DON’T PITY THE FOOL

Being a jester in ancient China was no joke. While jesters laughed， sang and danced to keep the emperor entertained， they were also despised for their inferior social status and were even made scapegoats for failing empires. Hanfei Zi （韓非子）， the Chinese Machiavelli， felt particular rancor towards j esters， categorizing them as traitors of the royal court for their persuasive sophism. However， he was not the only person with a jester-shaped axe to grind. Even the revered Confucius hatedjester—so much so as to order an on-the-spot execution after being treated to a comical performance at a diplomatic event.