To those of that take life seriously, we may see humor as an obstacle in our paths. The truth is that jokes are funny because they contain a grain of truth about life that would not be able to be shown through any other medium. A funny joke or poem has the power to point out subtle ironies of life that I might get shot in the head for if I were to say them straight out. Humor has the capacity to point absurdities about the way we live our lives in a non-threatening way.