One of the defining characteristics of serious humor is its close relationship with pain and struggle. Many comedians, writers, and thinkers who use this style draw from personal or collective suffering. War, injustice, poverty, loneliness, and existential fear frequently appear as subjects. Serious humor does not trivialize these experiences; instead, it reframes them in a way that allows people to face them without turning away. Laughter becomes a survival mechanism, a way to endure what might otherwise feel unbearable.
