This is something I've thought of lately:

It's great to be able to laugh at ourselves. To put some humor into daily life can surely take the pressure off at times. However, when humor is used as a means for protection (or on the expense of somebody else) I find it frustrating. Hurtful even. So many say " they're only joking" or "that's just them" or "they didn't mean anything by it." See, I don't get that. If it doesn't feel right I nowadays say a big fat NO to such jokes. It usually means that a person is protecting themselves anyway, simply by throwing a silly joke around. 
Then again, boundaries have to be set with love. Words have to be spoken with integrity and clarity, not force. I've learned that, too. To be assertive is so different from being aggressive, as well as discernment is different from being judgmental. It's not what we do, but how. When humor brings us together, I am happy to laugh. When it puts a wall of separation between people, I am not.

Love to the world!