All about a sense of humor

Psychology is one of the most popular and interesting sciences. She studies all the details of the human personality. So, one of the most interesting and controversial is such a characteristic as a sense of humor. A sense of humor is a character trait that every person should have. Today in our article we will take a closer look at what it is, what types of sense of humor are, and whether it can be developed in oneself.

A sense of humor is a psychological trait of a person's character. Its external manifestation lies in the fact that a person is able to see and notice the features of the world around him and perceive them from an unexpected and often comic point of view. The ability to joke is highly valued in social circles, so a person with a sense of humor usually becomes the life of the party.

A large number of scientists (both practitioners and theorists) are studying the sense of humor. In this regard, there are a large number of conflicting opinions about this phenomenon.

It is believed that humor and jokes are a way to defuse the situation, relieve nervous tension, relax and cheer up. At the same time, the intellectual level of jokes indicates the level of development of society. For example, such primitive things as footboards indicate a low development of society and vice versa - jokes with a lot of meanings and references are characteristic of erudite people. Thus, we can conclude that the quality of humor is influenced by a large number of both personal and social factors (for example, educational level, social situation in the group, community, country, etc.).

A person who has a developed sense of humor is emotionally stable and correctly perceives all social signals... It is important to note the fact that this psychological characteristic is inherent only in people, no other living organisms living on planet Earth have a sense of humor.

In some cases, humor can play such an important role as psychological protection. With the help of jokes, a person hides his pain, goes through difficult life situations. Scientists also note that, despite the fact that the sense of humor is a universal phenomenon, it can also have a highly specialized meaning. So, a group sense of humor and specific jokes are characteristic for different categories of people, for example, for women, children, representatives of one social stratum or one profession, etc.

According to the provisions of psychology, a sense of humor is a personality trait that begins to form in early childhood. It largely depends on the external environment of the person. Therefore, parents should pay their attention to who their child communicates with, as well as to what social groups he or she moves in on a daily basis.

This indicator is important in the sense that without a correct and timely formed sense of humor, it will be very difficult for a person in later life. Thus, in addition to the general education and development of such qualities as tolerance, kindness, sincerity, openness, sociability, attention should be paid to the development of a sense of humor. At the same time, the sense of humor is not in a stable state, it can develop and improve throughout a person's life. In addition, it can change qualitatively, in nature and direction.

As mentioned above, a developed sense of humor is a sign of high intelligence, which is inherent in both sexes (both women and men). It has an important function in the life of every person and helps to cope with many life situations. Consider a few of the key roles that humor plays in modern society.

1. First of all, it is necessary to note the great social significance of this psychological characteristic. A person with a developed sense of humor will be able to quickly and easily integrate into almost any company. At the same time, with the help of jokes, quarrels and conflicts can be avoided, interpersonal tension can be reduced to nothing.
2. Humor helps a person to look at their problems from the outside, to relate to them more easily. Accordingly, this character trait helps to experience various negative situations in life (for example, being fired from work or parting with a loved one), which otherwise could lead to various psychological disorders.
3. A sense of humor helps a person express their feelings in an easier way. For example, this concerns aggression.
4. Jokes help create a sense of cohesion in any social group. (whether it's a group of friends or a work team).

A sense of humor is an individual characteristic, so it may differ from person to person. It can be sparkling, subtle, hypertrophied, perverse, sardonic, etc. In addition, it is widely believed that the sense of humor differs significantly between men and women. Consider several types and types of sense of humor.

• Affiliate... This type is one of the most widespread and traditional.People who have developed a good subtle sense of humor like to constantly joke and tell jokes. At the same time, they are positively disposed towards others and in no way try to offend them. The affiliate type is used to create a strong and wide social circle, it helps to establish good relationships with people around. If we talk about the type of people who are characterized by this type of humor, then they differ in such personal characteristics as kindness, emotional stability, a harmonious relationship with oneself, sociability.
• Self-destructive... This kind is considered peculiar, specific, and in a certain sense it can be self-destructive. Such a sense of humor is not inherent in everyone, respectively, not every person will positively perceive such jokes. People with a self-destructive sense of humor love to make fun of their flaws. It is believed that this type is typical for those people who like to perform in public (for example, for comedians and stand-up artists). The nature of such personalities is quite difficult, they are prone to depression and neuroses, they are not confident in themselves.
• Optimistic... Already by the name of this type, one can understand that such a sense of humor is characteristic of positive people. They always try to find positive moments (even in the most difficult and critical situations), and therefore their sense of humor is often approved by the majority of others. The main task of the jokes of such people is the formation of a great mood and the fight against stressful and conflict situations.
• Aggressive... This kind of sense of humor is often referred to as black. He can be perceived negatively by the people around him, since the joker purposefully ridicules their shortcomings (criticizes others in a kind of comic form). A characteristic feature of black humor is the presence of a high level of sarcasm. Most often, this kind of humor is typical for males.

