freud the joke and its relation to the unconscious

A favorite definition of joking has long been the ability to find similarity between dissimilar things, that is, hidden similarities.

The first impression one derives from the literature is that it is quite impracticable to deal with jokes otherwise than in connection with the comic. At the beginning of Jokes and their relation to the unconscious he recognizes his dept to Lipps’ Komok und Humor.Īccording to Freud anyone who has had occasion to enquire from the literature of aesthetics and psychology the nature of jokes and the position they occupy will probably have to admit that jokes have not received nearly as much philosophical consideration as they deserve in view of the part they play in mental life. It is said that Freudian conception as to identifie soul and unconscious is highly influenced by his reading of Lipps. This similitude is often mentioned in the Interpretation of Dreams.įreud was interested in Lipps’ writings, a philosopher of late nineteenth century whose works were focused on psychic phenomena. Freud found that beyond this particular social aspect there was something universal resembling the mechanisms of dream formation. These comic stories reflected, as it were, the social conditions of Jewish people of central Europe. He began to prepare a collection of Jewish jokes, especially those concerning the Jewish marriage-brokers and beggers (respectively called in Yiddish Schadhen and Schnorrer). From the very beginning in his correspondences with Fliess, Freud tried to find out the reason why playing upon the words caused laughter in human being.

Lacan used to recommend crossword to the analysts. The relation between psychoanalysis and linguistics isas close as that of the speech and the unconscious. Freud was inclined to understand the nature of jokes, wits and playing upon the words.

Freud the joke and its relation to the unconscious