All about a sense of humor

One of the most popular and interesting sciences is psychology. She studies all the details of the human person. So, one of the most interesting and ambiguous is such a characteristic as a sense of humor. A sense of humor is a character trait that every person should possess. Today, in our article, we will examine in detail what it is, what types of sense of humor there are, and whether it can be developed in ourselves.

A sense of humor is a psychological trait of a person’s character. Its external manifestation is that a person is able to see and notice the features of the world around him and perceive them from an unexpected and often comic point of view. The ability to joke is very much appreciated in social circles, so a person with a sense of humor usually becomes the soul of the company.

A large number of scientists (both practitioners and theorists) study the sense of humor. In this regard, there are a large number of conflicting opinions about this phenomenon.

It is believed that humor and jokes are a way to defuse the situation, relieve nervous tension, relax and cheer up. Moreover, the intellectual level of jokes indicates the level of development of society. For example, such primitive things as running boards indicate a low development of society and vice versa - jokes with a large number of meanings and references are characteristic of erudite people. Thus, we can conclude that a large number of both personal and social factors affect the quality of humor (for example, level of education, social situation in a group, community, country, etc.).

A person who has a developed sense of humor is emotionally stable and correctly perceives all social signals. It is important to note the fact that This psychological characteristic is inherent only to people, no other living organisms living on planet Earth have a sense of humor.

In some cases, humor can play such an important role as psychological defense. With the help of jokes, a person hides his pain, experiencing difficult life situations. Scientists also note that, despite the fact that a sense of humor is a universal phenomenon, it can also have a highly specialized meaning. So, a group sense of humor and specific jokes are characteristic of different categories of people, for example, women, children, representatives of one social layer or one profession, etc.

According to the provisions of psychology, a sense of humor is a personality trait that begins to form in early childhood. It largely depends on the external environment of a person. Therefore, parents should pay attention to who their child is communicating with, as well as to which social groups he spins daily.

This indicator is important in the sense that without a correct and timely sense of humor, it will be very difficult for a person in future life. Thus, in addition to general education and development of such qualities as tolerance, kindness, sincerity, openness, sociability, attention should also be paid to the development of a sense of humor. At the same time, a sense of humor is not in a stable state; it can develop and improve throughout a person’s life. In addition, it can change qualitatively, by its nature and orientation.

As mentioned above, a developed sense of humor is a sign of high intelligence, which is inherent in both sexes (both women and men). It has an important function in the life of every person and helps to cope with many life situations. Consider several key roles that humor plays in modern society.

1. First of all, it is necessary to note the great social significance of this psychological characteristic. A person with a developed sense of humor can quickly and easily join practically any company. At the same time, using jokes, you can avoid quarrels and conflicts, nullify interpersonal tension.
2. Humor helps a person to look at their problems from the side, treat them more easily. Accordingly, this character trait helps to survive various negative situations in life (for example, dismissal from work or parting with a loved one), which otherwise could lead to various psychological disorders.
3. A sense of humor helps a person express their feelings in a lighter form. For example, this applies to aggression.
4. Jokes help create a sense of cohesion in any social group (be it a group of friends or a work team).

A sense of humor is an individual characteristic, so it may differ for different people. It can be sparkling, thin, hypertrophied, perverted, sardonic, etc. In addition, it is widely believed that the sense of humor varies significantly between men and women. Consider several types and types of sense of humor.

• Affiliate. This species is one of the most common and traditional. People who have developed a good subtle sense of humor love to constantly joke and tell jokes. At the same time, they are positively inclined towards others and in no way try to insult them. The affiliate type is used to create a strong and wide social circle, it helps to establish good relations with people around. If we talk about the type of people who are characterized by this kind of humor, then they differ in such personality characteristics as kindness, emotional stability, a harmonious relationship with oneself, and sociability.
• Self-destructive. Such a variety is considered peculiar, specific, and in a certain sense can be self-destructive. Such a sense of humor is not inherent in everyone, respectively, therefore, not every person will positively perceive such jokes. People with a self-destructive sense of humor love to make fun of their flaws. It is believed that this type is typical for those people who like to speak in public (for example, for comedians and stand-ups). The nature of such personalities is rather difficult, they are prone to depression and neurosis, they are not self-confident.
• Upbeat. Already by the name of this type you can understand that such a sense of humor is typical for positive people. They always try to find positive moments (even in the most difficult and critical situations), and therefore their sense of humor often causes approval among the majority of those around them. The main task of jokes of such people is the formation of a good mood and the fight against stressful and conflict situations.
• Aggressive. This kind of sense of humor is often called black. It can be perceived negatively by surrounding people, since the joker purposefully ridicules their shortcomings (criticizes others in a peculiar comic form). A characteristic feature of black humor is the presence of a high level of sarcasm. Most often, such humor is typical for males.

