Humour as Perseus' Shield
Sometimes if we look reality directly in the eye — we freeze in panic, or in despair. This is when the carnival mirror of humour comes handy. By distorting reality it somehow makes it more bearable. Yet the reflection still provides enough information about the situation for us to get hold of it and act.
Like Perseus using his shield’s reflection to face Medusa — humour lets us confront what we cannot face directly.
psychology coping philosophy
Source: George Strakhov (2020)