The Concept of Wittiness: Views and Considerations

The present study aims at investigating views on the concept of wittiness. The research method was descriptive-analytical and was done using the available sources to investigate five major theories on the nature of wittiness as follows: superiority, non-homogeneity, alleviation, reverse theory and positive psychological theory were investigated. The superiority theory considers the origin of wittiness to be sudden pride out of comparing oneself with others and admiring oneself due to lacking that deficiency. The theory of non-homogeneity introduces the perceptible feature of wittiness to be pleasure from non-homogenous experience and thought. The alleviation theory added physiological explanations to the non-homogeneity theory and could not resolve the drawbacks of non-homogeneity theory. The reverse theory explains the experience of wittiness on the basis of a broader theory whose drawbacks were investigated. In positive psychology, there is a definition of wittiness which, despite resolving the drawbacks of other theories, has not considered the role of the culture of different societies in explaining wittiness. Muslim thinkers, despite having a normative look at wittiness, have not comprehensively defined and discussed it. Finally, although the Islamic model of happiness has attempted to define the status of wittiness in Islamic teachings, it does not seem to present a vivid result on determining it demarcations and explaining its differences and common points with other concepts.