Although people rarely perceive anything humorous about their own conditioning, there is something often comical about conditioned behavior when we observe it without identification. And one doesn’t need to be a student of The Way to see the humor.
Take the circus as an example. At the circus, the clown’s act is often just a rowdy exaggeration of Not-I behaviors. The audience, watching the clown’s behavior as unidentified observers, can’t stop laughing as the clowns play out a comedic narrative told by bopping each other on the head and other memed demonstrations of conditioned behavior.
And the Not-I’s are great recipe ingredients for sitcoms too.
For nine seasons, the hit television show The Office entertained viewers with its humorous portrayal of the social circus inside a Scranton paper company office. The show’s success is entirely based in its comedic depiction of the Not-I’s in the interactions of the cast members.
As an exercise, watch an episode or two of The Office and make a game out of counting how many times you hear someone complaining, sticking up for rights, blaming, pleasing others as a means of manipulation, putting on a front, or appealing to an authority.
Maybe microwave some popcorn and make an evening out of it. Who says Work can’t be fun!
