Why We Laugh Essay Example

Why We Laugh Essay Humour is a subject that has attracted the attention and interest of some of our greatest minds, from Aristotle and Kant to Freud. It has also fascinated and played an important part in the work of some of the greatest writers such as Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde. However, curiously, after thousands of years spent trying to understand humour, there is still a great deal of controversy about what humour is or why something is funny. There are some interesting theories, though, on this matter. For Aristotle, comedy is based on â€Å"an imitation of men worse than the average,† of people who are â€Å"ridiculous†. Hobbes carried the same idea a bit further. He said, â€Å"the passion of laughter is nothing else but sudden glory arising from a sudden conception of some eminency in ourselves by comparison with the infirmity of others, or with our own formerly. † There is another theory that is probably the most important and most widely accepted of the explanations of humour. This theory argues that all humour involves some kind of a difference between what one expects and what one gets. One of the more interesting and controversial theories of humour stems from the work of Freud. The psychoanalytic theory of humour argues that humour is essentially masked aggression which gives us gratifications we desperately crave. As Freud wrote in his classic book—Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious— â€Å"and here at last we can understand what it is that jokes achieve in the service of their purpose. We will write a custom essay sample on Why We Laugh specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why We Laugh specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why We Laugh specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer They make possible the satisfaction of an instinct (whether lustful or hostile) in the face of an obstacle that stands in its way. † Freud also recounts a number of wonderful Jewish jokes in his book and alludes to the remarkable amount of self-criticism found in jokes which all Jews tell about themselves. â€Å"Incidentally,’ he wrote, â€Å"I do not know whether there are many other instances of a people making fun of such a degree of its own character†. His use of the word â€Å"fun† is important. He did not regard Jewish jokes as masochistic (gratification gained from pain, deprivation). Just the opposite. It might be argued that since humour is an effective way to keeping in touch with reality, Jewish humour has been intimately connected with Jewish survival. Also, humour is not some kind of an idle and trivial matter but generally enables people to gain valuable insights into social and political matters. The fact of the matter is that this seemingly trivial, inconsequential, common thing we know as humour is very enigmatic and plays a vital role in our psychic lives and in society.

Great White Sharks

Great White Sharks The white shark, commonly called the great white shark, is one of the most iconic and feared creatures of the ocean. With its razor-sharp teeth and menacing appearance, it certainly looks dangerous. But the more we learn about this creature, the more we learn they are not indiscriminate predators, and definitely dont prefer humans as prey. Great White Shark Identification Great white sharks are relatively large, although likely not as large as they might be in our imagination. The largest shark species is a plankton eater, the whale shark. Great whites average about 10-15 feet in length, and their maximum size is estimated at a length of 20 feet and weight of 4,200 pounds. Females are generally larger than males. They have a stout body, black eyes, a steel gray back, and a white underside. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ChondrichthyesSubclass: ElasmobranchiiOrder: LamniformesFamily: LamnidaeGenus: CarcharodonSpecies: Carcharias Habitat Great white sharks are widely distributed across the worlds oceans. This shark resides mostly in temperate waters in the pelagic zone. They can range to depths over 775 feet. They may patrol coastal areas inhabited by pinnipeds. Feeding The white shark is an active predator, and primarily eats marine mammals such as pinnipeds and toothed whales. They also sometimes eat sea turtles. The great whites predatory behavior is poorly understood, but scientists are beginning to learn more about their curious nature. When a shark is presented with an unfamiliar object, it will attack it to determine if it is a potential food source, often using the technique of a surprise attack from below. If the object is determined unpalatable (which is usually the case when a great white bites a human), the shark releases the prey and determines not to eat it. This is evidenced by seabirds and sea otters with wounds from white shark encounters. Reproduction White sharks give birth to live young, making white sharks viviparous. The embryos hatch in uteri and are nourished by eating unfertilized eggs. They are 47-59 inches at birth. There is much more to learn about this sharks reproduction. Gestation is estimated at about one year, although its exact length is unknown, and the average litter size of a white shark is also unknown. Shark Attacks While great white shark attacks arent a big threat to humans in the grand scheme of things (youre more likely to die from a lightning strike, alligator attack, or on a bicycle than from a great white shark attack), white sharks are the number one species identified in unprovoked shark attacks, a statistic that doesnt do much for their reputation. This is more likely because of their investigation of potential prey than a desire to eat humans. Sharks prefer fatty prey with lots of blubber, like seals and whales,  and dont generally like us; we have too much muscle! See the Florida Museum of Icthyologys Relative Risk of Shark Attacks to Humans site for more information on how likely you are to be attacked by a shark versus other dangers. That said, nobody wants to be attacked by a shark. So if youre in an area where sharks may be seen, reduce your risk by following these shark attack tips. Conservation The white shark is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because they tend to reproduce slowly and are vulnerable to targeted white shark fisheries and as bycatch in other fisheries. Because of their fierce reputation gained from Hollywood movies such as Jaws, there is an illicit trade in white shark products such as jaws and teeth.