Life — August 14, 1931 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers This *Life* magazine page contains several satirical short pieces typical of early-20th-century humor. **Top**: "I'm Banking on Human Nature" is a poem by D.D. expressing optimism that human nature will preserve democracy despite current challenges. The illustration shows an elderly person in a cell, suggesting imprisonment or confinement. **Middle**: "Reversible Remedy" jokes that a Pittsburgh doctor claims housework cures neurasthenia (anxiety/nervous exhaustion), while housework itself causes the condition—a circular contradiction mocking pseudo-medical claims popular at the time. **Bottom**: The stock-exchange cartoon depicts a man telling another about marriage while holding a sign reading "No Exchanges on Sale," satirizing both financial markets and marriage as irreversible transactions. The brief text items mock contemporary social issues: hysteria, Marine recruiting cuts, and genealogical pretension.