I'm not funny. If you were to ask my friends, they would tell you that I'm only funny when I'm not trying to be, like when I trip and fall (which happens more often than I'd like) or when I act another involuntary madness. . If you were to ask anyone else who doesn't know me well, I'm sure "goofy" or "quiet" would be the words chosen to describe me far more often than "hilarious." When I'm trying to be funny, I'm usually aware that my jokes are bad; I rely on ridicule and silly mannerisms rather than wit to elicit laughter. Because of my own shortcomings in comedy, I'm genuinely curious about humor. What makes something funny and what is the purpose of humor? The more aware I am of my own inability for intentional comedy, the more attentive I have become to how humor and laughter are intertwined in almost all social interactions. From my own observations, people seem more likely to like others who they find funny and to hate those who don't amuse them. I definitely make friends with other people who have a similar sense of humor to mine, because those are the people I enjoy spending time with the most. Humor not only affects friendships, but almost every social situation, from connecting with a person while waiting in line to reacting to relief. Any scenario has the potential to appear humorous and elicit laughter. For thousands of years, philosophers, linguists, psychologists, and other interested parties have discussed humor. Many notable minds, from Aristotle to Freud, have expressed their opinions. Yet despite lengthy deliberations on the subject, no consensus has been reached on what makes something funny. Certainly, you can look in a diction...... middle of paper ......ry of Humor." Personal site of Thomas Veatch. Np, July 15, 1999. Web. November 2, 2011. .Veatch is a former Stanford professor in the Department of Linguistics An abridged version of this article was published in Humor, the International Journal of Humor Research in May 1998. Warner, Joel "One Professor's Attempt to Explain Every Joke Ever Wired" in May 2011: 39 by.Web.November 21, 2011.Wired is a monthly magazine that has published articles since 1993.Ziv, Avner “The Social Function of Humor in Interpersonal Relations”. EBSCOhost Web. numerous books and articles on humor and has become well known in the field of humor research. He is currently a member of the editorial board of the International Society for Humor Studies journal, HUMOR...