Tag: Humour

The Importance of Humour as A Form of Stress Relief

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Damilola Aliu (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

On the 20th of October 2020, in Lagos Nigeria, the police opened fire on peaceful protesters at the Lekki toll gate. Prior to this, protesters had taken to the streets of Lagos to protest against the rampant cases of police brutality perpetrated by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Young Nigerians were on the street for over two days calling on the government to disband the unit due to their excessive use of force and illegal conduct, which had led to the deaths and alleged disappearances of young men and women in Nigeria. The atmosphere of this protest was sad for obvious reasons; people who had lost a loved one at the hands of these officers came out to share their heartbreaking stories of what they had had to endure for months or years unending. 

By now, any onlookers know that stress isn’t foreign to Africans and Nigerians alike, so there were bound to be funny hot takes about the protest. So on one hand, while Twitter was abuzz with think pieces on the political implications of the #EndSARZ movement, there were also moments when someone would say something relating to the protest that was entirely out of line but mixed with the ‘Nigerian humour’ which was hilarious. There was a particular moment when someone was being interviewed at the protest and in the middle of discussing her opinion she said, “Buhari has been a bad boy.” President Muhammadu Buhari is the current president of Nigeria and was so also at the time of the protest, but something about a Gen Z calling the commander in chief of the federal republic a “bad boy” for not heeding to the request of the people set Twitter ablaze. It became a trending topic weeks after and it was all anyone could talk about besides the protest. 

Humour can be used as a coping mechanism, something we might use to avoid the things we need to confront but it can also be used as a healthy distraction. As was the case with the protest in Lagos. The trauma from watching people run from bullets got to me and even though I was not physically in Nigeria at the time of the protest I remember being so engrossed in the news that I was afraid to leave my house in Toronto because I thought I was in Nigeria. Another important thing humour does is it kickstarts creativity. There are a ton of Instagram pages that post memes tailored to Africans and anytime I feel stressed or when I’m faced with writer’s block I click on one of these pages and get a good laugh. After a while, I feel rejuvenated and inspired to continue writing. 

Humour plays a huge role in how we function as humans; not just in our ability to laugh at something that is and was intended as a joke but it is an important ability to find humour in one’s life even when things seem more negative. Take the pandemic, for instance, the fact that so many lives were affected so terribly is never going to be funny but on the other hand, people were literally hoarding toilet paper! The memes from that alone helped people feel more at ease, knowing that they were not alone and that we could all relate to each other’s struggles. Humour provides a sense of community based on our individual yet similar lives.  

 

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Leave your thoughts for Emily in the comments below — better yet, start up a dialogue with the Low Entropy community in person at a Conscious Connections meeting or online at our community site. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube to stay up-to-date with Low Entropy news!

 

Humour Therapy for Stress

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Grace Cheng (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

Humour has an inexplicable power. Laughter and humour enhance the quality of life. Jokes and witty conversations can help you develop a closer relationship with the people around you. The happiness that comes from laughter is comparable to the joy that comes from the rain in the desert. The key elements of jokes are that they force the audience to consider the same situation from different perspectives. 

 

Life is full of challenges but using humour and laughter to cope with stress can be a healthy and effective way to do so and can lift you from the darkest times. Indeed, we cannot always control what happens to us, but we can choose how we want to respond and react. We can use humour to effectively communicate with one another, leveling the playing field between the players on that field who may have different statuses, such as a boss and a direct report, or a child and a parent.

 

The use of humour can benefit our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. It gives us a sense of power and superiority to be able to laugh at our situation or problem. A good sense of humour can help promote optimism and a positive outlook. When we can laugh at what is troubling us, we are less likely to experience feelings of depression or helplessness. A sense of humour provides us with a perspective on our problems. The act of laughing serves to release uncomfortable feelings that, when repressed, may create a biochemical shift that is harmful to one’s health.

 

A life without humour would be analogous to an ocean without fish. When we are babies, our mothers encourage us to smile and laugh. Since these are the earliest and most effective forms of communication, we are capable of learning at this early age.

 

Humour may also serve as an adaptive ego defense by enabling people to perceive and appreciate the absurdity of situations in which they have to confront a great deal of difficulty. A sense of humor may function as both a defense mechanism and a means of dealing with adversity.

