The writer believes that by overreacting to a joke, ……….

More often than not, the person who habitually laughs longest and loudest when a joke is retailed does not possess a particularly keen sense of humour. Though he may not admit it, he is vaguely aware of his deficiency, and frequently goes to extremes to cover it up. A mediocre joke is likely to get as big a rise out of him as a truly humorous one. Psychological studies, likewise, show that people with a really keen sense of humour are not prone to much laughter. They are highly appreciative of humour, but they are also discriminating. And they never overreact.