In this chapter, Alfano argues that having a sense of humor is a Nietzschean virtue. A sense of humor is highly appreciated in ordinary life, but philosophers have paid almost no attention to it. Alfano shows that Nietzsche frequently laughs and that he especially recommends laughing at oneself. This laughter serves an epistemic function. Laughing at someone or something, including oneself, is a way of expressing contempt for that thing or person. This is important for those who want to ask clear-eyed questions about the values, phenomena, institutions, and people that they cherish. Laughter makes it possible – if only briefly – to achieve some distance from things one loves, thereby enabling a less biased evaluation of their true worth. It enbles one to take oneself less seriously and admit that some of one's cherished beliefs are most likely false.