 

Let us look at the benefits of using humour in our lives.

  • Humour Can Improve Mood

 

Once you develop a good sense of humour, you become more lighthearted. As a result, you will see everything around you from a completely different perspective, and you will be able to laugh at problems that are enormous at the time but become the easiest things you have experienced. Laughter will undoubtedly improve any problem situation that appears not to be resolvable as soon as you change your approaches, attempt to seek out laughter, and relax following your chuckle.

  • Humour Benefits Physical Health

 

Humour has the potential to benefit physical health in many ways, including endorphins and relaxation. The health benefits of laughing include lower blood pressure, improved immune system, pain relief, stimulated lungs and an increase in heart rate. This all decreases the risk of heart attacks as well as the possibility of becoming constantly ill during the colder months. It is scientifically proven that humor will help you relax and benefit your health overall if you are constantly exhausted because you are stressed out.

  • Humour Relaxes Muscles and Tensions

 

When we are stressed, we tend to become tense and uncomfortable under the weight of the overwhelming burden. Your muscles will relax once you laugh, and any tension will be dissolved immediately. In the end, this leads to relaxation, which can provide relief from stressful days and prevent further health complications.

  • Humour Acts as a Distraction

 

Humour is a good way to distract yourself. Your attention is diverted for a time to the larger joke that is occurring or to the comedy occurring to someone else. Humour can distract you from your stress and anxiety for a short time by taking your attention off what is happening to you. By using this distraction regularly, you can use this resource in your toolbox to cope during those times of stress and anxiety.

  • Humour Changes Our Perspectives on Life

 

It is through the power of humor that we can view the world differently. Humour can make use of a little of one’s self-deprecation or mixes in some biting satire to make people laugh. It is simply crass slapstick humor that is in your face and blatant. Whatever the type of our humour, it can reframe our viewpoints and allow us to view our problems with a less all or nothing approach. When you reframe, re-author, or change the way you view your challenges, stress, anxiety and frustration disappear as you realize that they are not insurmountable.

  • Humour Acts as Pharmacology

 

Humour causes a chemical reaction that has a powerful antithesis to anxiety and stress. By releasing certain feel-good chemicals within the brain, laughter activates neuropeptides, which are nature’s antidepressants. Interestingly, laughter has also been linked to a reduction in the stress hormone called cortisol. Humour therefore possesses a powerful anti-stress and anti-anxiety effect on the neuro-molecular level.

 

Are you ready to apply more humour to your life after learning their benefits?

 

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Grace has an accounting and finance background. She enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, watching movies and playing sports.

Laughter is the Best Medicine: Possible Side Effects

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Christy Braybrook (she/her/hers], Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

We all struggle with issues that arise in our lives, whether related to family issues, mental health or financial concerns — the list could go on and on. What makes us different is how we cope with these issues, and not all coping strategies are healthy. People find ways to drown their troubles in alcohol, food or even codependent relationships. Although these options may help short-term, eventually these destructive tendencies cause more harm than good. Comparatively speaking, using humour as a coping method seems harmless compared to using alcohol or drugs. But is it healthy?

 

Looking on the positive side of things, who doesn’t feel like their best while having a good laugh with friends? There are studies linking humour and psychological well-being, creativity and productivity. Although these studies have a long way to go before they prove the benefits that humour and laughter have, it may be worth incorporating a bit of funny into our lives.

 

But there are two sides to every coin. When does humour as a defense mechanism become a problem? Is it self-deprecating humour? Are you laughing at yourself among friends good-heartedly and then crying alone in your bed at night? Sometimes the people in our lives that seem the happiest are going through a lot and are not nearly as happy as they appear. 

 

Personally, I love to laugh even at the saddest of times. When something negative happens to me, I like to look at whatever positives there are in the situation. Sometimes just reframing a situation can make all the difference. Maybe that person was not meant to be in your life, or losing a job meant you found an even better position.

 

So, like most questions in life, there is no right or wrong answer. Only a collection of different individuals with complex, unique perspectives. Below is a comparison of healthy and unhealthy uses of humour.

