--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s a basic rule of humor that a joke is…" description: "\"It’s a basic rule of humor that a joke is always at somebody’s expense. Really good jokes, however, tend to be at everyone’s expense.\" — Richard Kalvar" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/richard-kalvar-72641_comedy_it-s-a-basic-rule-of-humor-that-a-joke-i_1426173.png" --- # It’s a basic rule of humor that a joke is always at… ![“It’s a basic rule of humor that a joke is always at somebody’s expense. Really good jokes, however, tend to be at everyone’s expense.” quote by Richard Kalvar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/richard-kalvar-72641_comedy_it-s-a-basic-rule-of-humor-that-a-joke-i_1426173.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/richard-kalvar-72641_comedy_it-s-a-basic-rule-of-humor-that-a-joke-i_1426173.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/richard-kalvar-72641_comedy_it-s-a-basic-rule-of-humor-that-a-joke-i_1426173.png) > “It’s a basic rule of humor that a joke is always at somebody’s expense. Really good jokes, however, tend to be at everyone’s expense.” Richard Kalvar ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humor often targets individuals, but the best jokes include everyone, avoiding exclusion. **In simple terms:** Good jokes include all, not just one. Key Takeaway Aim for inclusive humor. Themes humor inclusion social dynamics Mood playful analytical Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - stand‑up - team building - media critique Key Concepts comedy theory psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can humor stay sharp yet inclusive? - When does inclusive humor become bland? A Different Perspective Inclusive jokes can dilute sharp satire. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [I could never make a joke about somebody unless I could say it to their face and they'd laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-could-never-make-a-joke-about-somebody-unless-i-could-say-it-to/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I don't really write jokes down. I tend to have a premise that I work out and test on stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-don-t-really-write-jokes-down-i-tend-to-have-a-premise-that-i-work/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [Micro humor is a joke that's contained in the writing: it's a punch line, it's a turn of phrase, it's something that you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-fogel/micro-humor-is-a-joke-that-s-contained-in-the-writing-it-s-a-punch/) [Susanna Fogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-fogel/) > [“MarkBaynard: I figured out in the first grade that it was better to crack a joke than somebody's skull.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-medeiros/markbaynard-i-figured-out-in-the-first-grade-that-it-was-better-to/) [Teresa Medeiros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-medeiros/) > [“the people who are best at telling jokes tend to have more health problems than the people laughing at them. 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