Humor can take many forms, including practical jokes, teasing, insults and self-deprecation. It is a staple of humanity and plays an extremely important role in our psychology as we move throughout life’s stages. In fact, famed philosopher Immanuel Kant placed laughter alongside sleeping and hope as the most beneficial means of renewing the soul. It is commonly perceived as a beneficiary tool for healing and social interaction for everyone, but few have looked at the roles humor plays in the aging process. Meika Loe set out to examine this relationship in her book, Aging Our Way by utilizing several case studies of the elderly of various backgrounds. Loe has identified key case studies to support this hypothesis in Eddie, who uses humor to …show more content…
It allows elders to maintain their social ties within the community and maintain the all important sense of self that many elders lose after retirement. The following examples from the case studies of Eddie, Bill and Alice show how the use of humor allows them to give them a sense of social identity within the community and maintain social participation that is essential for a succesful aging process. Loe writes …show more content…
Bill utilizes his joke telling to ease the tensions surrounding his hearing loss, a common issue for the elderly. It allows him to remain a part of the conversation and maintain his position in social interactions, while deflecting from his physical deficiencies. Ann practices what Loe calls “painful self disclosure” by telling funny stories that happen in her personal life to talk about some of the experiences of discomfort and embarrassment in her personal life, and create a dialogue about them in a smoother, more digestible way. For example, she told a story where she was surprised that someone gave her his cell phone to make a call, and that someone the day before gave her bus fare so she could get home. She was most likely embarrassed from not having what she needed to get through her day two days in a row and certainly felt discomfort from receiving the help of strangers in the process. She dealt with the experience subconsciously by turning it into a funny story. She is using humor to expose her vulnerabilities as she ages and is increasingly unable to care for herself, but in a much smoother and easier to handle way. Both Bill and Ann utilize a sense of humor to address or deflect away from the various deficiencies they experience and as a result the vulnerabilities they
“The practical disengagement of humor…helps explain the opposition between amusement and negative emotions.” (530) There are three effects of humor; irresponsibility, blocking compassion, and promoting prejudice. Humor can take away what we are/should be doing in life and sometimes there isn’t anything wrong with that. Sometimes when we hear a hateful thing we just laugh it off as if it was no big deal when it really was. “An
This book is about so many things, it is hard to stay on one topic for any length of time. In order to focus on the laugh and laughing as a healing agent, I would like to look towards other influential writers and thinkers to tie together laughing and healing. First, let’s see what laughter is according to Meriam Webster: laughter- n. a cause of merriment. Using this simple definition, we can assume that laughter can come from any form of merriment or emotion like triumph, contempt, relief, and almost any other emotion there is. It is easy to picture in your head different underlying emotions in laughter; the sinister laughs of witches and ghosts, the insincere, fake laughs you hear after pointless, humorless attempts at jokes on the six o’clock news, to the silent laughs of mimes and clowns that fill the people around them with a happy feeling. These are all examples of what laughter is and how it is used. But why do we do it? What in nature created the laugh and made it so successful?
Various populations can benefit from the therapeutic use of humor, often it is used with either the exceptionally young or old populations, but the benefits of humor extend beyond age and gender limits. Commonly, it’s implemented in young populations with severe to mild physical or mental disabilities or with those experiencing serious and terminal illness (Saper, 1990). Humor is used as a method of coping with or coming to terms with life changing illnesses for both old an...
Examine fully the writers use of humour in The Opposite Sex by Laurie Lee This essay aims to examine the use of humour in Laurie Lee's short story 'The Opposite Sex'. It tells the story of a teenage boy who is led to his first sexual experience. As much of Laurie Lee's writing was autobiographical or loosely based upon his own life we may assume that this is the tale of Lee's first sexual encounter, yet there is no definite proof to support this argument. Lee was born in 1914 and raised in his birth-town of Slad, Gloucestershire where he later went on to set many of his novels, including 'The Opposite Sex'. His other works were set in countries in which he had spent a lot of time whilst travelling as a young man during and after the Second World War.