 

Humour as an Unhealthy Defence Mechanism:

  • Does your humour prevent you from opening up? Are you using it to deflect questions or refuse responsibility for your actions?
  • Is it humour or is it self-deprecation (meaning that your intention is to redirect negativity toward yourself)?
  • What is the context? Are you in a therapy session or talking with friends?

 

Humour as a Healthy Coping Strategy:

 

  • Laughter can have many benefits. It can lead to diffusing anger and allow someone to open up and discover things about themselves.
  • Are you using it to change the environment for the better? Is it benefitting not only others, but yourself as well?
  • People can increase their mood through humour, and positive thoughts can help fight stress.

 

Everyone must evaluate themselves whether using humour is helpful or causing more damage than it is worth. For me, I heavily rely on humour to cope with stressful situations, and listed below are some ways I use to bring humour into everyday life.

 

Tips for Using Humour to Cope

  • Put on a funny movie, watch a comedy YouTube channel or read an uplifting book. This can shift your mood and allow you to find the humour in your own situation.
  • Try to remove yourself from the situation and look at things from a different perspective. You’ll be surprised how your thinking may change
  • Turn to a trusted friend who can understand your situation. Laughing with someone can make us feel more connected and can be beneficial. 

 

Remember: start small and work your way up. For example, I spilled coffee all over my new car and myself. For a moment, I wanted to be angry, cry or perhaps even yell, but instead I started to laugh. Of course, this would happen on the day I was late and had a big presentation. Instead of feeling down and having it possibly affect my presentation, I got myself cleaned up and went about my day like it had never happened. 

 

At the time, even though it was a rather minor annoyance, it was difficult to laugh about it and move on. Now, when there is something that is a much bigger issue than spilling coffee, I use the same tactic to turn the situation around. If you are unsure what works for you, find some coping strategies and practice them! It could be humour, meditation, exercise and everything in between. The important thing is finding a healthy coping strategy that works for you!

 

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Leave your thoughts for Christy in the comments below — better yet, start up a dialogue with the Low Entropy community in person at a Conscious Connections meeting or online at our community site. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube to stay up-to-date with Low Entropy news!

Crying, Laughing and Joking Through Hard Times: What We do to Cope

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Cecilia Watt (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

“If we didn’t laugh, we’d cry” is a sentence that finds its way out of us, sometimes as an assertion, sometimes as a piece of sage advice, or most often, as an explanation. In an age where the United States’ children are banned from eating Kinder Surprise Eggs yet are sent to school with a high risk of being shot, where a pandemic reigns as a war on healthcare in all its forms is waged, where the Earth warms and the news out of other countries isn’t much better, you have to think of something to keep yourself from being completely consumed by hopelessness. Of course, add the turbulence of your personal life to that equation, and you find yourself at serious risk of death by despair. Unfortunately, in Canada, we live in a society that has not yet mastered the ability to let its members rest; productivity, movement and work remain pillars of society and measurements of character. While the self-care movement has grown exponentially, as has the awareness and services provided for mental health, there is much to be done. That leaves us with an array of coping mechanisms ranging from dangerously unhealthy to binging an entire season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians in one night (also arguably unhealthy). The American poet Walt Whitman once wrote of this desperation, “[t]he question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?” What good indeed, what good can we do for ourselves, for others, for the world, when it all feels so out of control?

 

So, what do you do? You can cry, sometimes silently, sometimes only a little; sometimes, you can howl, allowing yourself to expel your pain and be messy with it. Crying is necessary, but too much is exhausting for the spirit, so what next? You can laugh. You can find some semblance of joy in the irony so often found in terrible situations, giving yourself the gift of comfort and relief. Laughter and tears are two sides of the same coin; sisters separated at birth. While they are each associated with opposite emotions, one of the joys of growing up is learning that you can laugh and cry at almost any situation. In fact, laughter and tears are most effective when put together, at least in my humble opinion. To have humour during dark times is to embrace the awfulness you’re faced with rather than running away from it completely. Any expression of emotion, particularly when those emotions are expressed through laughter, is a victory over hard times, a personal act of rebellion in the name of survival.

