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Question: Sense of humour, innate or "developed"!?
I was thinking about sense of humour this morning whilst out walking my puppy!.!.!. she does "silly" things which really make me laugh!. She picked up a huge pizza box and was trotting about with it hanging out her mouth! It was obscuring her vision and I have no idea how she could see where she was going! It made me laugh!.!.!. I then got to think about sense of humour!. I know we "Brits" tend to think Americans don't "get" irony!. Where does sense of humour come from!? Is it something we inherit!? Or something we learn!? I guess there is a big "cultural" aspect involved as its no longer "funny" or "politically correct" to make jokes about disabilities and race / ethnicity!. But what makes something seem humorous and funny to one person and not to another!? I have been told I have a "dark" sense of humour and know I use "irony" and jokes / self sarcasm as a bit of a defence mechanism!.!.!. but where does humour come from!? Does everyone have a sense of humour!? Do tribal people find things funny!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I think `sense of humour` is a very individual thing - tho of course - as proved by comedians, many of us do laugh at the same things - up to a point!.
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It is closley relied to irony and how we look at life!.
For instance, if you had spent years in a German concentration camp, reaching a point of near starvation - would your sense of humour be much different from someone who had never known real fear or want, and had lived a cossetted life!.!.!.someone like a princess for example!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
it is definitely the innate and genetic!. We have seen the most intellectual people , some time making the silly mistakes, and some idiotic people sometimes, initiate such actions , which is surprising to other intellectuals!. These qualities are embedded in the individuals and type is different according to race, culture,rituals, tradition, geographycal and demographical enviorments!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
why are you called fallen angel!?!?!?!?!? hmm!. Anyways!.
I bet your thinking i dont have a sense of humour right now!. Its just that im catholic so find your avator name slightly offensive!.
I think you can develop your own sense of humour over time by being exposed to different personalites!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Someone falling down in a very undignified way is always funny, unless that someone is you!. It takes some learning to see the humor in your own missteps!.
Love and blessings DonWww@QuestionHome@Com
I think it is innate cuz even babies know how to smile though its an primitive instinct but needs to be developed in society!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
in my opinion in some cases it can be innated, in others it must be developped!.!.!. but some people can't have sense of humor at allWww@QuestionHome@Com
The British have always had the ability to laugh at people less fortunate than ourselves!.
It is an innate gift that we have!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I believe that is developed and effected by the environment that we have grown up in!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Laughing at life is as natural as breathing!. No matter what culture you are in, people love to laugh!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I believe it's innate in human beings but as you say different kinds of sense of humour are cultural!. Do you think it may be a difficult question to answer precisely if no one can say what the nature of humour is in the first place!. (look into the philosophy of humour - very unfunny)!. By the same token, cats have no innate sense of humour, but I think it's possible some animals can have this, at least sometimes!.
It's a very interesting feature of being human, Perhaps it had room to evolve because of the comparative ease of our lives due to things like language and agriculture!. Perhaps it's of comparable importance to what we are as tool-making and language, and perhaps it is connected to our sense of morality, which most animals are also short on!. That makes sense to me!. Interesting question!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I think sense of humor develops in the same way as any other personality trait; that is, it is a product of our genes, our environment, and our experiences!. It's funny that you mentioned your puppy, because my puppy is the funniest thing I've ever come across!. Sometimes she's so ridiculous, I think to myself, "She had to have known what she was doing just then!" But I know realistically she's just a natural goofball!.
I'm not sure off of what you could even base your assumption that Americans don't get irony!. America's a pretty big and diverse place, you know!? I'd say that generalization has as much merit as the American assumption that Brits have atrocious oral hygiene!. So take that as you will!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I think these primate videos express that humor is something that develops wtih our evolution!.!.!.
http://www!.youtube!.com/ watch!?v=t4aPGtx7e6k
http://www!.youtube!.com/ watch!?v=sshbHTDSwCk
Perhaps a link as to how we developed the wits to domesticate so many of our bigger, stronger quadropedic ancestors once we developed opposable thumbs and mental dexterity that replaced the prehensile nature of these "prankster" monkeys!.
This could suggest that the first Neanderthals and Cro-magnons entertained themselves in a similar way!.!. only later with linguistic antectdotes as vocal modulation continued to develop!. I have a cat, and it's quite clear that this little beast understands what's funny and what's not!. If you emulate the meow she makes she'll mock you back, but if you do it wrong, she'll bat you in the face!. She also gets self conscious when you laugh at her antics while she's playing!.!.becuase killing toys is serious freakin' business!.
As for Americans "not getting Irony"!.!.It's because collectively, we are only on the verge of sharing Europe's sense of loss when it comes to Empire building!. Give Americans about 50 more years and they'll be just as cynical and guilt-ridden as Europe!. Most Americans are not yet well-rounded enough to question what's going on in the world and how our actions have accelerated it!. That's always something that's done after the dust settles!. With perhaps a few exceptions!.!.!.!.
http://www!.youtube!.com/ watch!?v=XWVrec9pT_g
Americans are also afraid to question authority, which is PROFOUNDLY ironic considering how this nation began!. I think the core of humor in the human sense can be quantified by how the people of a nation are poised to questioning their own leaders, and how the respective leaders are at accepting that being a public figure opens them up for ridicule!.!. and taking it with grace!. We simply don't have that in America!. Even Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" is called a seditionist by the hard-curmudgenly side of our own media!. Marcus Brigstocke would probably have been sent to Guantanamo by now!.
That should be the difference!. If you feel free to express yourself, then you will likely develop a sense of humor on the cultural level!.Www@QuestionHome@Com