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Abraham Lincoln's Sense Of Humor
"We don't make the distinction between 'wit' and 'humor' anymore, but in the nineteenth century people did. Wit was sarcastic and antipathetic while humor was congenial and empathetic. It's the difference we note now when we distinguish between 'laughing with' and 'laughing at.' Lincoln was much more about 'laughing with' than 'laughing at.' And when 'laughing at,' it was often himself he was mocking." The New Yorker 11/28/12
"We don't make the distinction between 'wit' and 'humor' anymore, but in the nineteenth century people did. Wit was sarcastic and antipathetic while humor was congenial and empathetic. It's the difference we note now when we distinguish between 'laughing with' and 'laughing at.' Lincoln was much more about 'laughing with' than 'laughing at.' And when 'laughing at,' it was often himself he was mocking." The New Yorker 11/28/12
Posted November 30, 2012 12:41 AM
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