[Dmentor]

On the subject of pranks…

Good pranks are clever, inventive, humorous and inspiring in a sense; but they are also a little sadistic and very dependent on the participant’s and observer’s perspectives. I think good pranks can spark our imaginations but they also evoke strong emotional responses in the target of the prank (be it fear, embarrassment, anger). Bad pranks (and jokes) damage relationships, reputations and is the source of numerous lawsuits in the workplace. Pranks and jokes typically exist in that murky gray region between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. It is hard to know when you’ve gone over the boundary since you are typically playing very close to it. I tend to think there is an associated “adrenalin rush” with behaving within this boundary of acceptable behavior which makes it appealing to the prankster.

While I admire a good prank, I am often more intrigued by how the prank’s target behaves. Some get angry and/or threaten revenge; others show great generosity of spirit by playing along even though their internal emotions may be roiled. Those folks that fall into that last category are the ones I really admire.