“The return of humor is a sure sign that a person is recovering, because finding funny in a difficult situation means being able to distance yourself, be able to manage yourself, be able to perceive what is happening from different angles, and this is the basis of a healthy human life,” says Dr. Stephen Gimbel, professor, expert on the philosophy of humor.
The first quarter of 2020 will go down in textbooks as a period when COVID-19 dominated the lives of people around the world. Gyms, fitness centers, conference halls, schools, universities, restaurants and bars, entertainment venues and similar “minor” businesses were forced to close or urgently change the mode and order of work.
People were asked to observe self-isolation rules or practice social distancing to slow the spread of the virus. Doctors, nurses, first responders, sanitary workers and catering workers were at the forefront and threw all their efforts to help people.
It is no exaggeration to say that after these months of uncertainty, fear, financial and information dependence, we found ourselves in a different world. And we get used to a new way of life, and our perception of what is happening gradually changes the tone. Funny jokes and jokes are back. Perhaps this is due to the acceptance of powerlessness over the situation and the understanding that little depends on us.
In historical retrospect, a surge of folk humor is a sign of not the best of times. At the same time, humor has been and remains one of the healthy and effective ways to look at difficulties from a different angle. It seems to expand the perspective and help to move away from the crisis situation. However, it should be borne in mind that for those who are emotionally immersed in a crisis, it is difficult to perceive jokes on this topic. This happens because a person at the level of emotions feels merged with a problem situation.
Psychologists recommend refraining from joking with those who are currently going through difficult times and react painfully to what is happening. Over time, the distance between the problem and the person increases, and then the therapeutic effect of laughter begins to work.
During a stressful period, it is useful to turn to humor or sarcasm if it makes you feel happier. Such humor does not devalue the situation, but allows you to abstract and gives you the opportunity to “take a breath.” As Professor Gimbel noted, when a person exchanges a joke with others, there is a feeling of closeness.
Even when something funny happens before our eyes, we involuntarily turn around to see if anyone else has noticed. And if there are such, then they all begin to giggle together. This connection is born with humor and creates a sense of unity. Jokes are funny because they are based on common impressions: memories, experiences, social values and popular beliefs.
Humor has a neurobiological aspect. Laughter brings joy and pleasure, which are associated with thoughts – knowledge, and feelings – emotions. When people make others laugh, sympathy arises between them, based on joyful thoughts and feelings.
Theories of laughter
There is still no single point of view about what humor is and how it works, although humanity has been asking these questions since ancient times.
Plato: the theory of superiority
This theory held that laughter occurs when we feel less stupid, ugly, unhappy, or weaker than those around us. Plato considered humor to be a negative phenomenon, because it is based on malice and envy. Laughter is often caused by the misfortune or misfortune of others, or by pranks on those below them. Racist and intimidating jokes, that is, aggressive humor, also fall into this category.
And although Plato did not study in detail the nature of the funny, he came to the very important conclusion that laughter can have serious consequences, including for the life of an entire state.
Aristotle: game theory
Aristotle viewed jokes as a manifestation of “educated arrogance”. He noted such features of the comic: “Funny is some kind of mistake and disgrace that does no harm to anyone and is not harmful to anyone.” According to the philosopher, humor involves a play on words or objects.
It is natural for children to play and laugh, and adults lose this ability. Instead of physical play, adults play with words and thoughts, that is, they joke. Aristotle was the first to introduce the concept of the effect of unexpected or triggered laughter. This idea was completely forgotten by his followers and found support only two thousand years later in the works of Kant and Schopenhauer. Unlike Plato, Aristotle allowed that, in moderation, humor can be beneficial.
Freud: The Theory of Consolation
Freud considered laughter primarily as a physiological reaction of the body to nervous tension and overexcitation. According to this concept, laughter is the result of a strong emotion, and by laughing, a person is “liberated” from the emotional burden. A person with a sense of humor constantly jokes in order to avoid negative emotions, to get away from imperfect reality and thus demonstrate their invulnerability.
A joke is the cognitive release of desire through word, not action. The accumulation in our minds of something terrible does not happen indefinitely. This is a heavy burden that needs to be relieved periodically. Humor relieves tension and causes laughter. And this is a completely healthy and correct reaction of the human psyche.
Theory of inconsistency
Many theorists believe that this is the most popular theory of humor. According to this theory, humor is generated by objects or situations that do not fit together, and it is this fact that causes laughter. In fact, a person laughs when he observes from the outside an absurd phenomenon, an underlined discrepancy between the hero and what is happening to him. This theory is good because it justifies almost any, even black, humor, as it does not look for offensive overtones in it.
These theories help to understand why people tend to joke in difficult times. Of course, the current health crisis is no laughing matter, but humor helps release positive neurochemicals in the brain and maintains social connections that are vital during difficult times.
As soon as a person can internally step back from a stressful situation and see it in a new way, there will be meaning even in negative circumstances. Laughter helps to perceive the problem from a different angle, and this often leads to emotional healing. But at the same time, you need to understand that in some circumstances humor becomes traumatic.
No wonder Dr. Gimbel compares it to a Swiss army knife: “Humor is not a primitive tool, it is a “multi-tool” that can be used for any number of purposes.”
Obviously, in a crisis situation, humor can be both useful and harmful. And when telling a new joke or sending someone a funny meme, you need to be sensitive to the potential benefit or harm of our humor. This is an understanding of the values and needs of not only close people, but also society. Emotional security is as much in demand as world peace.