Counteraction of awes and taboos
In every society and under state regime, there exist certain subjects most of us are afraid to discuss but they are the ones of the great attractions for a daily chat. Most of them are sex, politics, and religion. Certain wits deepen into these themes creating amazing wits that enter history and reveal the very nature of this or that historical epoch. What we are too polite or feared to say but have on our minds may be conveyed through witticisms. In this way, the wit becomes a sort of catharsis; a way for expressing what we think in reality about surrounding environment. It is like that wits give a metaphorical possibility to start laughing at something that is wrong, foolish and ridiculous but put into a status of holy, state or secure foundation.
It was mentioned in the previous chapter that making fun of taboos very frequently includes making jokes of the Bible, Koran, Torah and so forth. In general, these jokes or anecdotes revealed by ordinary people are viewed as primitive or even obscene. However, produced in the intellectual and elite circles, these sophisticated pieces of humour are considered to be masterpieces.
Here are some examples characterizing the common core of political and religious witticisms:
"You can have anything you want if you will give up the belief that you can't have " (Dr. Robert Anthony), "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conductive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it" (Buddha quote), "Politicians, like diapers, have to be changed frequently - and for the very same reason".