A vinegary joke or anecdote reminds you that, like everyone else, you often fluff your lines and execute the wrong moves on the stage of life. Though it isn't comfortable when the cap fits you, there's no occasion to get riled. Take a general joke for what it is – a means to generate humour, not an intended slur. There's really no reason to feel uncomfortable. We're all imperfect, each and every single one of us.

A spicy joke, on the other hand, is pure naughtiness. It digs up and exposes all that which you conceal under a front of conventionality. It shows you what you'd like to be but which you're probably reluctant to admit even to yourself. It may even make you ask yourself whether you're going to keep up the pretense – or live your life the way you truly want to. Whatever your choice, never forget how to laugh. Learn to see the hidden ludicrousness beneath all the seriousness. Look at yourself and at life and at the world around you – and guffaw. It sure as hell beats turning the faucet on.