Is nastiness funny?
2006-09-21 10:00:45 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
Society is a rather competitive place. Not quite a zero-sum game, but still, when other go down, your relative position improves.
Which is why people instinctively get a good feeling about it. It's like a big queue and all of a sudden someone gets knocked off in fornt of you. You move one place forward.
Except the explicit expression of satisfaction (the laugh, as you put it) kind of negates the effect, because it has the effect of lowering yourself in the witnesses' eyes.
From purely evolutionary point of view, this should explain why people do it, and why it's counterproductive.
2006-09-21 10:16:42 · answer #1 · answered by petrovg 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are different reason. Just a few of those reasons are:
Nervousness and/or feelings of guilt one can relieve some of this tension by laughing which releases endorphins into the system.
Other people have different chemical reactions because they are participating in a system of stratification (read: stratification is one's position in society, priviledge, access to resources, mobility) when one moves up by pushing someone down they gain more of those things listed and then some, so they could feel more secure in their standing if they can secure a position above another person. It is a bit disgusting when it is laid out and analyzed in such a way... =(
2006-09-21 10:15:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, sometimes it's funny. Especially when the comment is witty or ironic. Why do some people get their feelings hurt all the time, instead of simply laughing at themselves? Lacking a sense of humor is a problem to no one else.
2006-09-21 10:14:17 · answer #3 · answered by Beardog 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Thank goodness everyone is not like that. They do it because they are insecure, cruel and shallow. No, nastiness is never funny. Remember those jerks might think they are cute being cruel, but they are really being busted socially by the others who observe them and know they are jerks. They only get attention from their fellow jerks. Think how nasty they are, that they are willling to hurt people's feelings. Take pride in the fact that you are not like them. They are ignorant people who feel like "somebody" by destroying somebody else.
2006-09-21 10:06:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Apparently. It's not only their feelings. When people get physically hurt people laugh harder. Look at the Success of the Jack*ss series.
2006-09-21 10:08:32 · answer #5 · answered by Answerer 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Some people laugh when they are nervous
if they hurt somone it may not be intentional and laugh to to hide there guilt
2006-09-21 10:26:13 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
They do this because they are secretly thanking God that it is not them. This also explains why we laugh when people fall over. You've been framed has been proving this for years.
2006-09-21 10:07:15 · answer #7 · answered by kowfeef 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No of course its not. Sometimes people dont realize or most of the time their pigheaded jerks who laugh because their lives suck. If that happens to you tell them to stop or just ignore them.
2006-09-21 10:52:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No - never. You should never laugh at others pain. Sadly many people do. I think it's a lack of intelligence or maturity.
2006-09-21 10:10:45 · answer #9 · answered by helen p 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No, nastiness is not funny, stand up for yourself, or your friends.
2006-09-21 10:02:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