If we look around, we observe that humor is everywhere, for example. You laugh when you meet your family after a long gap. You laugh when you see a new-born. And, if all goes well, it will be one of the last things you do before you die. Try going through a day without so much as a chuckle, and you will find that it is downright impossible. And those chuckles occur much more frequently than other emotions like regret, pride, and shame.
Technically speaking, humor tends to provoke laughter and amusement. The term has derived from ancient Greek, humoral medicine. It explains the valance of fluids in the human body, known as humor, which controlled human health and emotions. Moreover, people from all age groups and cultures have responded to humor. Most people, who have the ability to experience humor-laugh/smile at jokes or puns are considered to have a sense of humor. Therefore, a person lacking a sense of humor might find the behavior as inexplicable, strange, or even irrational. So, let us read about the effects of humor on a life of an individual.
Psychological Effects
People typically want to achieve pleasure and avoid pain. Hence, this humor influences many of our daily decisions. The books, and magazines we read, the television shows and movies we watch, and the people we decide to talk to (or not). And because humor is a necessity in today’s scenario businesses are constantly creating funny advertisements. Like blockbuster funny comedy movies to overcome our daily stress and entertain us. Comedy pertains to our psychological health. Drains out stress from the mind. And, it also balances our emotions to deals with sudden odd situations, like, helping folks cope with stress and adversity. Humour even seems to help people grieve. It is believed a humorous person will cope up with the sudden death of a relative more effectively than one who lacks it. They may even feel the depression in future.
Physical Benefits
You most certainly cannot deny the fact how better you feel after a good laugh. Laughter – especially a hearty laugh – has been shown to benefit your circulation, lungs, and muscles (especially those around the belly area). It helps to relieve pain and reduces physical tension. Moreover, studies have shown that humor has helped to lower the blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. Also, the survival rate of people diagnosed with cancer becomes higher. According to scientists, laughter and humor do not benefit people only because of the act of laughing. But, it happens as how it has the ability to connect people or the way it reflects a positive disposition. Thus, it helps people deal with pain and physical adversity. Hollywood even made a movie, Patch Adams, about the benefits of humor in clinical settings.
Social Benefits
Let us not forget its social benefits. Not surprisingly, funny people receive positive attention and admiration. Your ability to create and appreciate humor also influences who wants to date and befriend you. Most studies find humor to be a highly desirable attribute, which explains why the acronym GSOH (good sense of humor) finds its way into personal relationships, it is an excellent way to boost your creative power. Finally, it soothes a potentially awkward situation by cracking a joke about it.
Consistent with historical accounts of the use of humor as a weapon of subversion, researches being conducted finds that consumers can effectively use it to criticize brands. The release of Dave Carroll’s wildly popular, “United Breaks Guitars,” on YouTube coincided with a 10% decrease in United stock price and has since garnered ten million plus views.
In the Workplace
As the title suggests, humor is ubiquitous. The role of fun and laughter, in organizational life, consists of the sociological phenomenon. It has resulted in creating a sense of involvement among workers. Moreover, sharing the humor in the workplace not only offers relief from boredom but also builds relationships. It improves the companionship between the colleagues, which results in a positive effect. Apart from this, fun in the workplace also helps in relieving tension, therefore, it helps to deal with daily stresses, adversity, or other difficult situations. Laughter and fun at the workplace have proved to unleash creativity and boost morale. Therefore, fun at work will provide a greater sense of well-being and enhance energy, performance, and commitment in workers.
Conclusion
Finally, researching humor is important because it will help us understand why it does not always work. While successful humor leads to myriad benefits, failed humor can be downright destructive, from bruised egos and broken friendships to million-dollar marketing mistakes. If we can better figure out what makes things funny, we will end up far better equipped to handle it when we do not get the joke. However, if limited to positive emotions, humor will have a positive effect.
Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not. A sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is. -Horace Walpole
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