Dear Friend,
Why is it that we never see elephants hiding up in trees?
Because they are so good at it!
Is your sense of humor a gift from your parents? Is it a product of your environment? What makes things funny to you and not to the other people in the waiting room?
Scientists have studied ‘the sense of humor’ in many ways for many years. An accurate, properly prepared report of all available studies along with footnotes and notations can be found elsewhere.
Though science is important to me, it is also a great way of disproving obviously impossible things so that we know for sure that we’re still here.
In preparation to write about ‘sense of humor,’ I read through some of the studies done to determine whether or not a sense of humor ‘develops’ in humans. In many of these studies, the main test is whether the subject(s) laughed at a statistically funny joke or not.
Having had a lot of experience being the only one laughing at something, I don’t really see how ‘laughter of the masses’ is going to determine the level at which one is capable of humor.
Were you born with your sense of humor? Has it developed over time? Should we be concerned?
Obviously, there are serious (physical or psychological) things that happen in a person’s life that can change the way they react to things that they would have previously found to be hilarious. And, conversely, sometimes laughter seems out of place, it can just be a release of tension, anxiety, fear, but the inappropriate timing of it can also be insulting to others. (I apologize).
One study went on and on about how extroverted people are the funniest people. Well, extroverts might naturally tell the most jokes and laugh the loudest, but introverted people, those ‘shy’ folks, say some of the funniest things I’ve ever heard, under their breath.
I suppose we just have to listen and enjoy.
But, we all know that humor can also be unkind. So… if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all? I’m sorry, but I am interested in what people are thinking, and, no, I don’t wish to nurture negativity, but I’d like to try to understand. Does telling a bad joke make that person a bad person? Does laughing at their bad joke condemn a whole crowd? The mind is vast. Word meanings are all over the place. I do have to ask: What is so funny about demeaning another person? It says a lot about the joke teller, determined to make people laugh no matter how much damage they cause; lots of very funny people are clever enough to make people laugh without hurting anyone.
Do you have a favorite comedian? I’m fond of Bob Newhart’s humor.
Do you have a favorite joke? Please write and share!
And, the sense of humor reports that I read also indicated that people will generally find humor in incongruency, unpredictable contrasts, surprise connections between the dissimilar. Can you relate to that? I know I can! That’s why that elephant joke is so funny to me, ‘elephants are so good at hiding,’ makes me laugh.
I used to laugh a lot more, don’t ask me what I was laughing at, probably something that I’d said or done. I believe that my sense of humor has shifted a bit over the years. I still laugh at myself more than anything or anyone… and it is quite possible that no one else would see the humor in what I find absolutely hilarious.
Frank is very funny. But, to me, he is much funnier when he’s not trying to be. He and I don’t always laugh at the same things and he can find something very funny and not even smile. That, alone, makes me laugh.
Here’s one of Frank’s self-assignments. He and our dog, Winchester, often did these sorts of projects together.
It goes without saying that laughter is good for us. We don’t need scientists to tell us that we feel so much better after a good laugh. And such ‘good medicine’ is always there, right? A laugh, just waiting to bubble up to the surface. Think about it, right now, can you feel that laugh inside?
We send you happy wishes for a wonder-filled week complete with many fine reasons to laugh.
Thank you for being here to read Tracks by the Post! We are so grateful to know that you are there!
Please write and tell us some jokes and / or give us your opinion(s) about humor! We always enjoy hearing from you!
Gently Be,
Leslie and Frank
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