The Portuguese seem to primarily laugh at the other. This cannot be proven without field research first, but let’s imagine that my assumption is lucky enough to be true. (It is).
If the other is present during the moment of delivery, that should be equivalent to unloading a negative charge on that same other. It might be compensated by redirecting laughter at another one, if not on the moment itself then at least later. Still, there will be a negative charge to be dealt with. The negative charge of laughing at someone’s shortcomings or differences, and the negative charge of being the object of laughter. This doesn’t bode well for the national psyche.
On the other hand---and that one must be always the hand that is still free --- groups or tribes seem to be defined by what is different in other groups. “We don’t talk as loudly as;” “Theirs is a drinking culture;” “They’re lazy.” And, truth be told, we cannot fully ascertain what we’re like without being exposed to what is different from what surrounds us, which is our normal. By the way, that’s a great argument to add an article 31 to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: It’s mandatory that everyone visits every country in the world for a minimum period of ninety days. One month to adjust. One month to understand. One month to have fun.
On the first foot, as I’ve no free hands left by now, a group will feel more closely knit if it can differentiate itself from other groups, and groups and their dynamics are a part of human evolution.
While on the other foot, we all now must evolve from our tribal past in order to become a planetary civilization, otherwise humanity is screwed. And that’s why I’m trying to change my humour from making fun of the other to self-deprecating humour.
As you noticed, I stupidly used all my limbs to hold an argument on each. I thus fell on my butt. And it hurts.
