Our humor is based on our cognitive abilities. In order to find something funny, we must be able to notice inconsistencies and paradoxes, play with ideas and words.
Briefly about individual factors of humor formation
Emotional intelligence. It allows us to understand our own and other people's emotions. It is he who is the basis for the self-irony — ability to laugh at one's own shortcomings.
Personal traits. Extraversion and benevolence are linked to humor aimed at maintaining social connections. And cynicism or aggressiveness forms a more sarcastic and offensive style of humor.
Life experience. The hardships, victories and injuries we experience affect what we find ridiculous. Humor can be a powerful defense mechanism that helps to cope with stress. Black humor is a direct reaction to difficult or tragic circumstances.
Social and cultural factors
The beginning of our humor formation takes place within the family and during upbringing. It is at home that the child learns for the first time what is witty by watching his parents. An atmosphere in which jokes, wit and self-irony are encouraged lays the foundation for the future development of a sense of humor.
After family, the social environment, that is, friends, peers and colleagues shape our perception of humor. Humor becomes a tool for making connections, relieving tension, and expressing group identity. It is not for nothing that people laugh much more often in company than alone.
Nowadays, internet memes, comedy shows and stand-ups influence what jokes become popular and create new subcultures with their own specific «internal» jokes. Humor becomes a tool for social interaction and bringing people together.
Biological factors
First, the sense of humor is influenced by genetics. Twin studies show that some tendency to humor can be inherited, although this does not mean that we inherit specific jokes. Rather, it is about genetically determined character traits, such as optimism or extroversion, that contribute to the development of a sense of humor.
Second, humor is closely related to neurophysiology. When we take a joke, different areas are activated in our brain. These are the areas responsible for cognitive processes (information analysis), emotional responses (dopamine release and feelings of satisfaction) and social interaction. This confirms that humor — is not just entertainment, but an important brain function that helps us interact with the world.
Traumatized people «funnier»?
There is a common myth that traumatized people become «funnier». It's not quite so. In fact, trauma can be a catalyst for the development of a certain style of humor, such as black humor or self-irony.
One of the main reasons why trauma survivors develop a particular sense of humor is the psychological mechanism of escaping reality and adapting to stress. Humor allows you to temporarily withdraw from pain, shift attention to something else, and cope with emotional stress. People who have experienced complex events use self-irony to devalue their own pain. Joking about their difficulties is a way to show that they are not broken and are still in control.
Another common mechanism is black humor.
Black humor <TAG1> is a psychological survival mechanism. It's laughing at what scares to reduce his power over us. People who have experienced difficult events (war, disease, disasters) use such humor to relieve emotional tension, cope with pain and connect with those who have experienced something like this. It is laughter, which is an expression of resilience, not happiness.
Humor as a tool of communication and communication
Trauma experienced can isolate the individual, and humor becomes a kind of bridge to connect with others. When a group of people have experienced a common trauma, they can develop a unique sense of humor that is understandable only to them. This creates a sense of belonging, helping to survive the pain they share.
