What is a SENSE OF HUMOR? Why do some people like jokes and goofiness and others don't?

Question

I'm asking this in philosophy, because I keep getting tautological answers in the more obvious categories. I need some lateral, creative thinking on this.

People are always shocked that I LOVE jokes, hearing them, telling them. I love to be silly, goofy, but I'm also very SERIOUS.

Why is this seen as a CONTRADICTION? I am really, really curious.

(It almost seems that culturally people separate themselves, as if -- well you tell me.... )

Can I tell you something?
Mel Brooks once said to me, "A guy slipping on a banana is not funny. A guy slipping on a banana, sliding down an oily road, banging into a truck, landing in a lake, washed into a river, hurled along with the current, is funny."

Penfold, you're back! (lol)
And someone gave you a thumbs down.
This is perfect.
They didn't see you were being funny! That is a hilarious answer....

AmerPilot: You're right. Did you know this statistic?
90% of those who send emails believe the TONE of the email is understood.
50% of those who read those emails understood the TONE. Good one, no?

PsyEngine....TIMING, of course! Why have we not mentioned that, or did I miss it? TIMING. And "serious" people often have a very different RHYTHM, altogether. Hmmmmm.

This is fun, everyone!

Lavadog! American Pariot is right.
The same thing happened to you as happened to Penfold. Someone didn't GET you were making a JOKE! I hate those thumbs down. It really shows to go you....

Answer 1

Some people are born with a big hole inside--one which, they can never fill. It is in this empitiness that they dwell. Intrusive about their behavior; they live in houses, which by and large have no mirrors. The result is, that they cannot see themselves. They question how come others cannot see the value of Lord Voldemort? Why are these people--they ask themselves, always laughing? What do they find so funny? They just don't get it. Most of them never will, because they are essentially angry at the world for being born and never being able--no matter how hard they try, to fill that big empty hole inside themselves. Of course I could be wrong, Des. I often wonder myself. Then I think of how absurd I am to ever take myself seriously and crack up on my self. Sometimes I'm driving when I think about it. And I laugh so hard I have to pull over. I can't help iit. i crack myself up.

Answer 2

Two main reasons for humor. One is to create an ackward situation or incongruent statement and then to resolve in an unexpected way. Such as the joke whyd the chicken cross teh road, to get to the other side. (establish something normal) Why did the rooster cross the road? (An incongruency? To get to the other side as well?) Because his thing was stuck in the chicken (The humurous resolve)

Other times jokes are a way of demeaning the status of others. It's a revolution tool or an assault on the status of another, what's the king to do if all the people are laughing? The story of the emperor's clothes. For instance this old joke would not be funny to lawyers. What do you cause a thousand lawyers at the bottom of the sea? A good start! (pa-dum tish) Likewise bosses and rich people might not laugh at many jokes since they are always aware of the status they need to maintain to successful.

Friends often use laughter as a way of saying, "we are on the same level, not one of us is master or slave". Laughter means equality amongst friends. When you laugh with your friends, most likely you are not laughing at "jokes" but stupid stuff to an observer. It's the same person of demeaning the status of another, except you laugh at each other. It's a helpful tool in this case of putting each other on the same status level.

Answer 3

The timing, WHEN it happens, not what is happening. The component of time in consciousness is very complicated to describe in a complete and organically integrated concept. Generally,in the form of a notion for the difference in that timing, is personal reference to what is happening, not a universal reference. Laughing is a positive respect to a personal anxiety when the content is given a new context to give unexpected other additional interpretation, and, frequently, it is a universally understood concern, if not a universally personal individual concern that is commonly or universally understood to be possible. Bad past experience with real immediate interpersonal failed attempts at humor are usually a reasonable kind of hypothesis, their hypothesized potential anxiety was realized. That is not a funny thing.

The Will is positive, the Judgment is negative.

Unfortunately humor with incompetency as its subject does not always go over very well with people who have long term experiences with unavoidable incompetency. Life is tough sometimes.

