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Often times when you read about the relationship between
humor and health the term "sense of humor" is thrown about
without much clarification. Many types of behavior or sensibilities can
be labeled as attributes of a "good" sense of humor. In his
book Laugh After Laugh, Dr. Raymond A Moody describes six different
meanings of the term. Starting with the most "egocentric" through
the most "universalistic" meaning of the phrase we see that
some senses of humor may be more beneficial to our health than others.
Excerpts from Laugh After Laugh:
1. The "He-Realizes-How-Funny-I-Am" Sense.
I may mean, by saying that another person has a good sense
of humor, little or nothing more than I can easily get him to laugh whenever
I want him to. Although this may be quite flattering to my ego, it is of rather
minimal interest in considering the medical aspects of humor and laughter.
2. The Conventional Sense
By imputing a good sense of humor to someone else, I may mean that he laughs,
not necessarily at me, but, rather, at the same kinds of things (jokes,
movies, cartoons, etc.) that I appreciate as being funny. Or, more universally
still, I may mean that he laughs, fairly easily, at the same kinds of
things that other people who are members of his sub-culture, society,
or culture find amusing and laughable...this sense has a bit more relevance
for the topic of medicine and humor, especially when one is considering
the use of aberrations of laughter and humor in diagnosing illnesses
of one kind or another.
3. The "Life-of-the-Party" Sense
I may also mean, by saying that a person has a good sense of humor, that the
person has an excellent repertoire of good jokes, that he has memorized a large
number of funny stories, and that he is skilled at repeating them for the amusement
of others. In this sense, I mean that he is able to make others, including
me, laugh at his stories and/or antics.
4. The Creative Sense
A person who has a "good sense of humor" in
the creative sense is one whose creativity manifests itself in the
production of new, original humorous remarks, stories, jokes, plays,
etc. Professional writers of jokes and other humorous material display
this talent to a more conspicuous degree than most of their fellow
human beings, but people with such talent are obviously found in all
walks of life.
5. The "Good Sport" Sense
In this sense of the phrase, a person with a good
sense of humor is one who can, we say, "take a joke", or "laugh
at himself", or "enjoy a joke at his own expense." In
a way, what one is saying when one makes such a remark about another
person is more a statement about something he doesn't do; namely he
doesn't blow up into a rage, pout and fume, or become overtly defensive
or hostile when someone else "kids" him.
6. The "Cosmic Perspective" Sense
Finally, there is another, still broader meaning
of the phrase, and one which I think is ultimately the most relevant
when we come to consider the explanation of whatever "health-giving" value
there might be in mirth. In this sense, a person with "a good
sense of humor" is one who can see himself and others in the world
in a somewhat distant and detached way. He views life from an altered
perspective in which he can laugh at, yet remain in contact with and
emotionally involved with people and events in a positive way. Such
a person has the ability to perceive life comically without thereby
losing any love or respect for himself or for humanity in general.
Through Dr. Moody's spectrum of "a good
sense of humor" we can see how some of our most famous comics could
fall prey to depression, even while possessing, in one sense, a good sense
of humor. The ability to tell a good joke or make-up a funny story does not
necessarily mean one is able to see the world from a broad perspective. In
addition, we can see how some of us are able live healthy, happy lives full
of good humor while not possessing a bag of jokes or the gift of humorous
gab.
With what Dr. Moody describes as a "cosmic perspective" sense of
humor, we can improve our mood, our response to stress, our immune system,
or perception of pain, and much more.
For further information on the healing power of humor and laughter please visit http://www.myhyena.com/hh for more humor and health articles and links.
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References:
Laugh After Laugh: The Healing Power of Humor - Dr. Raymond A. Moody, Jr., M.D.
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