 

Generation Z in particular has mastered the ability to joke about painful personal circumstances and worldwide events with the help of social media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter. Jokes about experiences of sexual assault, injury, death, racism, homophobia, illness and every other terrible thing you can think of are presented in a humorous context to the masses, often to be met with responses of similar humour, empathy, and discomfort. Discomfort is a tricky feeling, one that laughter can both create and cure. I have been on the giving and receiving ends of humour that could be classified as morbid, and there is discomfort in both. Trauma, fear and grief are all things that leave us in a state of perpetual discomfort; dark humour, humour that pokes holes in the stigma of such topics that go unspoken, gifts us release. While it may feel like that may come at the discomfort of others, moving the discomfort to others, to the public, isn’t always a bad thing. Especially if that discomfort causes others to stop, think and appreciate an experience that they themselves have not had before. 

 

Whitman answered his own question when he wrote: “[t]he powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.” As our choices, circumstances and accidents of life come together to write the play of our own lives, so is our verse contributing to the powerful play of life that has gone on long before us, and may go on long after us. I like to believe that each life, no matter how tragic, has had laughter in it; each verse has its comedic timing, palpable relief from another day of survival in the face of whatever horrible concoction the universe had had in store. You see, there may be no way out of the world burning, but there may be a way out of the despair that burns us already. Not everyone has the same amount of choices in life; certainly none of us chose this pandemic, or losing loved ones, or being targeted because of what we look like, who we are, who we love. Sometimes we can’t even choose how our bodies and souls react to difficult times, but on those better days, sit down, have a laugh, and add a few jokes to your verse.

 

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Cecilia Watt is a recent university graduate taking a few years off before grad school to focus on all the little joys in life, such as chai lattes, good books and listening to music while going for walks. 

Everyday Humor

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Fatimah Aderinto, Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

Have you ever brewed a good joke in your head and spilled it with the slightest hope that it would tickle your audience’s funny bone? While the intent of a joke should be to express humor and interact with other people, I note that one needs not be a comedian to be funny. Everyone can be funny. 

 

While science has a myriad of content to explain why some people are funnier than others, it seems obvious that we cannot all be funny at a professional level. Our brains are wired in unique ways that create fewer comedians than audiences. interpreting everyday scenarios in ways most people may not think of is a brain feat. We cannot all be stand-up-comedy-funny. Fine. For casual humor though, the mood still needs proper lighting before the action — that is, there needs to be an event driving the comedic momentum to its maximum. Rarely thinkable jokes are the ones that usually make the cut in both renowned stand-up comedy and social media memes, and the mistakes and activities in everyday events — those that we do not read much into — are what we see portrayed in media that charge us with laughter.

 

There has been a dramatic increase in meme culture in social media. Memes are the rising emblem of funny. Writing for The Atlantic, Olga Khazan suggests that a joke must be concocted with a deliberate “wicked twist” that showcases the joke-teller’s power to control the spectators’ comedic temperature — memes incorporate this phenomenon on a large scale. People share memes quickly and with no hassle, for others to regurgitate and archive them for later use. Here we can see that if something funny comes free, cheap and ready, people tend to seek more of it, rebranding what it means to be funny in a contemporary context.

 

Everyone can be funny because comedy is an art form that can be expressed through common experiences like grocery shopping, filling up your gas tank and paying for movie tickets. One need not be a comedian to know how to use analogies to quickly turn a conversation into a humorous exchange.

 

A person’ funniness can depend on their emotional perspective. In this alarming world filled with anxiety, pressure and loneliness, it can be difficult to find humor, but difficult emotions also afford us a rich cache of situations to mould into fun for others. With skill and intentionality, someone may be able to elevate a mere utterance into a funny joke. Then people can relish challenging moments and, laughing at a joke, offload the heavy emotions that come with them.

 

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Fatimah Aderinto is a biochemistry student and poet. She weaves words and emotions such that they tackle emerging societal concerns.

