"Humor is a Latin word meaning 'moisture' or 'fluid.' The etymology suggests images of water, which in Buddhism and Taoism represents flowing freedom and perfect naturalness. Humor has a watery quality. To catch a subtle joke, we have to go with the flow, allowing the intellect to shift this way and that. Creative geniuses throughout history have embodied this freedom and the power it generates."
Healing Beyond the Body Medicine and the Infinite Reach of the Mind
Larry Dossey on the watery quality of humor.