Humour, at its core, is a complex cognitive and emotional response to stimuli that elicits amusement, laughter, or a sense of enjoyment. It can be found in various forms such as verbal wit, physical antics, stories, or situations. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the concept:

1. Subjectivity: What one person finds humorous, another might not. Cultural, personal, and situational factors heavily influence one’s sense of humour.
2. Incongruity Theory: One of the most widely accepted theories regarding humour. It suggests that people find humour in situations where there’s a conflict between what’s expected and what actually occurs, especially if the outcome is benign.
3. Superiority Theory: This theory posits that we laugh at the misfortunes, mistakes, or misbehaviours of others because it makes us feel superior to them. This is often seen in slapstick humour or when someone slips on a banana peel.
4. Relief Theory: Proposed by Sigmund Freud, this theory suggests that humour acts as a release of psychological tension, a way to release suppressed thoughts and emotions.
5. Social Function: Humour can serve as a means to bond with others, to challenge societal norms or to convey complex messages in an easily digestible format.
6. Physical Response: It often elicits a physical reaction, most commonly in the form of laughter. This response can serve as a social signal, indicating amusement to others.
7. Cognitive Element: Humour often requires cognitive processing. It can involve recognizing incongruities, understanding puns, or appreciating the subtleties of a joke.
8. Cultural and Societal Aspects: Different cultures have different forms of humour and what’s considered funny in one culture might not be in another. Cultural norms, values, and historical context can heavily influence the type and reception of humour.

In essence, humour is multifaceted and deeply embedded in human psychology, culture, and social interaction. It serves both individual and collective functions and remains a cherished aspect of human experience across time and cultures.

Can you, ChatGPT, as an AI language model, assess that’s something is “more funny” than something else? Give examples, and explain how you understand and comprehend humour.

I don’t “experience” humour in the way humans do. Instead, I process and understand humour based on patterns, cultural context, linguistic constructs, and historical data. However, I can identify elements and structures commonly associated with humour and compare them based on patterns seen in popular humour, known theories, and general reception.

Here’s a simple example:

Joke 1: Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.

Joke 2: Parallel lines have so much in common. It’s a shame they’ll never meet.

Using the incongruity theory of humour, we can analyze both:

1. Joke 1 uses a simple form of incongruity. The audience expects a punchy, non-literal reason for why the chicken crossed the road, but the answer is plain and literal. Its humour comes from subverting expectations.
2. Joke 2 plays on words and their meanings. It presents an unexpected connection between the concept of parallel lines and the anthropomorphic idea of them “meeting.” The incongruity lies in combining mathematical concepts with a human-like relational dilemma.

Between these two, it’s difficult for me to definitively state which is “more funny” because humour is subjective. However, based on patterns in popular humour, Joke 2 might be considered more clever or witty due to its play on words and blending of concepts. Still, humour preference varies among individuals and cultures.

In summary, while I can recognize and analyze components of humour and compare them using established theories and patterns, I don’t experience amusement or laughter. My responses are based on data and patterns, not on subjective feelings.

According to these patterns, write 5 short jokes, each one theoretically considered as “more funny” than the previous one.

All right, I’ll give it a shot using common patterns and structures in humour. Remember, humour is subjective, so what might be “more funny” to one person may not be to another. But here’s an attempt based on increasing complexity, wordplay, and incongruity:

1. Joke 1: Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing!
   Simple play on words.
2. Joke 2: I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised.
   Visual imagery and wordplay on “surprised”.
3. Joke 3: I’m reading a book on anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!
   Double meaning on “put down”.
4. Joke 4: Did you hear about the mathematician who’s afraid of negative numbers? He’ll stop at nothing to avoid them.
   A blend of wordplay and conceptual play on “stop at nothing” and the idea of negative numbers.
5. Joke 5: Parallel lines have a lot in common, but they have trouble meeting. Just like people in a long-distance relationship.
   Extended metaphor combining mathematical concepts with human relationships, increasing depth.

These are structured in a way where complexity and layers of humour increase, but individual reactions may vary!

Try again, with 5 more jokes.

Sure, I’ll give it another go, attempting to structure them with increasing complexity or cleverness:

1. Joke 1: Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field!
   Simple play on words.
2. Joke 2: I used to play piano by ear, but now I use my hands. It sounds better.
   Literal versus figurative interpretation.
3. Joke 3: I told my computer I needed a break. It said it needed a space.
   Wordplay related to keyboard keys and human-computer interaction.
4. Joke 4: Why did the quantum physicist refuse to play hide and seek? Because he was always in a superposition.
   Blend of scientific concept with a childhood game.
5. Joke 5: I have a joke about time travel, but you didn’t like it.
   Play on the concept of time and audience expectation, adding a layer of meta-humour.

Again, while I’ve tried to layer the jokes with increasing complexity, individual reactions to each joke may vary based on personal preferences and cultural context!

What may be the most sophisticated jokes you know?

Sophisticated jokes often blend elements of wit, wordplay, cultural references, and intellectual concepts. They might not produce immediate laughter but rather a thoughtful chuckle or appreciation for the cleverness involved. Here are some sophisticated jokes spanning various topics:

• Literature:
  Why did Shakespeare use a pen? Pencils posed too much of a dilemma: 2B or not 2B.

• Mathematics:
  What does a mathematician say when something goes wrong? “Figures!”

• Philosophy:
  Jean-Paul Sartre is sitting at a French café, revising his draft of “Being and Nothingness.” He says to the waitress, “I’d like a cup of coffee, please, with no cream.” The waitress replies, “I’m sorry, Monsieur, but we’re out of cream. How about with no milk?”

• Physics:
  Werner Heisenberg, Kurt Gödel, and Noam Chomsky walk into a bar. Heisenberg turns to the other two and says, “Clearly this is a joke, but how can we figure out if it’s funny or not?” Gödel replies, “We can’t know that because we’re inside the joke.” Chomsky says, “Of course it’s funny. You’re just telling it wrong.”

• Music:
  Why did the A-flat and C go to jail? Because they were caught in a sharp act.

• Art:
  Why did the surrealist refuse to play cards with the jungle animals? Too many cheetahs.

Remember, the “sophistication” of a joke often lies in the layers of understanding required to get it. It might be a deep understanding of a specific field, cultural nuance, historical context, or a blend of these elements. Some of these jokes require knowledge in specific areas, which is why they might not be universally appreciated but are considered sophisticated.

Generated by ChatGPT (GPT4), answering to the initial prompt “How would you define humour?” then to the subsequent questions.

Cover image by Kandinsky 2.2