“I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised.” This is what we call the ‘Incongruity Theory Of Humour’. Why? Well, because humor thrives on the unexpected - the moment when reality sharply diverges from our expectations [1]. Basically, if you’re expecting something to happen, but then instead something totally unexpected and different occurs. That unexpected twist is what makes you laugh!
Additionally, the Incongruity Resolution Theory is like the yin to the yang of the Incongruity Theory of Humour. It’s akin to solving a puzzle. When you discover why something unexpectedly tickles your funny bone, it's like finding the missing piece that ties everything together. This theory frequently explains written jokes, with a setup (the unexpected element) followed by a punchline (the resolution). If we return to the earlier joke, its humor hinges on the unexpected combination of drawing eyebrows and showing surprise. The resolution is found in a pun, where the wife’s reaction mirrors the actions described, leading to a humorous twist [2].
Have you ever wondered whether there were actually different types of laughing? Well, now you’ll know! In the mid 19th century, Wilson and Gervais applied the concept of group selection to two different types of human laughter. Duchenne laughter, characterized by genuine joy, is spontaneous, involuntary and often seen in the smiles of children or during playful moments like tickling. On the other hand, non-Duchenne laughter is a deliberate and less emotionally driven imitation of spontaneous laughter. It’s similar to laughing at a friend’s not-so-funny joke to avoid hurting their feelings. People use laughter as a voluntary social tool, casually smiling and laughing during everyday conversations, even when they’re not particularly humourous.
In fact, laughter likely originated from our primate ancestors, possibly with Duchenne laughter acting as “social glue” for bonding during relaxed times. Later on, as our ancestors became more intelligent and sociable, different types of laughter emerged for various social interactions. Laughter evolved to incorporate humor, including the emergence of non-Duchenne laughter. This could be sometimes used for less friendly purposes such as mockery. Picture it this way: Imagine teasing a friend about their fashion choice and everyone laughing along - this is what researchers call “proto-humor”, an early version of humor. This kind of laughter communicates that everything is alright, and everyone is at ease and feels secure. It’s like a signal conveying, “Hey, everything’s fine here!” [3].
Furthermore, humor now has its only formula too! Isn’t that insane? According to Professor Peter McGraw: “humor = tragedy + time or distance.” This formula suggests that laughter often arises when something tragic becomes amusing, but only after enough time has passed or emotional distance has been achieved. Known as the benign violation theory, this concept outlines three criterias for a situation to be funny: it involves a norm violation, such as breaking a rule, it must feel safe or acceptable in some regard and thirdly, both the rule-breaking and safety aspects must be perceived simultaneously. It’s like seeing something weird or wrong, but also knowing it’s not a big deal. For instance, slipping on a banana peel and getting a minor injury might provoke laughter from bystanders, but discussing the event immediately after wouldn’t be as funny. This emphasizes how humor often originated from unexpected or potentially negative experiences, despite ultimately serving a positive purpose [4].
Overall, humor serves as a universal tool for connection and enjoyment in human interactions. So, if you ever want to laugh, laugh! Of course, in the right context though. Always take note, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” [5].
Bibliography
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?
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