Quest for Humor

Journalist Joel Warner and psychologist Peter McGraw embarked on a global adventure to unravel the enigma of laughter. They journeyed through five continents, delving into diverse cultures and contexts to understand why people laugh. From investigating an outbreak of contagious laughter in Tanzania to meeting comedy moguls in Japan, from participating in improv skits in Los Angeles to examining the aftermath of controversial cartoons in Denmark, their quest took them far and wide. Along the way, they spoke with comedians, writers, and researchers from various fields, seeking insights into the complex phenomenon of laughter.

Why are you laughing?

Laughter is something we all do, but why do we do it? It's a bit of a mystery. Even babies laugh before they can talk! Laughter is everywhere, from movies to everyday conversations. It sticks around even in tough times like wars or disasters. But scientists still haven't figured out why we laugh or why we find certain things funny. People have been trying to understand humor for a long time. 

Back in ancient Greece, philosophers like Aristotle and Plato thought we laugh because we feel superior to others' misfortunes. But that doesn't explain all jokes, like knock-knock jokes. Another idea comes from Sigmund Freud, a big name in psychology. He thought jokes and laughter help us release emotions we keep bottled up, especially things like sex or violence. That explains why dirty jokes can make us giggle, but it doesn't quite explain why puns are funny.

Most experts today lean towards Blaise Pascal's "incongruity theory" of humor. Pascal believed that what makes us laugh the most is when there's a big gap between what we expect and what we see. Arthur Koestler built on this idea, saying humor happens when two things that don't usually go together clash, like two different meanings of a word. This explains why jokes with clever twists or wordplay are funny. However, it doesn't explain why we laugh when someone tickles us.

Crack the Code of Humor

McGraw and Warner embarked on a quest to prove McGraw's "benign violation" theory of humor. Simply put, something's funny when it's wrong or unsettling but turns out to be harmless. For instance, if someone takes a tumble down the stairs but emerges unscathed, it's likely to elicit a chuckle. The fall is jarring, breaking our expectations, but it becomes funny when the outcome is harmless.

According to Arthur Koestler, humor arises from the collision of two conflicting ideas, blending two different frames of reference. This idea, inspired by linguist Thomas Veatch's work, holds for various types of jokes. Dirty jokes challenge social norms, puns twist word meanings, and sarcasm flips language on its head. Even tickling, often overlooked in humor theories, involves crossing personal boundaries but is perceived as funny because it's done harmlessly.

Humor's aim

Ever wonder why humans have a sense of humor? Well, let's dive into it. Scientists suggest that laughter might have evolved as a way for our ancestors to signal safety during novel situations. Think of it like this: laughter could be a sophisticated version of primates panting when they play fight, signaling that the tussle is just for fun.

Research by neuroscientist and psychologist Robert Provine supports this idea. He and his team listened in on real conversations and found something interesting. Over 80% of laughter didn't come from jokes or humor at all. Instead, it popped up during natural pauses, almost like punctuation marks in our chats. This hints that laughter is a vital part of our social toolkit, not just random bursts of joy. And guess what? People hardly laugh when they're alone.

Biologists Matthew Gervais and David Sloan Wilson propose that laughter didn't just pop up all at once in human history. Instead, they believe it evolved in two distinct phases over millions of years.

The first kind of laughter emerged around two to four million years ago. It was like a reflex, triggered by certain events. Think of it as similar to how primates pant “ a natural reaction that reassures them.  Then, about two million years later, another kind of laughter came about. People started deliberately mimicking that spontaneous laughter. Because they saw how it helped build social bonds. So, they used it purposefully to connect with others.

Enjoy hilarious ads from our sponsor

Humor is often used in advertising to make people feel good, but it's not a surefire way to sell stuff. In 2008, American businesses spent a ton, over $60 billion, on funny ads. About one in every four TV commercials tries to be funny. While jokes can get people talking, there's no solid proof that they make folks want to buy what's being sold, no matter how much they chuckle.

Funny ads might backfire. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy tried to use humor in their ads about birth control. But when they tested them out, they found that making jokes about a serious topic might make people not take it seriously. People who saw a straightforward ad with just the facts were more likely to want to know more.

Instead of constantly cracking jokes, funny ads should follow a "wedding toast" approach. Start with attention-grabbing jokes, then get serious to make your point.

