[narag]

But I'd like to know _why_ the author thinks "joke less, laugh less" would help with divisiveness.

If avoiding "divisiveness" needs killing jokes and laugh, welcome divisiveness, whatever it is.

In my mind, I translate "divisive" as "doesn't think like I do" so it makes total sense to like it.

[allannienhuis]

doesn't 'divisive' generally mean to divide, as in separate into opposing factions? What you're describing seems more like 'diversity', which is pretty different I think.

[narag]

It's Newspeak.

This particular manipulation of language consists in the confusion of cause and effect.

Diversity of opinions exists. It's good and it's accepted to be good, even if it makes feel some people bad sometimes. Freedom of speech requires effort to accept we're different. To make it sound bad, you need to create a frame where everybody agrees on everything until some evil "divisive" person creates division.

That's false.