What a Joke

Those of you who have read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, will fondly recall the scene where Cho Chang chances upon Harry in the Hogwarts Express when he is covered with Stink-sap. What does Harry think at that point? He wants Cho to run into him at a time when he is surrounded by cool people laughing at a joke he just cracked.

The incident is indeed very close to real life and J. K. Rowling has aptly captured the mindset of most highschool students of today in that chapter.

These days, it is considered highly cool to be able to crack jokes every minute and make people laugh. Students, who have witty one-liners at the tip of their tongue, are usually the centre of attention and the object of much awe and admiration from those who lack that kind of confidence.

The question, however, is that whether “cracking jokes every minute” and “making people laugh” are synonymous with one another other. The answer is both yes and no. While on the one hand, well-timed and well-placed jokes can make people laugh, on the other, they can irritate, annoy, disappoint or even offend a person.

So where does one draw the line? How do you decide which joke to narrate and which witty remark to keep to yourself? Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself before you make your final decision.

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