Dealing with Insensitivity in Comedy

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Pamela Musoke (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

What is inappropriate when it comes to comedy? I know this is a question that will stand the test of time. Even among my family, we continually debate about what we consider crossing the line. And sooner or later, it becomes heated! So before it escalates to a shouting match (my most recent one with my seven month old niece, LOL!), we all agree to disagree in order to keep the peace. If you ask the question to five different people, you will get five different answers. It is such a personal question and depends on who you are, what you believe in and how you view the world.

 

I have to admit that there are times when I react quite fiercely to insensitive jokes, or more accurately, jokes that I perceive as insensitive. What I am learning to do is ask myself why this is. I have realized that the way in which I react to certain things, topics or situations which are new to me allows me to learn more about a side of myself that I rarely tap into. I feel that I need to understand my reactions, and I go to my trusted tool that allows me to be free of judgment and ridicule, journaling for my eyes only! By doing this I can study my emotional landscape to try and affirm or deny whether my reaction seems reasonable or unreasonable. When a decision is made, just like any other right, I reserve mine to make my final judgment if I find the other person in the wrong. But does it change how I feel about the comedian? Let’s hold that thought for a moment.

 

The funny thing is (no pun intended) that I might have fallen right into their trap. For some comedians I follow, they are controversial because they want to provoke us into a conversation, especially among those who have the luxury of not thinking about social justice issues. And I am willing to listen, no matter how uncomfortable it makes me feel because it gives me a chance to see certain issues from their perspective. I can see where I have fallen short in my thought process in how I recognize prejudices and implicit biases that I harbour and most likely act upon but to be receptive depends on the kind of fan relationship I share with the comedian. 

 

To me, it is imperative that I have respect for the comedian who says it. I allow myself to sit in that discomfort because I trust the comedian’s intentions, i.e. to educate and bring awareness that I have failed to recognize living in my shoes. But, there are others who may tell insensitive jokes without much thought or reason; it often sounds unintelligent, distasteful, derogatory and much like bigotry. It comes from a place of greed, wanting that five minutes of fame, or maybe from desperation; to hang on to a career that was never meant for them or has been long over. It is up to you to learn how to discern the good from the bad apples, which usually means listening, sitting in that uncomfortable place to see how you feel about the off-handed joke, and how the comedian continues that train of thought. In a way, we are actually increasing our own emotional intelligence by doing so! Perhaps they do serve a purpose up to a point, but it also means we have to hold them accountable in a respectful way for the emotional pain they have caused through their callousness. I personally do not endorse “cancel culture”, but that is another controversial topic for another post!

 

This brings me to that question I mentioned earlier. Does it change how I feel about the comedian? And to maybe frustrate you one more time, it just depends. It comes down to intention as I mentioned earlier, and I may find myself listening to them less and less. The same goes for musicians and actors as I hold them to my own similar standards.  But if they realize the error of their ways, and find ways to mend what they have broken, I will give them another chance.

 

So, I have taken this post in a different direction that I hope you can appreciate. I did not want this to be a debate, but instead to focus on how sensitive jokes can help you grow emotionally. It gives you a chance to reflect on who you believe to be and take it from there!

 

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Pamela has a public health background. She enjoys reading, creative writing, and watching psychological thrillers and mysteries, with the occasional comedy.

Too Far Gone

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Eri Ikezawa (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

The sociopolitical landscape has changed rapidly in the past few decades, and it has impacted several different avenues of life as people used to know it. Representation in commercials and beauty standards is more prominent, microaggressions against people of color have become more easily recognized. Voices of dissent have gotten louder, reproachful of gender inequalities and sexist remarks, allowing women and other gender identities more freedom to express themselves. With this focus on social revolution, even the topography of humour has changed. 

 

Now, when people make jokes, they have begun to challenge and question, “What is going too far?” when making fun of someone. 

 

I think, first and foremost, it is important to understand people’s individual boundaries. Just as we have our own distinctive fingerprints and snowflakes arrange themselves into unique configurations, we are not one and the same. One person’s boundaries do not broadly reflect the collective — or, alternatively, the collective may not always reflect the opinions of a single individual. 

 

Secondly, we must recognize that we do not ultimately get to decide what someone else’s boundaries are — even if it is truly something you cannot see eye-to-eye on, you must respect and validate their feelings. We don’t have to understand why as long as, when push comes to shove, we respect the other person’s boundaries. The fact of the matter is no one person’s experiences will identically replicate the experiences of someone else.

