Definition of

Humor

Woman laughing

Humor presents reality by highlighting the laughable, hilarious or absurd side of things.

Humor is called the way of commenting on or showing reality that highlights the laughable , hilarious or absurd side of things . Humor can be understood as a philosophy of life that aims to make existence more bearable.

Catharsis

Humor contributes to catharsis . In a violent and aggressive world, laughter appears as a balm that helps face problems with more energy and a better disposition.

It is important to indicate that humor is born from an exclusively human faculty. Humor is social and emerged as part of the evolution of the species: through laughter anxiety is reduced, stress is combated, conflicts are dissolved and bonds are forged.

As you can see, humor is both a posture towards reality and a form of entertainment . In the best of cases, humor aims at well-being and increasing happiness , although there are jokes or phrases that can hurt the sensitivity of some people and cause just the opposite.

Comedian activity

The professional activity of comedians is also called humorism. These people resort to imitations, jokes and other tools to make the audience have fun . It is a work present throughout the world.

The elements of humor are potentially infinite, as they emerge every day based on the comedian's historical context. Furthermore, humor's search for laughter can be developed in multiple ways: what is considered funny depends on the culture but also on each person's subjectivity .

The barriers to humor are also contextual: there are topics that are recommended not to be touched on, jokes that are considered in bad taste, but these rules are not followed in all sectors of society, and they can change over time.

Types of humor

Among the best-known types of humor are white , black , political , absurd , and self-deprecating . White humor , for example, is naive and is usually characterized by gestures and physicality. In some ways, it can be said that "it doesn't hurt anyone," since it doesn't touch on any sensitive topics , such as religion, racism, politics or social problems. This form of humor can be consumed safely by people of all ages.

Black humor , on the other hand, satirizes issues that, in other contexts, would cause anguish or fear. Topics such as death and illness are often found in his repertoire , so his jokes are not suitable for everyone. Political humor is very popular among adults, since it helps them channel the anguish caused by the bad decisions of their rulers. It can be very necessary to relieve stress in the midst of a crisis.

Man making a funny pout

Humor can serve to create catharsis and combat stress.

Absurd humor , on the other hand, is very popular in certain parts of the world, such as the United Kingdom, and consists of presenting hilarious situations that could never occur in reality or that would cause deep embarrassment to their protagonists. This kind of humor generates laughter from extreme discomfort, because one would never want to live the stories it tells.

Regarding self-deprecating humor (which is also known as self-deprecating ), it is a form of humor in which a person makes negative comments or ridicule about themselves, often to relieve tension or to make others laugh. This is a common technique in comedy and social interaction, but it must be used carefully to avoid damaging self-esteem or self-confidence.