Why a sense of humor is an essential life skill

The three major approaches on what humor is and where it comes from:

• The relief theory claims that laughter and humor are a way to discharge psychic energy.
• The superiority theory points out why we laugh at other's bad luck; humor is here a way of affirming one's superiority over others.
• The incongruity theory states that humor appears when two contrasting ideas are blended; here the punchlines are often the result of an accidental, unexpected reversal.

• Reframing a negative event in an amusing light doesn't allow the negativity to trigger a depressive episode.
• People who score highly in certain types of humor have better self-esteem, are more positive, have greater self-competency, more control over anxiety, and better performance in social situations.
• Laughter can boost cardiovascular health and lower heart rates, blood pressure, and muscular tension.