 

For instance, some people may not mind making (or having people make) dark jokes about their convoluted family history, while others may feel distress at the mere mention of the characters involved in their traumatic past. There is no simple way to explain why one person might be more openly tolerant of grim humour while another might be hurt by it, but it inevitably comes down to a myriad of complex reasons internal to each individual. 

 

Thirdly, when we project our own personal boundaries and views on other people, there is the possibility of misjudging to the point where you appear as though you lack empathy: If it doesn’t bother me, why should it bother you? Just as how genetic expressions can occasionally produce a child with many of the recessive genes visibly intact, it does not mean that one deviation or outlier reflects the majority population. 

 

Therefore, we cannot ascertain someone else’s triggers and sore spots without knowing that person and understanding why they upset them. It is unfair to invalidate someone’s feelings simply because it’s not an experience we can personally empathize with.

 

While all these factors are relevant and important to consider in the modern landscape of acceptable humour and knowing when and how it is okay to make fun of someone, there are other significant variables at play. For example, how included are you in one’s social ingroup, whether it be race, gender or sexuality? Or how intimate is your relationship to another person?  

 

There is an interesting phenomenon in which people who are part of the same ingroup are more likely to be able to make collectively self-deprecating jokes in good fun, whereas the same jokes would not be appreciated by those who are considered to be from an “outgroup.” There is a conspicuous difference between using those jokes as a bonding mechanism of shared experiences with the members of the said ingroup, whereas it might feel disparaging or condescending from someone who has little to no personal experience with the subject matter at hand. 

 

For example, making jokes about the strict regulations I had as a child due to my Asian parentage is a common stereotype about our cultural heritage that my fellow ingroup members and I would often joke about lightly — and still continue to do to this day. It is a bonding experience, like two otters holding hands down the turbulent stream of human ordeals, latching onto companions who share common ground with us. But I cannot deny the defensiveness I felt, often accompanied by the aching sting left by the barbed quip of an outsider perspective on the same topic. 

 

They don’t get it, they don’t understand, so why is it so easy for them to make a joke about my childhood? Although I know, on a logical or rational level, it most likely wasn’t intended to be personal, for whatever unfathomable reason, it felt condescending — the edge of blade nestling into an aching sore, someone picking at a scabbing wound with dirty claws, peeling it off mindlessly and carelessly. 

 

I also think boundaries depend on the intimacy or lack thereof between two people — an inside or “dark” joke might be funny between childhood friends who have grown up together, but may be incredibly offensive coming from a stranger. 

 

Although I can’t personally relate too much to this, I have seen how my friends have been comfortable with snide remarks from people with whom they feel close kinship, whilst taking offense to people for whom they don’t have the same intimate regard. While the intentions of a joke can be deciphered easily enough by people whom you know well, the innocuousness of a wisecrack from a stranger can be lost in the sense of, Who are you to make that joke about me?

 

Having learned from my own experiences and opinions, I avoid jokes about people’s appearances (unless it can be modified in a minute, such as food in someone’s teeth, a flyaway hair, etc . . .), cultures, families or any other topics that may be sensitive — especially when I feel less closely intertwined with that person. 

 

Ultimately, the flexibility and terrain of anyone’s boundaries are dependent on each individual person’s encoded tolerance for what is labelled as acceptable or unacceptable to them. We have no right to undermine anyone else’s feelings on the matter. It is always better, in my opinion, to err on the side of caution when first meeting people and gauging their thresholds and sensitivities. 

 

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My name is Eri Ikezawa and I have an extended minor in psychology and a major in linguistics. I’m still on the path to quelling questions about myself and the direction I want to head in, but in the meantime, I have always wanted to find a way to help others and contribute to a community dedicated to personal development and self-love.

Dad Jokes — Why Are Bad Jokes So Bad but Also So Great?

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Graham Thurgood, Volunteer Content Writer

 

You don’t want to laugh at eye-roll inducing dad jokes, but you do. Why is that?

 

We’ve all done it when we’ve heard them.

 

The eye roll.

 

It’s a common reaction when someone tells a “dad joke.” 

