'That´s not funny!' Do you know that situation? While the person next to you dies laughing, you just don´t get it.
I am asking myself: how come that people have different senses of humor? Is our sense of humor actually in our genes?
What is a humor / 'good sense of humor'?
Humor is the talent to face daily challenges with a certain easiness and humorous serenity. 'Humorous people' are the ones who possess a contagious happiness and are able to make others laugh.
It´s quite hard to understand why some people find Monty Python absolutely hilarious, while others actually don’t see the humor in these British guys making weird comments to each other.
A sense of humor is highly individualized. The purpose of humor, for instance, can be biological, being a way of finding compatible mates. It can also be an indicator of emotional intelligence, as well as a mirror of the environment and personal experiences specific to an individual.
The joke tellers
Everybody knows somebody who has an outstanding talent for remembering and telling jokes. These people are real fun to be around, they make others laugh, but honestly little of the humor they produce usually is their own creation (unless they are comedians). Supposedly most people would view joke tellers as having a good sense of humor.
I have also been told that I am a funny person, but I have absolutely no talent to remember any joke. What I share with others occurs to me more in a spontaneous way, and is usually unplanned - the famous comedy of the situation.
The verbal players (it´s ironic, man!)
The so called 'figurative forms of humor' - like sarcasm and irony - where people aren’t saying exactly what they literally mean, are often seen as 'dark humor'. Amoung scientists there is a belief that these types of humor are strongly conditioned by family interactions. The more a family tends to use these verbal plays, the more its members are likely having that sense of 'dark humor'.
It seems that all types of 'sense of humor' come from different sources and also life experiences.
Where humor is born (it´s not in our genes!)
According to several scientifical studies, the human sense of humor is not genetical.
The St. Thomas´ Hospital in London, for instance, did a study with 127 pairs of twins who were all grown up together. The pairs had to evaluate comics of Gary Larson in two seperated rooms. According to the results, twins usually agreed on which comics were funnier than others. Amoung the similar (monovular) twins, who have exactly the same genes, there was no higher consensus than amoung the binovular twins. The researchers concluded that the shared enviroment and similar education had much more influence on then sense of humor than equal genes.
Humor depends on culture (I am German, so I have none...:-D)
Researchers agree on the fact that the way in which humor is expressed highly depends on cultural influences.
It seems that there are things people generally laugh about: these little and also big daily border crossings. Everything unusual can be funny. The individual environment defines these borders - what is usual and what is not? Where do people usually talk about and what is 'taboo'? Where are our embarrassment limits and how far can we go?
Humorous people do on purpose what in the comedy of situation happens spontaneously: they cross a (cognitive) border.
Humor connects - the magic power of inside jokes
Everybody knows that awesome moment when you and your friend have so many inside jokes that nobody around is able to understand you.
It seems that humor is a very individual characteristic, not depending on our genes but highly influenced by our personal life experiences, culture and environment. Having said that, humor is not set in stone, thus develops along our road. I myself am able to laugh about almost everything, especially comedy of the situation. That sometimes leads to silly laughing attacks which are difficult to stop - and catching.
What is your 'sense of humor'?
Cheers,
Marly -
I definitely side to the Black Humor category. The world is an absurd place and things happen that are so ridiculous all sometimes you are left with is a deep black despair or laughter. As I dont do deep despair I will go with the Larf everytime.
I don't particularly like Ricky Gervais or his humor, but he is a cynical bastard after my own heart and he does hit everything right on the head with this old Video for Comic Relief.
He manages to be very offensive and very funny about the whole Insane Celeb Charity Circus. And as it was for a Charity it made some cash. So win win as they say. Watch it till the end and make your own mind up;D~
Hey, I am not sure if this morally acceptable, even in a semi-real state. Echo, Echo, -- Hey I just realized since there is hardly anyone on Steemit making comments, then when we do make comments they could be really scrutinized and have a great moral weight.. ... LOL -..... Now, if that scene in the video were somehow real, if you could give some disclaimers, or let audience know it is only a dramatization, then maybe it could work.
It either works and is funny or it doesn't and is not. This works because it is funny.
LOL - that´s hilarious, loved it!!! That´s a type of humor I´d definitely sign all the time.
You are absolutely right - the world itself is crazy enough, and we have two options here: go off the deep end or simply laugh about it. I´d always prefer the second one.
Happy New Year!!!
I tend to like Black Humor as well.
