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We all know common phrases around laughter. With a healthy
dose of humor, we not only cope more easily with everyday life but also during
particularly difficult and challenging times. Especially when we have a
terrible day, private or job-related issues, or even health problems, humor
proves to be our knight in shining armor. It does not change our predicament
itself, but it does lower our stress levels and helps us see the world with
different eyes.
Humor from antiquity to the present
In ancient philosophy, humor received little attention and,
if anything, mostly negative. Plato, for example, criticized laughter as an
emotion that undermines our self-control and called for strict control of
everything comedic. The stoic Seneca, on the other hand, identified humor as a
vital element of serenity. He stated: "All things are cause for either
laughter or weeping", and concluded: "It is more fitting for a man to
laugh at life than to lament over it."
In the course of history, three main humor theories emerged:
The Superiority Theory traces back to Aristotle and claims that we laugh when
we feel superior. Cicero advocated the Incongruity Theory, which says we laugh
when something surprisingly causes us to change our perspective. Sigmund Freud
supported the Relief Theory: humor serves to dissolve psychological tensions
and to reveal suppressed desires.
In the recent past, the three theories have been unified in
one aspect; the focus is on relapsing into old, simpler behavior patterns. The
German locution "Humor ist, wenn man trotzdem lacht" (humor is when
you laugh anyway), describes another central aspect. Professor Gina Barreca,
for example, says that laughter "addresses the same issues as fear, not to
dismiss them, but to strengthen our ability to confront them."
What humor does to our brains
In order to better understand how humor can help us even in
the most challenging situations, it is worth taking a look at our inner life.
Jokes and humor in general play with our expectations. We see or hear something
and hypothesize how the situation will develop. The punch line of the joke
undermines, at best, our expectations and surprises us.
The outside of the left brainstem allows us to understand
the joke. If we get the punch line, the limbic system becomes active, i.e., the
area of the brain in which emotions are processed. The amygdala then signals us
that we are amused. Depending on the extent of the amusement, our brain's
control station for emotional outbursts forwards the signal to our vocal cords,
diaphragm, and facial muscles – and we laugh!
Laughter triggers further processes in our body: on the one
hand, it significantly lowers the level of the stress hormones cortisol and
adrenaline, and on the other hand, when we laugh, happiness hormones such as
endorphins and dopamine are released. With humor, we can handle stress better
and feel generally happier.
Studies prove: humor helps!
Numerous studies have confirmed the positive effect of humor
on our health and well-being. For example, a study published by the Norwegian
University of Science and Technology in 2010 shows that humor can prolong life.
Scientist Sven Svebak examined 500,000 Norwegians over several years and found
that the more humorous participants in the study were less likely to get sick
and that they had, on average, a 20 percent longer lifespan.
In 2014, the Robert Bosch Hospital in Stuttgart carried out
a study with cardiac patients. For seven weeks, the patients practiced reacting
to stressful situations with humor rather than negative emotions such as
aggression. During this time, they completed a stress questionnaire daily, and
their cortisol levels were measured. The results show that humor training
significantly reduced the patients' levels of stress.
The result of a three-part study on the influence of humor
on stressful life events with psychological consequences was published in the
Psychological and Social Psychology Bulletin in 2017. The first part examined
fibromyalgia patients who suffer from chronic pain, sleep disorders, and psychological
side effects. Students in general stressful situations were tested in the
second part, and in the third part, students dealing with the events around
9/11 were tested. All subjects were able to demonstrate that humor helped them
to better deal with the particular situation and to re-evaluate it. The study
participants also reported that they felt better supported by their fellow
human beings.
How medicine takes advantage of humor
To put it in a nutshell: humor lowers the stress level,
helps us to look at stressful situations from a different perspective, and
strengthens social interaction. It is good for our immune system, our memory,
and makes us happy. Today, medicine also takes advantage of these positive
effects: Clown doctors make small hospital patients laugh, and depressed
patients can find their laughter again with humor training – for example, in
psychotherapy with German Prof. Barbara Wild.
Despite all the positive aspects, it is essential to
exercise caution and to use humor at the right moment – or, if necessary, to do
without it. If someone gets a bad diagnosis, a joke is out of place at first.
Schizophrenia, in turn, can rob the ability to understand jokes at all.
Sensitivity in dealing with humor is, therefore, essential!
Humor can also be negative
Not every form of humor has a positive effect on our
well-being. Research distinguishes between four types: connecting,
self-strengthening, aggressive, and self-defeating humor. The first two types
aim to amuse and reinforce one's surroundings and oneself – the latter two
serve to belittle and make fun of oneself or others. While these are hurtful
and negative, the first two types of humor can inspire us and help us deal with
everyday life and crises better.
Sometimes it helps to think that we are able to laugh at a
mishap once a certain periode of time has passed
In the situation of a mishap we should ask ourselves: Will I
be able to laugh at it in three months?
How to train your sense of humor
The good news for people, who sometimes feel like they might
have forgotten how to laugh: humor can be practiced. Especially as humor comes
in many ways. It does not always have to be roaring laughter, a little smile is
sometimes enough to brighten up a dark day.
The writer Mark Twain once said: "Humor is tragedy plus
time." This is a good advice to follow, because it often helps to change
your perspective and to find something funny. For example, you might ask
yourself: What is happening to me right now – will I be able to laugh about it
in three months? Another possibility is to imagine that a mishap does not
happen to us, but another person. Of course, this only applies to minor
mishaps, but if someone stumbles or slips on a banana peel, we laugh according
to the Superiority Theory out of sheer malicious joy.
Think about what you used to laugh about – and with whom!
Also, think about what you do not find funny. You probably remember jokes,
films, or situations that made you laugh. You can then integrate them back into
your everyday life: Maybe you have a favorite comedy that you haven't seen in a
long time, or you could read a few chapters from a particularly funny novel. On
social media, cat content is still king – so feel free to watch funny animal
videos if you like little furballs.
Last but not least: act as if! Neurological studies show
that smiling causes several chemical reactions in the brain. These cause the
happiness hormones serotonin and dopamine to be released and our mood to rise.
The more positive you are, the more likely you are to see the humor in things.
Fake it till you make it!
