If we don’t find a reason to laugh, we might be crying all day long. Humanity has been through pandemics, wars, natural disasters, and enough political and economic chaos to leave us feeling defeated at best of times. Yet somehow, we still manage to laugh.

History memes have become one of modern day’s favorite coping mechanisms. Not only do we find them funny but they’re somehow oddly comforting too. No matter how much things have changed, it seems those who lived centuries before us were just as petty, chaotic, dramatic and confused as we are today. Suddenly, ancient civilizations, historical leaders, and Victorian aristocrats don’t seem so distant anymore.

There’s a little corner of the internet dedicated to poking fun at years gone by. r/historymeme has more than 46,000 weekly visitors and is a wall of historical hilarity. Bored Panda has put together some of the community’s best posts for you to laugh at instead of crying over the day’s bad headlines.

#1 “Ecclesiastical Brexit”

#2 Very Particular Slots On A Knife Holder

#3 The Wisdom Of The Ancients

War, destruction and the atrocities of the past are no laughing matter. But for some reason, years after the fact, we somehow manage to find it all funny. Mark Twain once said that comedy is tragedy plus time. In other words, everything that has ever happened – even the bad – will eventually be funny.

Some experts say that humor is a natural response to a tragedy or setback. Dr. Patt Schwab, a motivational keynote speaker and humorist based in Seattle, Washington, says humor develops in a predictable way during times of tragedy.

“The process is the same whether the initial setback is a horrible accident, a layoff, a broken heart or a national tragedy,” she says. “To some extent you can even monitor an individual or group’s recovery from disaster by the stage of humor in tragedy to which they respond.”

#4 Da Church

#5 There Are Worse Things Than Being Called Ugly

#6 It Was Used To Knit I Think

Schwab says at first, when something bad happens, nothing about it is funny. It would be highly inappropriate to laugh at someone’s passing, an injury, an important loss, or a mass disaster.

“What is most needed emotionally at this stage is a catharsis such as crying, cursing, expressions of grief, irrational promises, sweeping condemnations, physical outbursts or all of the above,” explains the expert. “Without this release of tension, it’s difficult for the individual to move on.”

Schwab says that this cathartic time varies from person to person, and can depend on the degree of disaster.

#7 Okay, Why were Canadians So Good At Trench Warfare?

#8 The Diversity

#9 England Also Did That

“After the initial pain is discharged, humor often emerges as a way of coping with the event,” reveals Schwab. “Laughing at tragedy or a problem gives us a sense of power and control over it.” It lets us rise above the issue at hand, she says, and get on with what needs to be done.

When the humor does eventually emerge, it often takes on a morbid tone at first. Think self-deprecating jokes, sarcasm and cheap shots at oneself or even the victim. Particularly, notes Schwab, if the victim has done something stupid.

#10 Most History Is Lost

#11 Anything For Extra Credit

#12 24 History Memes That’ll Make People Who Actually Studied Laugh

The expert says that this stage of humor often includes vicious jokes about the event or person seen as the cause the disaster.

“In morbid humor we are so internally focused that it is easy to be socially inappropriate,” explains the humorist. “Although this stage of humor is predominantly bitter and self centered, it allows us to distance ourselves from the tragedy and start to process what happened.”

#13 Why Did We Stop Caring About Beauty?

#14 When Two Fight The Third Profits

#15 Does Anyone Else Feel This Way?

There’s also distractive humor, which is a more gentle humor that allows us to mentally escape the bad situation. “Laughing at the antics of children or pets, escaping to a humorous movie or even reading the funny paper can have sudden appeal after a tragedy,” says the expert. “The friend who says something in an attempt to cheer us up is often trying to offer help via distractive humor.”

She explains that the purpose of distractive humor is to reassure us that life goes on. It also helps buy time until things settle down.

#16 The Last Wwii Japanese Soldier Surrendered In 1974

#17 Prima Noctae? Completely Made Up

#18 …

Once things start settling, we begin to see power humor. It’s similar to morbid humor but not quite the same. In this stage, comedians may put the issue or enemy down, and, in turn, raise us above.

“Stand-up humor is usually power humor,” reveals Schwab. “Risk, revenge and ridicule are common components of power humor, but unlike its morbid cousin, power humor is clever. It cuts to the heart of the matter and must connect with an audience.”

Power humor does exactly what its name suggests: it helps us feel powerful again, Schwab says.

#19 Never Fails To Piss Me Off

#20 Germany Didn’t Even Start The First One

#21 Opium Wars

According to the expert, power humor can feel so good that some people stay stuck there and don’t make it to the next stage: connective humor. This is the highest level of humor, where we are able to see the bigger picture. It’s the most self confident and compassionate form of humor.

“Like power humor, it is most effective when it hits directly on the underlying issue, and does so with imagination and cleverness. Unlike power humor, its purpose is to connect people to each other while reminding them that they are bigger than the event,” Schwab explains. “After all, if you can laugh at something it can’t be so overwhelming.”