Aristotle argued that being good at messing about is a moral virtue. In a world that is sometimes serious and sometimes a bit dull, it's important to enjoy lightness. And so being able to have a laugh and being able to enjoy life is a virtue known as 'eutrapelia'.
But as with all virtues, eutrapelia is a virtue with vices on either side. When taken too far, eutrapelia becomes buffoonery. The buffoon is somebody who laughs at everything and doesn't know where the line is. They will mock what shouldn't be mocked, and they will not pause their laughter to actually do any deep thinking. But too little eutrapelia becomes boorishness. This is the person who never tells a joke, rarely laughs, and will find fault in everyone and everything.
Eutrapelia matters. Humour matters. Because laughter is what pierces vanity, it's what softens tension, and reminds us that life, for all its seriousness, is not something that we are meant to endure, but to enjoy.
The virtuous person is not simply funny, but they are funny in the right way. They will tell a joke without it being cruel. They are irreverent without being thoughtless. They will laugh easily without being cynical about everything. In a world that confuses grimness for being wise, Aristotle says that being light-hearted and full of wit can sometimes be the greatest kind of wisdom. So laugh, be playful, tease a bit. Don't let solemnity take over the world.