Issue #41: The Power of Humor
Learn why laughing and humor are important for a person's wellbeing
Dear mental health advocate,
Are you a fan of stand-up comedy or funny movies? Likely you find humor an essential part of life. You might think what it has to do with psychology? Well… quite a lot actually! But what? I will dive deeper into this topic in today’s free edition of The Present Psychologist Paper. So keep on reading to find out more…
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The Power of Humor
I like laughing (I mean, who doesn’t?). In times of stress or sadness a good comedy or some joking around with friends helps to unwind. In psychology there can be a bit of a strong focus on the negatives and hardships in our life, but there are also definitely topics that are more lighthearted and just as interesting. The concept of humor and its effect on both our brain and wellbeing have been the subject of research the last couple of decades. Why is that? Because some have found a strong relationship between using humor, laughing and our immune system. You might know the saying ‘laughter is the best medicine’. Well, as a psychologist I would certainly not claim it is the best one, but it for sure is a good remedy.
The thing that fascinates many psychologists about humor is that it is such a complex and abstract concept that can work a bit differently dependent on the person. What is funny to you might not be funny to me. We do not value humor the same way. For some it is a deal breaker in a relationship, for others it is not a necessary personality trait. Even stereotypes exist about cultures, where some are considered funnier than others. Because we have such varying opinions on what we laugh about, there is no complete consensus yet from the academic world what actually makes something funny.
So what makes something funny?
Ask different people and you will get different answers. Researchers have done all sorts of studies to figure out what people value when it comes to humor. Arash Emamdazeh from Psychology Today discussed three theories that are considered as leading in humor studies. According to these, we can find things funny because of superiority, because of arousal and relief or because of incongruity. I will explain each of these in detail:
Superiority. We sometimes laugh about things when it makes us feel superior than the person or people in question. If you see someone act in a dumb way or consistently messing his or her life up, it might trigger you to feel better about yourself. Especially if you feel you lack something in a certain department, looking at a character that does something stupid can make you laugh. If you see Mr. Bean slip and fall because of a banana peel in a movie this can make a person feel good when they think: that would not happen to me!
Arousal/relief: Another theory proposes that we find content funny if it leads to a certain sense of alleviation of our emotions and stress. It is a possibility to lower tension, some even say it is your nervous energy that needs to find its way out. Sometimes the stress and tension is already there in your personal situation, then a joke or a comedy can lead to a welcome distraction. Other times the joke is funny because it starts with a tense moment and then causes relief.
Incongruity: The last major theory mentions that things can be seen as funny when our expectations about something are not met at all and instead lead to a very different outcome. If you see a video of a dog that suddenly starts to say something funny you might be surprised and start laughing. However, researchers say that the element of surprise needs to lead to something that is considered funny or harmless. If you see a video of a dog walking in a forest and suddenly they get hurt, there is surprise, but few will find this comical.
While all three theories are quite interesting, not all jokes apply to each one of them. Some jokes lead to relief, but are not incongruous. Others might make you feel superior, but do not necessary lead to relief. So guess it is safe to say there are different reasons why something can be funny, but not one particular theory explains all.
Why are some people funnier than others?
Being able to make others laugh is definitely a skill. Ask any stand-up comedian. Ever been in the situation where you tried to crack a joke, but no one laughed? Ouch, that can be painful… For some it can take years to finetune and create good jokes, others are more innately funny. We all have the ability to use humor, but there are a lot of differences in how humorous a person is. Research shows that a few things play a role in what makes one person funnier than others:
Creativity. Being able to create a joke sometimes requires being simple, but you also need to be able to think outside of the box to surprise people.
Emotional intelligence: you need to have a certain amount of sensitivity about the people around you. Understanding who they are, and how they react.
General IQ: research shows that comedians score above average on their IQ. Humor exists also because of the ability to be witty and think fast.
Willingness to take risks: if you want to make a joke, there is a certain risk involved. What if people don’t think it is funny? You need to be willing to experiment at try new things.
What are the benefits of humor?
The reason why I wanted to share and write this article is because humor and fun is such an important part of our life. Life can be beautiful, heavy and overwhelming. In those moments comic relief and lightness can be very welcome. Numerous benefits exist that are tied to laughter and humor, which should be a reminder to include more of it in your life:
Stress reliever: as mentioned before, if you find yourself in a situation where you are distressed, humor can lead to a big distraction and tension buffer. It leads to your nervous system feeling calmer, which causes more breathing space.
Social bonding: many people use humor and fun to connect with other people. Especially in groups (but definitely also one on one) humor helps strengthen bonds. It is also sometimes called ‘social lubricant’.
Good for health: humor causes great improvements in your mood, it is good for your immune system because laughter releases neuropeptides (fighting stress and illnesses) and also relieves pain.
Improves romance: In a romantic relationship, humor and laughter is known to make the connection with each other more satisfying. It also helps with solving issues together, but only if it is done in a positive and constructive way.
So, if you have found all these arguments convincing enough, then maybe go joke around with your friends or watch a good comedy!
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My name is Alf Lokkertsen and I am a psychologist and writer, creating mental health content for you. My passion is to raise awareness about topics related to psychology, as it has helped me greatly in my personal life. I strongly believe that many problems could be avoided or dealt with better if everyone had some in-depth psychology knowledge.
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