Why do we laugh? The answer, argued Freud in this study of humour, is that jokes, like dreams, satisfy our unconscious desires. This text explains how jokes provide immense pleasure by releasing us from our inhibitions and allowing us to express sexual, aggressive, playful or cynical instincts that would otherwise remain hidden. In elaborating this theory, Freud brings together a collection of puns, witticisms, one-liners and anecdotes, many of which throw light on the society of early 20th century Vienna. Jokes, as Freud shows, are a method of giving ourselves away.