Is Humor An Important Life Skill?

According to Mark Twain, humor is the greatest boon of mankind. It helps us to erase all the hard feelings to life. In every sense, humor is a special attribute of a human being. Various reports suggest that more than 81% of men and women emphasize the standard of sense of humor whilst choosing their partners. Eminent leaders often tend to have a great sense of humor. Even in mental health treatments, humor and laughter are of paramount importance. Let us dive deep and understand the concept clearly.

What Does Humor Mean?

In layman’s terms, humor is a quality of being amusing that evokes comics sense. Humor is like a fine wine enjoyed by the people who grasp the subtle touch instantly. Just as you don’t want to know the spoiler before watching a movie, you shouldn’t ruin a humorous joke by explaining. But to understand humor, we need to explain how it works. According to psychologists, there are basically three principal theories regarding humor.

The Relief Theory claims that laughter is an integral part of the humor, as it helps you to decrease the mental stress which stems from fear or anxiety. That is the reason why we can’t help but laugh loudly during tickling. It acts as a pressure-relief valve of a steam boiler.

The Theory Of Superiority was actually developed by Aristotle and Plato. If you laugh at the misfortune of someone, that explains the affirmation of your superiority over the inferior person. Sometimes the dull actions of inferior animals make us feel superior when they come near to us. This is an instance of Hutcheson’s theory that states that upon finding out any of our acts humorous, we can feel superior.

The Incongruity Theory implies that humor occurs when events that usually just don’t go together, defying all sorts of logic. For instance, if you anticipate an outcome of an event or an action but the outcome is totally different from what you expected, it might create a humorous moment. This is because the outcome you anticipated unexpectedly goes into another direction and your psychological condition has to adapt to the situation.

Having A Sense Of Humor – The Advantages

According to doctors, laughter can bring happiness, which is a very healthy practice. Being funny and putting a smile on the face of others can be considered as an achievement. For that, you need to possess a good sense of humor. Humor is considered to be psychological well-being. A happy person often exhibits immense positive vibes. This does not just reflect his blooming state of mind but also perks up the mood pf people around him.

It can also be helpful for people who are battling depression. A sense of humor may help them to ease off their negative vibes for a while and it might give them a feeling of amusement. However, reconstructing a past event with some sort of negative outcome in a humorous light might trigger depression.

Even though humor can improve the overall quality of life, you need to be very conscious while making a humorous remark. Your choice of words is as important as the timing of the affair. The power of positive humor is huge, as a virtuous sense of humor will help you to achieve personal as well as workplace goals. The objective of the sense of humor can be various but none can deny that to cultivate stronger bonds and to garner professional success, humor is an effective weapon.

Can You Learn Humor?

Stanford University is offering business courses on humor in the workplace. We all possess an inborn quality of showcasing a sense of humor but it depends on a few aspects to filter it as a good sense of humor. You might be missing that subtle touch. As you’re trying to learn several theories of humor, storming your mind to understand the insightful information, none can guarantee that this will refine your ability to deliver a punchline. It depends on various aspects to evoke a comical sense.

Comedy is a basic attribute of human nature. A good sense of humor is like welcome summer rain. It washes away all the negativity and soothes the atmosphere around us. Not everyone can perceive the humorous aspects of life. If you can do it, you’ll discover a whole new world full of surprises.