Ridicule v. Humor

It's amazing how many of the modern world's ills can be traced to the fallacy of projection.

I was sad to see the following tweet by ConservativeGal:

Ridicule is man's most potent weapon.~Saul Alinsky Time to learn the rules of the game folks.

Yes, progressives have institutionalized the ridicule of all opposition. I reject the idea that those supporting freedom should resort to the same tactics.

ConservativeGal's post got me thinking about the difference between ridicule and good natured humor.

The difference is that ridicule is an act designed to project a negative image onto one's opponents. Good natured humor is about human foibles.

As ridicule tends to project false images, it is deceitful and tends to undermine discourse. In contrasts, good natured humor points out foibles and logical inconsistencies and helps people pursue a path of truth.

I suspect a large number of good things in this world started out as jokes, and with people finding a better path by easing up.

Conversely, I suspect that many of the bad things started from fear of ridicule, or are protected by rogues who use ridicule to protect their wrong doings.

If one wanted to develop a political strategy involving humor, I would suggest the following: One should use ridicule when one's opponents have a stronger set of policies. When one has a strong set of policies, one is better off resorting to good natured humor.

The Left has a collection of paradoxical and oppressive ideas. As such, the projection of false images through ridicule is the desired strategy.

Conservatives have a better set of logically consistent principles. As such, they do better engaging in good natured humor.

Humor makes life fun. It can draw people into discourse and create a welcoming environment where people feel open about thinking and exploring ideas. As humor encourages thinking, humor can lead to truth.

Ridicule, aimed at achieving political goals, is a base activity that closes minds and undermines discourse.