 

Two guys walk into a bar. The third guy ducked.

 

Cue the eye roll. Maybe a knee-jerk “Oh my gawd,” or a quick “Pfft, good one” accompanies, but nevertheless, a smile, grin, guffaw or laugh escapes every time.

 

So why do we laugh at something that we find stupid, pointless and beneath our intelligence, and what makes them so great?

 

What is a dad joke?

Dad jokes are short, usually a pun, and are presented as a one-liner or question-and-answer, but not a drawn-out narrative.

 

The exact origin of the term “dad joke” is unknown, but there are examples from 1987 in a Gettysburg Times article headlined “Don’t ban the ‘Dad’ jokes; preserve and revere them.” Then the term gained popular mention in the American hit sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” and an Australian quiz show called “Spicks and Specks.”

 

Dad jokes are also referred to as “anti-jokes” — meaning they derive humour from an intentionally unfunny punchline. They are a reference to the quick and cheeky answers a dad gives to his child when they state the obvious:

  • Dad, I’m tired.
  • Hi Tired, I’m Dad.

 

Or, now that there is a whole genre dedicated to dad jokes (complete with a Wikipedia entry, an addition to the Mirriam-Webster dictionary, and numerous Reddit pages), a joke with an evident and cringe-worthy answer.

  • Why did the coach go to the bank?
  • To get his quarterback.

 

Yet another form of the dad joke that has made its way into the dad joke sphere (and my personal favourite) is the one-liner.

 

Sundays are always a little sad, but the day before is always a sadder day.

 

Basically, dad jokes are anything dads might say to get a laugh out of their kids, eye-roll or not. When someone tells a dad joke, they know that it is not meant to hurt anyone while simultaneously making it so stunningly apparent that everyone will get it.

 

Dad jokes are a reprieve from the viciousness we see on social media and television today.

 

Why Dad Jokes Are Good For Us

While dad jokes may only provide a small amount of humour accompanied by the obligatory eye roll, that slight guffaw is good for us.

 

Surely you have heard the term “Laughter is the best medicine.” The phrase didn’t become mainstream because laughing is fun when you are sick — there’s actually scientific evidence to back it up.

 

Here’s why laughter from dad jokes is good for your health:

  • Immune Booster: Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases infection-fighting antibodies and immune cells, meaning it will improve your disease resistance.


  • Relaxing: A good laugh from a lousy dad joke relieves emotional and physical stress, leaving your muscles more relaxed for up to 45 minutes.


  • Releases Endorphins: Endorphins are the chemicals in your body that make you feel good. Laughter releases endorphins which promote a sense of well-being and can even reduce pain temporarily.


  • Heart Protection: Giving some giggles to dad jokes improves blood vessel function and increases blood flow, protecting you against heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.


  • Burns Calories: Laughing for ten to fifteen minutes per day can burn about 40 calories — which adds up to three to four pounds per year!


  • Eases Anger: Laughter diffuses anger faster than anything else. Next time you’re in a disagreement, try to look at the funny side of your problems to move on quicker and not hold on to bitterness or resentment.


  • Prolongs Life: A Norwegian study found that people with a good sense of humour lived longer than those who didn’t.

 

Other Benefits

Laughter from a good/bad dad joke

 

  • Adds joy and zest to your life
  • Strengthens your resilience
  • Enhances relationships
  • Is attractive to others
  • Diffuses conflict
  • Promotes teamwork
  • Is good for group bonding
  • Shifts your perspective
  • Brings people together and strengthens relationships
  • Releases inhibitions

 

As you can see, there are numerous benefits to laughing at dad jokes. So tell them more often and help yourself and others lead healthier lives.

 

My Love For Dad Jokes

I am a writer (a copywriter by day), and most of my humour is based on sarcasm and wit, so dad jokes are right up my alley.

 

I try to come up with witty sayings at my job and use wordplay to get my point across in more unconventional ways than simply stating facts.

 

But when I am texting with friends and family, my favourite thing is to quickly throw in what I think are witty answers or comments to their questions or statements. Like any good dad joke, I am pretty confident they roll their eyes and smile when they read them.

