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For Henri Bergson, laughter is what keeps us elastic and free
Comic captures a lack of adaptability
Social life requires a delicate adjustment of the will and a constant corresponding adaptation between members of a group.
In general, we laugh at people who are either too eccentric or too inflexible to allow for society to evolve and better itself. At the source of the comical are expressions that laughter seeks to correct.
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Key Ideas
The old Victorian picture style
If you have a look at Victorian pictures dating from the 19th century, you will soon enough realize that back then people did not really smile. The reason for this involves two elements:
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The picture called 'A playful smile' (mid-1850s)
This picture is one of the earliest proofs that Victorians could also smile in photos.
The model is a young lady who poses typically for the period, however, letting a smile be seen on her face.
The 'Giggling gent' picture (c1889)
The picture shows a family who is captured a bit earlier than expected, fact that allows us to see everybody's natural laughter. This is what used to be known as 'Gigglemug' or 'habitually smiling face'.
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What Humor Is
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.
Humor As A Life Skill
- 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.
Types Of Humor
Researchers described four types of humor:
- Affiliative humor: this is the humor designed to enhance social bonds.
- Self-enhancing humor: this is similar to having a humorous, playful view of life in general.
- Aggressive humor: it happens when we are mocking others.
- Self-defeating humor: this happens when we favor jokes that are self-deprecating.
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Laughter
It is generally considered a positive emotion and is a vital social, emotional and cognitive function. It is a communal activity that encourages bonding, reduces any possible conflict, and e...
Laughter is a Complex Emotion
The complex emotion of laughter has the power to override other emotions. The neurotransmitters (brain circuits) are controlling the facial muscles and vocal architecture, giving priority to positive emotions.
There are several brain pathways that contribute to laughter, like the regions of decision-making, behavior control, and our brains emotional circuitry.
The Underlying Neural Functions
Various studies and research have shed some light on the underlying neural functions of the brain features that result in laughter being expressed by the body.
Pseudobulbar Affect Syndrome is a condition involving an unsettling exhibition of laughter, characterized by frequent, involuntary and uncontrollable outbursts of laughing and crying. This Syndrome is due to a disconnect between the frontal pathways of the brainstem, which control emotional drives, and is associated with several disorders like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and stroke.