Comprehending wit
It is a well-known fact that all the people have a different sense of humour. As it is said: there is no accounting for tastes. Still, most of people possess a sense of humour at least to a certain degree. The undeniable truth is that the general sophistication of society and its public institutions lead to the increase of the cultural level of public. As a result, the humour grows to be more refined and more accessible to the audience.
The problem with wit concerns its definition as a notion. As it was mentioned above, "wit" is a form of intellectual humour being most often expressing political satire, sarcasm, black humour, etc. In other words, wit may be understood at the general public level only under conditions of considerable general scholarship. It is most often that witticisms include high phrases and various literary devices that may be absolutely incomprehensible for an ordinary Philistine. We may provide several examples, including a witticism by O. Wilde: "I wish I'd said that" and Whistler: "You will, Oscar, you will".
Another logical aspect of the very nature of wit is its production by the famous educated and well-known people of corresponding historical era. Numerous examples were provided in the first chapter that reveals the high (or even elite) nature wit as one of the most intricate forms of humour.
In a word, wit is the humour that is based on ideas, but not on the concrete real objects.