A person who is deprived of such an important personality trait as a sense of humor experiences great difficulties in terms of his social behavior. Its absence can lead to the fact that it will be difficult for a person to form friendships and romantic relationships, as well as any other contacts with people.

Often such people are very touchy, they lack such an important trait as self-irony. Accordingly, they are very hard to live and adapt in society. Most often, such people feel very lonely, they do not have close friends.

It is important to note that having a sense of humor is a constant characteristic.... It cannot happen that it disappears (however, psychologists report on rare exceptions associated with severe mental or psychological trauma).

As mentioned above, a sense of humor is a quality that is formed and develops in a person's character from childhood. However, if you are unhappy with the level of your jokes and do not know what to do to "raise" them to a higher level, then you should follow the advice of experts.

Humor is a personality trait that can contribute to success in life. That is why people strive to constantly develop and improve it. To begin with, it should be noted that this characteristic is not inherited, respectively, if you do not possess it, then you cannot blame your parents or distant ancestors. A sense of humor is formed in the process of education and for the most part depends on the social environment in which a person spends most of his time.

If you have already reached adulthood, but are still not happy with the quality of your jokes, then first of all you should you need to start developing your communicative properties. The point is that humor is a reflection of the interaction between you and your immediate environment. The more you communicate with those people who are interesting to you, the faster your sense of humor will develop and improve. It is important to pay attention to yourself and your behavior. You must be in harmony with yourself. At the same time, one should develop such a character trait as the ability to laugh at oneself.

Notice your comic actions and thoughts.... Try to look at yourself and your behavior from a new, previously unexplored angle. Thus, you will train such an important quality of your character as self-irony. Try to notice funny and comic moments in everyday events, in your daily behavior. Look for the creative side of everyday behavior.

In addition, the person who wants to enhance and develop their sense of humor, must constantly develop and improve himself: read books, attend educational events (lectures, seminars, conferences, master classes, etc.). It is also important to build up your vocabulary.

A broad mind is the foundation of quality jokes. Do not forget that humor is a positive phenomenon that should contain only goodness and optimism. In no case should it cause external negative phenomena. Thus, in order for your humorous attempts not to harm others, you must develop such qualities as tolerance, sensitivity and tolerance.

Experts point out that to develop a sense of humor, you must do the appropriate exercises.

1. One of the most common exercises is using associations. Learn to see in things that at first glance are incompatible, something in common and distinguish them from everything else. In addition to associations, you can also use other artistic techniques (for example, comparisons, epithets, metaphors).
2. Don't be afraid to say absurd things out loud. A phrase or word that seemed silly at first glance can become a real comic hit in your company.
3. Try to come up with both highly specialized and universal jokes. The former will work for your closest friends with whom you share common interests (for example, joke about your favorite films using references to such films), while the latter will be well received in other cases.
4. Use hyperbole (exaggeration) to create jokes. If you attach great importance to situations or perceive what is happening in an exaggerated way, then you will learn to make impromptu jokes that will fit a particular life situation.
5. Rearrange words in established and stable expressions. In addition, you can use words that are close in meaning instead of those that were originally implied.
6. Trying to make up various rhymed jokes is very helpful for developing a sense of humor.... Such comic expressions and poems are remembered for a long time, and then passed from mouth to mouth for a long time.
7. Form a positive attitude towards life and all situations that occur. Try to minimize negativity, stop communicating with sad and depressed people. Thus, you will have constant reasons for joy, laughter and jokes.
8. Let your imagination and fantasy run wild. Sometimes the funniest and most fervent jokes are formed in the subconscious of a person, which cannot be thought up on purpose if you concentrate as much as possible on your routine and daily tasks.
9. React with a joke for a joke. If your friend or any other close person said something funny in the process of your joint communication, try to respond with something equally funny and continue the topic.
10. Pay close attention to the reactions of others to your jokes. Adapt to it, reinforce and develop those tendencies that cause a positive response.

Thus, a sense of humor is such a character trait that no person can do without in his life. It is very important to develop this personality trait from childhood. And even if your parents missed the moment and did not give it enough attention, you should not be upset.