 

(Me, after my mom sent a picture of her dog sleeping on the couch after a visit to the groomers and the caption “shaved and sleepy”) — Isn’t one of the seven dwarves named Shaved?

 

Anything to get a smile out of people.

 

Even my brother-in-law gets in on the action.

 

When asked if he knew his blood type, he said, “Of course, red,” without skipping a beat.

 

Even with what might be a serious question about a potential health issue, a good dad joke breaks the tension and gets a laugh.

 

I love humour, I love a good dad joke, and I use them to connect with people. It makes me feel good to make other people laugh. I also throw them into my family’s group text chat any chance I get.

 

My sister always points out when I make a good dad joke (usually with the eye-roll and laughing emojis, actually), and I know my mom enjoys them too. That makes me feel good knowing that I can brighten their day, even momentarily.

 

So What Makes Dad Jokes So Great?

For my money, dad jokes are a way to add a little humour into any situation, even just for a second.

 

Life can get really serious really fast. I am all for it if we can find a quick way to remember that life is still beautiful and supposed to be fun, especially in trying times. Dad jokes give us that momentary break from reality to let us know that our purpose on this earth is to enjoy the time we have.

 

Dad jokes are so bad because they are simple and to-the-point, but they make us laugh a little every single time and bring a bit of humour to any situation, and that’s why they’re so great.

 

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My name is Graham, and I am a freelance copywriter. I don’t have formal degrees or training as a writer, but I found and cultivated a skill so I could work remotely and pursue my passion for travelling. I like to give back when I have the opportunity to contribute to a community dedicated to self-improvement. If you are looking for more ways to find happiness and self-improvement, check out what Low Entropy offers.

The Art of Self-Deprecation

Posted on by andrew

Cristina Crescenzo (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

I will openly admit that there have been countless times where individuals have shrunk my self-worth down to the size of a marble, and I compare it to a marble because despite its size, I think it still has a little durability left. I am also not afraid to admit that some of the people that have contributed to chipping away at my spirit are the people I love most, and whether they meant to or not, they forced me to adopt a dangerous self-preservation tactic. I have trained myself to make jokes at my own expense because I didn’t want people doing it behind my back and I thought if I self-afflicted the wounds it would hurt less. Furthermore, my own self-deprecation has become a comedic tool I use in my daily life because I found out it was one of the only ways I could get people to pay attention to me and get the small consolation prize that is the sound of their laughter. 

 

However, I have learned that the return is not worth the cost, because if I keep this up, every crushing blow will damage the one thing that I still believe in, and that is my heart. I don’t profess to be the most selfless person that has graced planet Earth, but I believe in myself enough to think that my kindness has impacted enough people for me to keep persevering. That is not to say that learning to laugh at yourself and your flaws is a totally unhealthy practice, but it should be done in moderation and not used to get others to like you. This is important for me to mention because in my experience, if done too often, it can cause the opposite effect. Instead of giving you thicker skin, it leaves you more vulnerable to harm, loosening the lid on your emotions so they bubble up to the surface and you lose control in very inopportune moments. 

 

Another drawback to the art of self-deprecation is that people could eventually lose respect for you and not take you seriously. In case you didn’t know, human beings can be very fickle creatures. One second they can be laughing with you, and the next they are laughing at you and brushing off every word you speak. I am surprised that I only learned this past year that the silence that comes after the joke stops being funny can make a person feel trapped inside the deepest depths of loneliness, and the mocking retorts that follow can cause irrevocable pain. Therefore, I now know that being the center of attention at a dinner party and the high that can come from it never lasts. 

 

It has gotten to the point where I feel invisible in a room filled with people, and all the sounds that were once pleasurable, like the sound of someone laughing, now cause my ears to burn and leave me hollow. Thus, I want to try and make a conscious effort to stop, because if I continue to trample all over myself, it makes the world think they can do it too; even family can leave footprints all over your back. On the whole, I just hope whoever reads this learns that they should tread lightly when they decide to make themselves the punch line. 

 

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My name is Cristina Crescenzo and I am an aspiring writer and full time student just hoping to make an impact in someone’s life through the written word, and I think Low Entropy is the perfect place to start!