Your question may be a nature vs Nurture question as well; how much does our upbringing influence what we laugh at? Americans have created a generation overloaded SJW wet blankets. Mel Brooks could not have created one his greatest, Blazing Saddles, in today's world.
I think humor changes along our way. Depending on our environment and personal growth we consider things funny or not. I also love black humor - but it hasn´t been like this all the time. I am German but moved from Germany to Spain (Canary Islands) 3.5 years ago - the cultural difference has also changed my sense of humor. German people are very close-minded, Spanish people are the complete opposite. Since humor highly depends on social and cultural tendencies, me and my sense of humor have become much more open-minded.
Wish you a pleasant, entertaining and funny New Year! :)
Thank You, and I hope you enjoy the same!
My wife always says that I've got a British sense of humor... that I don't speak much but every time I do I hit the nail on the head... maybe she's right.. I have to confess that I love being ironic, but above all I love/need laughing... It's the best medicine ever!!! Probably the one that started saying 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' was German (no offense)... less apples and more laughs!!! :D Marly, as always, great post!!! (Maybe you din't get it ,you know, you're German..., but I was being ironic..) ok, I stop it... :D Thanks for sharing!!!
Hahahahaha! Thanks for the explanation of the ironic part, you are sooooooo kind :-D
I love being ironic, too! But I have a different view on these apples and doctors: 'An apple a day, keeps the doctor away. But if the doctor is cute, forget about the fruit!' LOL
Have a nice, funny and entertaining start into 2017!!!
Un abrazote para tí y tu familia :-*
Que termines bien el año y que lo empieces todavía mejor. Un abrazo @surfermarly!!!!
Barbudo
jajajajajaj se hace lo que se puede @gargon... a temperaturas bajo cero hay que buscar el calor de cualquier manera... en marzo con el calor fuera células.. digo fuera barba!!!
I do enjoy a good laugh but sometimes find it hard to understand what people are laughing at, some jokes are easy to laugh to like toilet humour then others are hard. I do like a good comedy easy watching that doesn't take up to many brain cells to understand :)
Oh I sometimes like laughing at REALLY bad jokes. I was grown up with two brothers, maybe it´s a heritage from these times...:-)) Supposedly our humor also depends much on the specific situation, the people who surround us and our own mood at that point of time.
Enjoy your start into a hopefully funny 2017!!!
Happy new year too you to :)
A sense of humour is a precious quality. It is even fun trying to get to understand what makes it so. Thanks.
That´s true, I am happy you enjoyed the read.
Wish you a perfect start into the New Year!!!
Once again, your post has left me smiling. You've picked a great "meta-topic" here, one that can't help but get people thinking.
Humor can be a form of communication; it can be an escape from pain. Sometimes, you just have to laugh because the only alternative would be to cry!
I'd love to be sitting astride my surfboard alongside you, Marly, and share a silly laughing attack or two... Steem on! 😄😇😄
Oh, I´d love to sit on that board and share one of these hilarious moments with you! :)
I enjoyed your comment, you are totally right: humor can be so many things! And everybody has one. The key is to find others with the same type.
Steem on, surfer! In 2017 we´ll have to share a wave - and you know that ;-)
PS: Congratulations on your animation, that´s very professional!
The genetic angle in your article is also quite fascinating to me; I have been blown away lately (within the last year?) reading about how our genetics are actually massively influenced by our life and surroundings, far more so than anyone has allowed for in the past, far more than I was taught in school. Don't have any references for you, but I remember a number of articles out there on the topic.
Yeah, I totally love all these studies and researches! It´s too exciting!
It surely has been easier and more comfortable to believe that everything is 'set' and definite. But it is not. If our life and surroundings had such a strong influence, we would have all the possibilities to freely define ourselves. That´s surely a huge plus!
Actually I don't think I have a sense of humour and I'm not German.
Oh c´mon, everybody does have one! You should spend one day with me - afterwards you´d completely change your mind :-D
Nice views and thoughts. In regard to your question about "what" is my sense of humor, well I am guessing the answer depends on what you mean specifically by "what". Do you mean it as literally in what is the science behind it, or in how it may differ from yours or anyone else's? Plainly, it is an sensitivity to making things seem funny, and the various ways of emotional delight, but not without any other purpose than to to amuse . It is is here within me I suppose, or is it simply an action that is internal, or is it somewhere gone on vacation for the moment during periods of seriousness?