A moment of laughter

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A moment of laughter

Published: 03 Jun. 2025, 00:05

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Kim Seong-joong

The author is a novelist.

“I became a comedian only because I couldn’t laugh myself. Funny, isn’t it?”

This line, spoken by a character who becomes a comedian in one of my early novels, reflects a central irony I wanted to capture — the tension between laughter that appears on the surface and the sorrow that often lies beneath it.

Laughter is a uniquely human trait. Among all animals, only humans laugh — and not only at others, but also with one another. There is a slim yet insightful book that explores the nature and function of this deeply human expression: Henri Bergson’s "Laughter" (1900). While libraries are filled with works on tragedy, books about comedy are few. Perhaps that is because laughter, once released, vanishes too quickly to be examined closely.

Henri Bergson’s "Laughter" (1900), published by Phaidon. [PHAIDON]

Still, laughter plays a vital role. It relaxes the body and mind. It eases tension and helps people bond. A person laughing alone seldom laughs for long. But shared laughter has the power to ripple and grow, echoing from person to person. It turns a moment of levity into a communal experience.

When does laughter emerge? Often, it is in moments of vulnerability — when we lower our guard. Laughter is frequently triggered by people who are tense or rigid, caught up in their own worlds and slow to adapt to shifting realities. This delay, this buffering, is what makes a person seem unintentionally funny. In Bergson’s terms, comedic figures are marked by stiffness, by an inability to flow with the world around them.

Such rigidity manifests not just in personal quirks but also in worldview. Some people cling tightly to ideals, while others are unable to let go of past values. Both types resist change and become, in effect, caricatures. Their actions make them targets of laughter — a kind of social correction, a gentle (or not so gentle) call to awareness: “Get a grip.”

As the nation approaches a critical presidential election, laughter may serve as an unexpected barometer of public sentiment. Who will be the subject of the most telling laughter? Likely those who remain stuck in outdated paradigms, haunted by private illusions. In times of uncertainty, laughter is not just relief — it can also be resistance.

May a wave of shared laughter sweep away the calcified remnants of the past and usher in a day that feels new.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.