Gods' Jokes. The Carrot and the Stick

Humor can sometimes be painfully cruel—especially if the person making jokes underestimates the consequences of their actions for the person who becomes the victim. But what about the Gods, who also like to joke? After all, for them people are only pieces on a chessboard. This is a complicated subject. Many jokers, over time growing used to being unpunished, forget that their humor may not be perceived the same way by everyone. For someone, it could be offensive and cause pain. But which of these jokers would consider the desires and feelings of the beings they might destroy with a single gesture? It isn’t easy to find an answer to that question. And even harder is to protect oneself from such pranks, since the Gods are unlikely to expect that someone might seriously be offended by their “harmless” jokes.