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While the laughter of joy is in full harmony with our deeper life, the laughter of amusement should be kept apart from it. The danger is too great of thus learning to look at solemn things in a spirit of mockery, and to seek in them opportunities for exercising wit.

In the vain laughter of folly wisdom hears half its applause.

The sense of humor has other things to do than to make itself conspicuous in the act of laughter.

I think Britain has this tradition which suggests that if you make the readers laugh too much, you can't really be serious. Whereas, I think one of the functions laughter can perform in a book, as in life, is that it's a reaction to genuine horror.

Laughter is nothing else but sudden glory arising from some sudden conception of some eminency in ourselves, by comparison with the infirmity of others, or with our own formerly.

Laughter is a strange response. I mean, what is it? It's a spasm of some kind! Is that always joy? It's very often discomfort. It's some sort of explosive reaction. It's very complex.

Incongruity is the mainspring of laughter.

Laughter is, after speech, the chief thing that holds society together.

Laughter springs from the lawless part of our nature.

Laughter is the mind's intonation. There are ways of laughing which have the sound of counterfeit coins.