A person deprived of such an important personal quality as a sense of humor experiences great difficulties in terms of his social behavior. Its absence can lead to the fact that it will be difficult for a person to form friendly and romantic ties, as well as any other contacts with people.

Often such people are very touchy, they lack such an important feature as self-irony. Accordingly, they are very hard to live and adapt in society. Most often, such people feel very lonely, they do not have close friends.

It is important to note that a sense of humor is a constant feature.. Such a situation cannot happen that it disappears (however, psychologists report rare exceptions associated with severe mental or psychological trauma).

As mentioned above, a sense of humor is a quality that has been formed and developed in the character of a person since childhood. However, if you are unsatisfied with the level of your jokes and don’t know what to do to “raise” them to a higher level, then you should be guided by the advice of specialists.

Humor is such a character trait of a person that can contribute to life success. That is why people strive to constantly develop and improve it. First you need to note the fact that this characteristic is not inherited, respectively, if you do not possess it, then you can not blame your parents or distant ancestors. A sense of humor is formed in the process of education and for the most part depends on the social environment in which a person spends most of his time.

If you have already reached adulthood, but are still not happy with the quality of your jokes, then first of all need to do the development of their communicative properties. The thing is that humor is a reflection of the interaction between you and your immediate environment. The more you communicate with those people that interest you, the faster your sense of humor will develop and improve. It is important to pay attention to yourself and your behavior. You must be in harmony with yourself. At the same time, such a character trait as the ability to laugh at oneself should be developed.

Take note of your comic actions and thoughts.. Try to look at yourself and your behavior from a new, previously unexplored angle. In this way, you will train such an important quality of your character as self-irony. Try to notice funny and comic moments in everyday events, in your daily behavior. Look for creative aspects of everyday behavior.

In addition, the person who wants to enhance and develop his sense of humor, must constantly develop and improve: read books, attend educational events (lectures, seminars, conferences, master classes, etc.). It is also important to increase your vocabulary.

A broad outlook is the basis of quality jokes. Do not forget that humor is a positive phenomenon, which should carry in itself only goodness and optimism. In no case should it cause external negative phenomena. Thus, so that your humorous attempts do not harm others, you must develop in yourself qualities such as tolerance, sensitivity and tolerance.

Experts say that in order to develop a sense of humor, you must perform appropriate exercises.

1. One of the most common exercises is using associations. Learn to see in things that at first glance are incompatible, something in common and distinguishing them from everything else. In addition to associations, you can also use other artistic techniques (for example, comparisons, epithets, metaphors).
2. Don't be afraid to say absurd things out loud. A phrase or a word that at first glance seemed stupid can be a real comic hit in your company.
3. Try to come up with both highly specialized and universal jokes. The former are suitable for your closest friends with whom you share common interests (for example, joking about your favorite films using references to such films), and the latter will be well received in other cases.
4. Use a way to create jokes like hyperbole (exaggeration). If you attach great importance to situations or to exaggerate what is happening in the morning, then learn to make improvised jokes that will suit a particular life situation.
5. Rearrange words in established and stable expressions. In addition, you can use words that are close in meaning instead of those that were originally implied.
6. To develop a sense of humor, it’s very useful to try to make different rhymed jokes. Such comic expressions and poems are remembered for a long time, and subsequently for a long time passed from mouth to mouth.
7. Form a positive attitude towards life and all situations that occur. Try to minimize the negative, stop communicating with sad and depressed people. Thus, you will have constant reasons for joy, laughter and jokes.
8. Unleash your imagination and fantasies. Sometimes in the subconscious of a person the most ridiculous and fervent jokes are formed that cannot be invented on purpose in those cases if you concentrate as much on routine and daily tasks as possible.
9. React a joke to a joke. If your friend or any other close person said something funny in the process of your joint communication, try to respond with something as funny and continue the topic.
10. Carefully observe the reaction of others to your jokes. Adjust to it, strengthen and develop those trends that cause a positive response.

Thus, a sense of humor is a character trait that no person can live without in his life. It is very important to develop this personality trait from childhood. And even if your parents missed the moment and did not give him enough attention, you should not be upset.