Oftentimes, something being ironic makes it quite funny, too. That might be related to the fact that it is based on incongruity, which is also what one of the three main theories of humor is based on (the other two being the relief theory and the superiority theory).
According to the incongruity theory, people find humor in unexpected twists and turns or in concepts that are fundamentally incompatible. Needless to say, a dog carrying around a “no dogs” sign, for instance, as well as other examples of irony on this list, surely provide some at least somewhat incompatible sights.
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According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, discussing the role of incongruity in humor, the German philosopher Immanuel Kant suggested that, “In everything that is to excite a lively laugh there must be something absurd (in which the understanding, therefore, can find no satisfaction). Laughter is an affection arising from the sudden transformation of a strained expectation into nothing.”
Coming back to Kant’s idea that laughter arises from the “sudden transformation of a strained expectation into nothing”, it’s not difficult to see why people would find the situations on this list amusing. Take an image of a truck that didn’t fit under a bridge, for instance; under regular circumstances, a person would expect the vehicle to drive underneath it with no problem. But when it can’t due to its height, the person’s expectations disappear, just like the top of the truck after colliding with the bridge.
Needless to say, the slogan on the truck saying “We fit” can only make the situation even funnier, thanks to both the incongruity and the irony in the situation.
Though many people find irony amusing, quite a few might find it perplexing, too. In a piece for The MIT Press Reader, experimental psychologist, Professor of Psychology at the University of Memphis, and the author of Irony and Sarcasm, Roger J. Kreuz, delved deeper into the topic by covering how to “distinguish the notoriously slippery concept from its distant cousins coincidence, satire, parody, and paradox.”
According to Kreuz, irony is something most people seem to understand, yet it’s surprisingly difficult to define. The fact that the same term is used to describe very different things does not really help in the situation, either.
Comparing coincidence and irony, Kreuz wrote that the two are more like cousins rather than siblings, as the concepts only share a few attributes in common. “Coincidences involve juxtaposition and incongruity, but they aren’t counterfactual and don’t involve pretense. They may allude to failed expectations, but they aren’t explicit echoes. Coincidences may involve victims, humor, or criticism, but they are rarely truly humorous or poignant.”
The expert then continued to explain how irony differs from paradox, satire, and parody, and while all three are arguably something you’re well familiar with, discussing such differences might prove to be a challenge bigger than expected.
Another thing that might be quite difficult to distinguish from irony is sarcasm. In his series on irony, Ted-Ed educator Christopher Warner explained that verbal irony refers to saying something when you mean the exact opposite, while being sarcastic is saying the opposite, too, but with an added intention of mocking the person or the situation.
“Beware, though. While all sarcasm fits the definition of verbal irony, not all verbal irony is sarcastic. Verbal irony is where what is meant is the opposite of what is said, while sarcasm adds that little punch of attitude,” Warner noted.
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If you wish to continue down this road and browse more of similar ironic content, continue to Bored Panda’s previous edition of some of the most ironic images, or take a look at these ironic moments next.