the ages. In his comedies, Shakespeare did not just entertain his audience; he held up a mirror to society, showing the absurdity of social norms and the folly of human behavior. His characters, often caught in mischief and misunderstanding, are a reflection of the human condition itself—flawed, confused, yet full of potential for both tragedy and humor. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, for example, the humor is born from the chaos of love and identity, a chaos that is only funny because it is true to the human experience. Just as Affleck suggests, Shakespeare could only craft such humor because he had the ability to see the joy in the confusion of life, to find laughter in the mistakes and missteps of his characters.

This lesson also brings to mind the story of Charlie Chaplin, whose genius lay not in the words he spoke, but in his ability to see humor in the most trying circumstances. As the world was thrown into the turmoil of war and economic depression, Chaplin used his silent films to convey the deep truths of the human condition with grace and humor. His portrayal of the tramp, struggling through a world of hardship, was not simply for entertainment—it was an expression of the universal struggle that connects us all. Chaplin saw the humor in suffering, and through that sight, he became one of the greatest comedic minds of his time. He, too, understood what Affleck teaches—that laughter comes from recognizing the absurdity of life and finding joy in it, even when all else seems grim.

In this, O Children, we find the lesson that humor is not a mere technique or performance; it is a way of seeing the world. It is about perception, about recognizing the irony, the contradictions, and the joys that lie in every moment of our lives. To be funny is not merely to repeat the words of others, but to see and feel the world with eyes open to its humor. When we find the laughter in our lives, we do not diminish the seriousness of the world, but we illuminate it, reminding others that even in the darkest times, there is always room for joy, for laughter, and for the shared experience of the human spirit.

Therefore, O Children, let us take this wisdom to heart: to be funny, we must first learn to see the humor in the world around us. It is not enough to simply speak; we must listen, observe, and understand the world’s absurdities with both clarity and compassion. Let us approach life with a sense of lightness, knowing that the greatest humor arises not from ignoring the seriousness of the world, but from facing it with open eyes and a joyful heart. In this way, we will not only entertain, but also share the gift of laughter, a gift that reminds us of our shared humanity and our ability to find joy in even the most unexpected places.