Smile amidst sorrow, finding humor in pain.

People find humor in both good and bad times. Even in the toughest situations, like during wars or natural disasters, laughter somehow finds its way in. It's like a superpower humans have to help them cope with really tough stuff.

Take, for instance, when the North Koreans captured the crew of the USS Pueblo. Instead of letting fear take over, the sailors used humor to stay strong. They even pulled a clever move, posing for photos where they raised their middle fingers, calling it a "Hawaiian good luck sign" to trick their captors.

Even in the darkest times, like during the Holocaust, people found ways to laugh. Holocaust survivor Gizelle Cycowycz remembers how prisoners in concentration camps cracked jokes to lighten the mood, even if just for a moment. And over in Palestine, there's this super popular TV show called Watan ala Watar. It's all about poking fun at politicians and leaders, from local big-shots to international figures like Barack Obama. It's proof that no matter how tough things get, humor can be a lifeline.

How Humor Helps in Tough Times

Humor isn't just about cracking jokes; it's also a way to cope when things get rough. Imagine it like a shield against the bad stuff. When we make light of a tough situation, it's like saying, "Hey, you're not so scary after all!" This helps us deal with the bad stuff a bit better.

But some folks worry that relying too much on humor might stop us from taking action to make things better. They think that if we're too busy laughing, we won't bother to fix what's wrong. However, history tells a different story.

Take Serbia in the late 1990s, for example. Back then, a bunch of activists decided to fight the dictator, Slobodan Milošević, with humor. They pulled pranks and staged funny street performances to show him up. It worked! Their antics made people less scared to speak out, and soon, there was a massive revolt. Milošević had to step down.

Sudden disorientation due to unfamiliar culture.

Different cultures find different things funny. It's like trying to crack a code when you translate a joke into another language. You've got to not only get the words right but also understand the cultural context. 

For instance, in Japan, humor operates by its own set of rules. Japanese jokes often don't come with much explanation because the culture is so uniform that everyone gets it without much fuss. This can leave foreigners scratching their heads, wondering what's so funny. One interesting thing about East Asia is its lack of "stupidity jokes." Most cultures enjoy poking fun at some outsider group, but not in Japan. They don't make jokes at the expense of their own people or their neighbors.

Explore  humor's darker aspects succinctly

Humor can be tricky. It brings people together but can also drive them apart. Remember when a Danish newspaper made fun of the prophet Mohammad in 2005? That caused huge fights in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, leading to lots of deaths.

Jokes can split us up, especially if they're racist, sexist, or homophobic. They make some people feel left out and reinforce bad stereotypes. It's tough to fight back against these jokes. If you ignore them, you might feel like you're giving up your self-respect. But if you speak up, people might say you can't take a joke. Being the target of a joke is hard. It's not easy to respond without making things worse.

Medicine with a dose of humor

In 1979, Norman Cousins wrote a popular book called Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient. He talked about how watching comedy movies helped him cope with a serious illness. This idea that humor can make you healthier became popular. You might have seen it in movies like Patch Adams, where Robin Williams played a doctor who used humor to help patients.

Health professionals around the world, including those trained by organizations like the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, incorporate humor into their treatment approaches. Laughter yoga, practiced in 72 countries, involves structured laughter exercises aimed at improving health. Advocates of therapeutic humor argue that it can enhance immune system function, prevent illnesses, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Researchers did a big study about whether humor does make you healthier. They looked at lots of people and their health, but they couldn't find any solid proof that humor makes you physically healthier. So, while laughter might make you feel good, it might not be a magic cure for everything.

The Healing Power of Humor

In exploring the therapeutic potential of humor, two perspectives emerge: one emphasizing its role in fostering human connection and the other viewing it as a complementary aid in improving overall well-being. Patch Adams, co-director of Gesundheit Global Outreach, underscores the importance of humor in building relationships, while psychologist Steve Wilson sees it as an adjunctive therapy, enhancing the effectiveness of primary treatments.

Humor's impact on emotional health is evident in research findings, such as its ability to aid in coping with grief and lightening the weight of life's challenges. Through approaches like "humorous complaining," individuals not only uplift their own spirits but also contribute to the emotional well-being of others.

Amidst life's myriad difficulties, humor offers a unique perspective, allowing individuals to find the whimsical amidst the chaos and offering respite from the weight of existence.