Answer 4

I'm the same and even if its a contradiction thats what makes people so much more complex and interesting!!!!
I like to hide certain parts of my nature from view then I sort of filter it out in a controlled manner. I think thats self control lol
If you are serious it means you are passionate about something
I don't think there actually is contradiction since good and evil need each other they are all part of the paint pallette in life that stains the eternal radiance of eternity. Being serious and having a good sense of humour allows you to have fun and be dedicated I think. I hope this makes sense because I write things and when I read them over again I THINK hmm that makes no sense at all lol
its fun to shock and intrigue people
cultural people are the best the arts, and being a socialite are the most important things in life. excuse my rubbish English I love english but im no good at it.
I hate sarcatic and dry humour
it always seems to have the biggest punch when it is somewhat bad and disrespectful towards others. Maybe we just love to rebel against moral constraint I know I do lol

Answer 5

Sense of humor...

Well, there are differing styles of humor. I , too, love a great joke, but I don't make room in my brain to store them, so I don't tell them. My humor shows on the fly, usually during a recount of something that happened at work. This is somehow relevant to my answer.

I think people with a lesser sense of humor take themselves and their world too seriously. I know this is the crackerbox answer that you lack desire for, but I will have to go with it.

The truth is, that by being so focused on themselves, they don't see the big picture and how different people are affected by an event. They tend not to see irony in things while I believe that irony is the raw base of humor.

Ironic events are the very things that make you watch or reflect upon and think to yourself, "Now, THAT's funny"!

We all have that serious side. But there's humor even in that part of our lives. Most of us find that later. For example. Being set up for the perfect golf shot, then slicing it when the rest of your game has been great...that's funny, however, the fact that your ball is headed into a group of golfers is absolutely not funny.

You don't see or hear about anybody looking for a partner who is lacking a sense of humor.

Humor and your ability to identify it is a desireable quality. There are times to keep your game face on and there are times to let it fly. There is no contradiction in a person's personality.

You see the big picture. Don't let your peers try to take that away from you or feel guilty for it.

Answer 6

Well, there are lots of people in the world and lots of different personality types. What one person finds funny another may not and so forth.

Why some people cannot reconcile seriousness with playfulness is that they may only see one aspect of you and form a notion in their heads as to the kind of person you are. We all do this as a way of organizing the world around us. We think, ok, he's a jokester, she's bookish, he's a jerk, and so on. They unconsciously think you are that way all the time.

When we stop and get to know each other, we learn that everyone has different facets of their personalities and that well-adjusted people know when it's time to be serious and when levity is appropriate.

As far as the cultural aspect to you question, humor does have a cultural aspect to it, since it is a part of being a social creature. Since you interact most often with people like yourself, you tend to adopt their sensibilities, even about what is considered "funny." The type of humor that typically crosses over cultural bounds is physical or slapstick humor, since you don't need much or any cultural knowledge to appreciate a humorous physical scenario.

Racial humor is more of a way to express xenopobia and distinguish one race from another, or disparage them. It's a way of saying "you are not like me and I find our differences worthy of mockery."

Answer 7

A very interesting and difficult question. Humans seem to be the only species to appreciate humor as we understand it.

Humor needs a punch to work. I think humor is produced when a clash is created between expectation and what is presented to us. Absurd humor is perhaps the best example of this. But also, it is not a coincidence that a lot of humor is about taboo subjects, or about showing disrespect, or ridiculing society's most sacred idols.

Freud also had a similar view. He thought in humor, the id allowed itself to rejoice in things the superego would never condone. Because humor is make-believe, the superego lets it pass through, but there remains a certain tension which was released through laughter.

Another interesting quote I can think of is that of Pablo Neruda: Laughter is the language of the soul.

Answer 8

The best sense of humor doesn't come from the one who's making jokes,..but from the one who's able to absorb, understand, and laugh over them.
If a person responds dry over a joke, that only means he/ she doesn't have a good sense of humor. And if he responds with a snugging criticism over a simple joke, he is most probably...dead inside.
A person who laughs over his own joke even before the others do,..is hysteric in a sense. He doesn't really feel funny about his own joke so he laughs to repaint its faded glory.
I love jokes sooooo much. I may not laugh loud, but I'm all chuckily passing out inside.

Answer 9

I think people who have a sense of humor are more humane. Life is very often not to much to laugh about, so a joke can lighten it up. My experience is that most people react positively, however, I have also met people who are so bitter and sour with anything that they turn any person with humor off. These latter people make life an unpleasant matter.

Answer 10

Yes the water signs do have a sense of humor and they like joking just as much at the other elements do.