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     Irony is the expression of individuality, the reflection
of the circumstance that notwithstanding that language is the
basis of thought and the bond which binds men together, each
one of us is different.  I can resolve the dilemma of being
different by permitting myself to be assimilated, by becoming
part of the group, or by establishing a relationship with it
which can only be called ironic.  To the extent that I cannot
divest myself of my individuality, my choice is between
superficiality and irony, so that, in the final analysis, for
a serious person, irony is unavoidable.  It is the solvent
that elutes the intellect from its social matrix.  The
alternatives to irony are assimilation and isolation. Neither
is acceptable.

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Copyright 2005, Ernst Jochen Meyer
