Stress. Tension. Friction. Conflict. Strain. Pressure. Everybody is on the edge. There is venom. There is anger. There is fire. There is furor. And, in this boiling, fuming environment, somebody cracks a harmless joke. Many, taken unawares, burst into laughter, others suppress smiles, some become even more incensed. This is as true for individuals, companies, and countries.

Case in point is the menacing war environment that took place between India and Pakistan. While the Indian government and media were spitting threats, with mudslinging at its highest, Pakistani public almost disarmed them with memes that have become more popular than the warring statements themselves.

Memes are now part of the micro propaganda in wars. They colour perceptions and actions. They mock fake stuff. They create caricatures of the most thunderous claims. The Indians are totally baffled. They do not know whether to laugh or lash out. They are speechless. They are “disarmed”. They do not know how to deal with this laugh it off meme war.

The use of humour to defuse situational stress is well recognized in psychological studies.........

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