When anyone characterizes the classic Newfoundlander there are a few check boxes they must check. Accent? Check . Friendly and extroverted? Check. Great sense of humor? Check! Check! Check! More specifically the sense of humor we all love and gravitate to is one of self-depreciation – a mentality of modesty one might say. These jokes make people comfortable, it lets the listener know that we don’t take ourselves too seriously and that we don’t view ourselves as superior to others. We are a common folk and we are willing to immediately put that on the table in the most transparent of ways – and that’s great! However, there does exist a darker, more insidious side to self-depreciation and its not only counterproductive but may in fact be counter progressive. What’s this dark side you ask? Its the depreciation of self that these jokes instill in the Psyche of our people.

We see the self-depreciating jokes as one of the purest forms of modesty and we wear it as a badge of honor. In doing so, however, we actually ignore most of what this form of joke actually says about us. A self-depreciating joke does not only indicate that we don’t have a superiority complex but it actually screams out loud that we have AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX. Such humour in most circumstances belittles us and tells others that it is fine to not only doubt our worth but to actually be certain that we have little sense of worth ourselves. One of the more common modern versions of this joke started in the 80’s and usually revolved around a man from Ontario, a man from Alberta and a Man from Newfoundland being thrown into some occupational situation. The punch line was always the same – the Newfoundlander was lazy and stupid. We often told these jokes in our youth to great laughter. Why did we find them funny? In a best case scenario world it’s because we recognized the perception of us as a people who are stupid and lazy and didn’t care. In the worst case scenario we recognized the perception of us as being stupid and lazy and agreed with it. Either case is horrendous to our self interpretation.

Do we as Newfoundlanders hate ourselves? Of course not, we LOVE ourselves. However, history has instilled in us habits that are counterproductive and one of them is this style of humor. There are only two times when a self-depreciating style makes sense. The first is when you are of a mentality that you are superior to the listener. If it is obvious to all that you are at the top of the food chain then this form of humor can ease peoples concern that you are superior – at least in the situation at hand. For example, when a premier or president makes such a joke the room will usually relax and the onlooker now feels that they do not have to worry about that person carrying themselves in a manner that makes them difficult to speak with. The other time this form of humor is effective, and the historical soil from which this habit has grown in Newfoundland, is when the circumstances leave you at a clear disadvantage to the listeners. For example, during times of severe hardship the people enduring it have two choices:succumb or make light of it. An often uttered statement of a true Newfoundlander is, “Well b’y, I had to laugh at it to keep from crying”. Its a coping mechanism that has proven very effective. However, it is now time to let it go as we are no longer suffering an immense and immediate crisis.

Should all good Newfie jokes be removed from the vernacular? Certainly not. However, we should be conscious of how they are used. Nor should we act superior to others or vanquish the humor that makes us down to earth. A more practical approach is to begin highlighting it in our minds when it happens. When we notice ourselves making a comment that belittles, or depreciates us, lets immediately stop and think about what we are actually saying – not to others but to ourselves. The way we speak to ourselves and about ourselves determines who we are. Therefore, when we speak to ourselves or others in this manner we do exactly what the term implies, we DEPRECIATE ourselves. If Newfoundland and the people in it are an asset do you want them depreciating? Of course not, you want them to APPRECIATE!

Moving forward as the Modern Newfoundlander lets consciously try to speak in a manner that APPRECIATES our assets in all uses of the word. When we speak lets do so in a manner that recognizes our worth and by its very nature increases that worth. The Modern Newfoundlander will sometimes be self depreciating in our humor – but we will do so because we speak from a place of superiority that we create through our pride, our efforts and our high opinion of self worth.

#IAMNEWFOUNDLAND

#IAMNEWFOUNDLAND: Defining The Self Image of the Modern Newfoundlander is a weekly blog, with a new article every Wednesday, that focuses on the modern Newfoundland experience and how we interpret it into the greater tapestry of our Self Image as a people and a culture. Visit our blog on our website (www.iamnewfoundland.com), Facebook or Twitter (@IAmNewfoundland

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