A favorite joke may serve to reveal anxiety related to a central conflict in the personality. A useful technique in diagnostic and therapeutic interviews is to ask the patient to tell his favorite joke. The joke may provide direct insight into an area of conflict otherwise obscure. It may lead lightly and naturally to discussion of such areas of conflict. The favorite joke offers insights in the same way as do such productions as dreams, early memories, and responses to projective tests, with the advantage of being more concise and pointed. The technique has several limitations. Some patients fail to report a favorite joke. A joke may become a favorite simply because the patient has elicited a favorable response by repeating it to others. Some jokes may arise from the social problems of a cultural group rather than from the conflicts of the individual. Some patients have so great a variety of problems that virtually any joke seems to be related to some essential conflict. The technique is limited to certain types of therapy.