don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Always look on the light side of life. Scholars have said as much for centuries. Humor can be artfully applied to nearly all situations. If you doubt this, consider something as profoundly unfunny as the Holocaust! A scholarly paper ("Humor in the Holocaust: Its Critical, Cohesive, and Coping Functions") by John Morreall provides specific instances of humor's comforting grace even during times of unimaginable horror. Morreall suggests that Western culture generally shies from tempering tragedy with humor in favor of restricting mirth to matters light in nature. Morreall reminds us that, "the ancient Greeks, Shakespeare, and other dramatists took their comedy more seriously. They realized that comedy is not a 'time out' from the real world; rather it provides another perspective on that world." Just so, it seems to me.

Conrad Hyers said comedy expresses "a stubborn refusal to give tragedy...the final say." In fact, humor is akin to religion in the sense that it is a diversionary tactic helping mankind deal with tragedy and evil -- and thereby ward off despair, for a little while. Once rational faculties set in again, despair returns as the only logical choice -- until more humor (or piety) can be invented.

For Shakespeare, unlike the politically correct of our time, no subject was off-limits, not even the gods. I should say, "particularly" not the gods. What's more, Mark Twain (shown above in a portrait from a Vanity Fair cover) demonstrated that comedy was too important to be confined to the frivolous. It was Twain who wrote, "The secret source of humor itself is not joy but sorrow." (The Mysterious Stranger)

Humor relies on surprise, juxtaposition and incongruity. A humorous thread goes along one track and suddenly, at the punch line, ends in another. Our train of thought leaves the track and, if the jolt is enjoyable, a laugh or smile ensues. Morreall shows that "Holocaust humor" served three main functions: 

1. 1. The critical function: It focused attention on what was wrong and sparked resistance to it.
   
3. 2. The cohesive function: It created solidarity in those laughing together at the oppressors.
   
   
4. 3. The coping function: It helped the oppressed get through their suffering without going insane.

So, next time you start to feel sorry for yourself or otherwise get a little bummed or stressed, seek refuge with a natural chemical fix (in other words, a seratonin brain surge) by finding a way to humor yourself. If Viktor Frankl and other residents of Holocaust concentration camps could do it, you should be able to manage the feat. David Nathan, author of The Laughtermakers, viewed laughter as part of the human survival kit.

A condition somewhat less dramatic but more universal than the Holocaust, for which humor provides a momentary escape valve of sorts, is aging. This "condition" humor can't cure but a good sense of humor does offer many effective short-term treatments. Humor is a lot less expensive and/or invasive than some of the other "cures," such as face lifts, breast implants, flashy sports cars, younger lovers, training for and participating in triathlons and hormone injections.

For a delightful overview on the dynamics and social consequences of satirical humor, visit Richard Dawkins website. Look around, then click on the January 7, 2007 link to Channel 4's production about the making of the Monty Python movie, The Life of Brian. The video has clips of the movie and interviews with persons involved in the controversies surrounding the movie before and after its release. There is much to be learned in all this about the role of humor relative to freedom of speech.

At the end of the documentary, Terry Gilliam observes, "Comedy is not particularly difficult. You can get laughs doing any number of things, but to get laughs at an intelligent level about an important subject, oooh, that's good."

I'm guessing you would agree.

(Note: An earlier version of this essay, Overview: Humor -- Take Lightly That Which Isn't Funny!appeared at this site on February 14, 2003. )

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MEANING DOMAIN under the skill area of humor. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

 Send e-mail to Don Ardell