Steven Pinker

It could be something you're trying to keep down in aggressive humor.

Although there's also, of course, convivial humor, what we've all been doing, where the signaling is to reinforce the egalitarianism that's the basis of warmth and friendship.

Because there's always a danger of dominance creeping in.

With any two people, one of them is going to be

You know, better looking, smarter, richer, more powerful.

But that's not what you want to do when you're friends.

When you're friends, it's like we are all on the same level.

And so by calling attention to some weakness in yourself that you could lord over people, but you don't want to lord over people, or vice versa, gentle teasing and joshing that the other person accepts.

then you're reestablishing the common knowledge that the basis of our relationship is... Self-depreciation.

Yes, exactly.

Well, there is the... That could have survival value.

You know, I suspect that's more likely used strategically as in the poker face.

That is the poker face where you deliberately hide the tells in a case where you're not in a situation of cooperation.

but zero-sum competition, then any tell could be used to your disadvantage.

That's why I don't play poker.

Because I'm the worst.

It's just, damn!

Just kidding.

So I actually opened a book with the emperor's new clothes because that's a story about common knowledge.

Yes.