Understanding the Different Types of Funny
Humorous events are considered one of the best ways to lighten up a difficult situation. They can be a perfect way to help us relieve stress. However, in order for humor to be considered as an effective stress-reliever, it has to have some underlying meanings. The use of funny stickers and funny t-shirts doesn’t necessarily mean that a person has a problem with stress, simply that he or she chooses to laugh at himself or herself. This could be a defense mechanism against feeling too much pressure at work or in school. The funny mask may simply be a sign of self-depreciation.
Theory of laughter. A funny appearance is typically a self-conscious, often humorous, look at oneself or at others, usually meant to either make somebody feel uncomfortable or to mock someone else’s perspective. Arousal theory states that laughter is triggered not only by the pleasure it gives but also by the fear of pain or discomfort. When you are ridiculed for something you believe is not only incorrect but hurtful to you, a feeling of unworthiness rises in you and the natural reflex is to laugh. This theory of laughter then suggests that by making yourself laugh, you will escape the humiliation, pain or discomfort.
Emotionally healthy theory. Laughing is said to be a healthy coping strategy. Indeed, laughter is considered therapeutic by some psychologists. In fact, it is believed that laughter helps release a flood of “feel-good” chemicals in the brain that can reduce pain and anxiety. Because of this, a lot of psychotherapists believe that patients who laugh so as to release these chemicals usually recover from illnesses much faster than those who do not “joy” themselves. Therefore, if you feel that your efforts to be funny is causing you emotional distress, you might want to consider a break from your humor for a while to see if you feel better without the distraction.
Theory of Replacement Laughter. If you have been trying to find humor by being funny, it could be that you are actually trying to replace one form of happiness (feelings of joy) with another (feelings of sorrow or shame, etc.). If you are actively trying to replace one type of feeling with another (for example, if you are laughing at yourself because you feel ashamed of your small size when you are really big), it is possible that you are also trying to fill a void of another kind of feeling. Thus, if you are feeling sad when you watch jokes on television, you might try finding humor in something that would make you laugh – like a joke.
Theory of Replacement Laughter Replacement (or “RI”). People who are very sensitive about their feelings often cannot help but to seek out humor. Humor is seen as a form of therapeutic exercise because it helps people laugh at their insecurities instead of focusing on them and their problems. In addition, people laugh at themselves more when they are humorous, because they are in a safe place, away from the criticism of other people.
Theory of Incontinence: If you do not know how far you can go with humor, the research suggests that there is a thin line separating funny and indecent. The incongruity between funny and indecent can be striking, but the line between funny and insensitive can be thin. You may find yourself wondering: is there an incongruity between a funny situation and inappropriate behavior? Theory of Incontinence suggests that there may not be.