In conclusion, Merrill Markoe portrayed high comedy using witty humor along with situational irony in the short story “A Conversation With My Dogs”. She does this while also reaching the moral of the story, which is that with some people or animals you have to be super specific or else they won’t understand what you are trying to say. I have experienced this with some people, including my mom who is often focused on her work. The combination of witty humor and situational irony makes the audience
...y different reasons. Some people even laugh when something horrible occurs, it is a method of escape from what horrors or mishaps are going on around you. “Many psychotherapists find humor a valuable tool in helping their patients to solve their social and emotional problems.” (G. Samuel) Chief bromden was having many problems once he learned to laugh especially at him self he was mostly cured. He was considered a chronic but after Mcmuprhy showed him that he has the ability to laugh and coincide with a group he was some what cured. “jokes and commissions enable individuals to defend against anxieties, fear, anger, and other disturbing emotions.”(G. Samuel) This was true in the chief’s and Harding’s case. Both of them left the institution.
Aging is a sensitive topic for many, with ageism being incredibly prevalent, as it has such a negative connotation that is attached to it (Hooyman, Kawamoto, & Kiyak, 2015). What does it mean to age in society today, when the baby-boomer population is starting to reach their old-old age status? (Hooyman et al., 2015). In order to break down stereotypes and understand what exactly it means to age within our current day society, I interviewed a married couple of 29 years, whom wished to remain anonymous, regarding their views on aging. The gentleman is sixty-three years old, and his wife is in her fifties. She was not the main focus on my interview, the gentleman was, but his wife was able to chime in and provided me with her two-sense every once in a while.
Aging and old age for a long time presented as dominated by negative traits and states such as sickness, depression and isolation. The aging process is not simply senescence most people over the age of 65 are not Senile, bedridden, isolated, or suicidal (Aldwin & Levenson, 1994). This change in perspective led the investigation of the other side of the coin. Ageing is seen as health, maturity and personal Royal growth, self-acceptance, happiness, generatively, coping and acceptance of age-related constraints (Birren & Fisher, 1995). Psychological und...
In Duman's "Sweet, Sour, and Resentful," the author uses humour to address a rather taxing situation their mother has found herself in. With the daily need to cook, or plan, or head to the market, or answer phone calls, she is constantly focused on a secular task. She is not allowed a moments rest, because she cannot allow herself to slip up, and have her rice overcook once more, or anything to be a step less than perfect. The story uses humour to cover the hardship this woman is facing; that she must work herself to the bone because it is expected of her.
Humor has shown to be powerful for increasing resilience in dealing with unhappiness and also negative outcome. Humor can help as a strong distancing mechanism in coping with distress. Humor has been shown to improve the aging process in three areas. They are improving physical health, improving social communications, and helping to achieve a sense of pride in life. Studies have shown that constant humor in the aging process gives health benefits to individuals.Humor has shown to be powerful for increasing resilience in dealing with unhappiness and also negative outcome. Humor can help as a strong distancing mechanism in coping with distress. Humor has been shown to improve the aging process in three areas. They are improving physical health,
Richman, J. The lifesaving function of humor with the depressed and suicidal elderly. Gerontologist 35(2): 271 (1995).
3. Apte, Mahadev L. Humor and Laughter: An Anthropological Approach. Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP, 1985.
Never forget to laugh. "If you can laugh at it, you can survive it" (Cosby). Life is difficult for everyone. It is how people deal with these strives and struggle is what matters. Sometimes, the best way to get a break from the hardships of life is to simply laugh with friends and family. It’s a Balance process. Some people can be caught up in life’s problems and forget to laugh. Laughter is the mental medicine for life. Laughter supports the health of the body. Laughter can break up the quietness in a room. Laughter can change the room from black and white to a rainbow of colors. Laughter is a result of looking at something in a positive light. Is the glass half empty or half full? Whatever the circumstance, never underestimate the power of a good giggle. Never forget to laugh.
Some people use humor to hide from their real emotions. Using humor to help get through the difficult times is a lot different than using humor to hide from them.
If there is one way to bring a smile to someone’s face, it is laughter. Funny jokes, comical stunts, sarcasm- Every person is different when it comes to what makes them laugh. Some find dry humor comical. Others think sarcasm or joke-filled ranting are the best. ‘Comedy’ is such a broad term, broad enough to allow everyone to find something they find comical. In fact, ‘comedy’ includes a specific type of drama, one where the protagonist is joyful and happy endings are expected. Comedy is like a drug; it allows you to escape reality. When we say the word ‘comedy’ in the present, we are generally referring to a type of performance which provides humor. However, in its broadest sense, comedy has only one purpose: comedy makes people smile and