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Do not laugh too much: the genuinely witty man laughs
least: for wit is news only to those who do not know. Laugh at your own humor
less; otherwise you become part of the joke and advances the idea [that you
are the joke]. Do not make abuses your sport: for the fly that feeds on dung
is colored by it.
It is good to laugh at other people's stories. Even if
someone is unable to remember a joke, he may gain a reputation for a sense
of humor if he laughs at other people's jokes. But do not laugh too much.
When the witty man tells a joke, he lets others laugh; he does not have to
laugh to prove that he is clever. Wit is only enjoyed by those who had not
seen the humor before. The one who produces the quip knows the humor before
he speaks it and has no reason to laugh loudly. Laugh just enough to show
that it is to be enjoyed. If you laugh too much, you become the center of
the jest and the wit is lost. Let the wit be the pleasure for the company;
not your enjoyment of your own humor.
When raillery become the central purpose, the joker takes
on a selfish even dominating attitude. It is easy to turn entertainment into
abuse, making fun of others, degrading them even to their faces as a sign
of control over them. Be aware of the sting of ridicule before it gets out
of control and turns on you. The fly becomes the same color as the dung it
feeds on. Know what feeds your humor. Stop yourself before you harm your
friends and those who could become your friends.
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