‘A civilization dies when the last court jester is silenced.’
The wise person who said this might have applied that same principle to the professions. Once an individual, a group or a profession loses the ability to whimsically, sometimes satirically, look at itself and laugh, it loses its significance.
More importantly, it loses its appeal to the next generation.
These are dicey times for humor, satire and wit. People seem to be so easily offended by offhand remarks and attempts at