So What Exactly Is The Survival Benefit To Experiencing Humor?

All I really know is that humor feels really good and I don't have a clue of how that has helped us to survive as a species. All I can assume is it is an act of love from our Creator that gives us a brief respite from the rigors of survival. What say you ATS?And Mods perhaps this should be in origins and creationism instead.

It keeps ones sanity intact in an insane world .. though having developed a rather dark sense of humour during my four tours in vietnam with s.o.g and over the years since in war zones and disaster areas around the world I tend to keep my sense of humour under control .. got banned from couple forums years ago due my dark humour .. in life you can laugh.. cry or go insane .. best to laugh ..

a reply to: MissSmartypants

Humor enables one to locate and share, through expression, a perceived irony, problem or cognitive dissonance. It helps to classify such things, which is a first step for problem solving.

originally posted by: Expat888
It keeps ones sanity intact in an insane world .. though having developed a rather dark sense of humour during my four tours in vietnam with s.o.g and over the years since in war zones and disaster areas around the world I tend to keep my sense of humour under control .. got banned from couple forums years ago due my dark humour .. in life you can laugh.. cry or go insane .. best to laugh ..

Like the late Joan Rivers philosophy...if its funny its funny...even if its horribly inappropriate.

originally posted by: swanne
a reply to: MissSmartypants

Humor enables one to locate and share, through expression, a perceived irony, problem or cognitive dissonance. It helps to classify such things, which is a first step for problem solving.

originally posted by: MissSmartypants

originally posted by: swanne
a reply to: MissSmartypants

Humor enables one to locate and share, through expression, a perceived irony, problem or cognitive dissonance. It helps to classify such things, which is a first step for problem solving.

a reply to: MissSmartypants

It brings us closer together and helps us realise that we have things in common and can enjoy each other's company and laugh, even in the most difficult times when morale is severely challenged.

Pretty bloody important to survival in a species that works as a group.

I'm surprised that someone would even need to ask this.

a reply to: MissSmartypants

A joke is made when something puzzling/threatening becomes solved/nonthreatening or vice versa.

Humor/laughter is stress relief/release.


e.g. I'm going to get you!...



a gift, cause you're awesome.

Humor is less of a survival mechanism and more of a coping mechanism. Creatures with knowledge of their impending deaths likely need some humor.

But perhaps a god who created us as mortal gasbags having to kill to live had an unsophisticated slapstick humor ... and then imparted it to us as part of the whole "in his image" deal.

It gets you laid. If you can make a woman laugh, you're more than halfway there.

How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature

a reply to: MissSmartypants

I don't have a clue of how that has helped us to survive as a species.

Well, I have often used humor to help me get a women to agree to practice procreation rituals with me.

Confucius say: Man who go to bed with itchy bum wake up with smelly finger.

Which begs the question why would God ever make it possible to itch down there?
So For those who believe in a higher power than they must also believe he has a sense of humour as well.

originally posted by: interupt42
a reply to: MissSmartypants

I don't have a clue of how that has helped us to survive as a species.

Well, I have often used humor to help me get a women to agree to practice procreation rituals with me.

Confucius say: Man who go to bed with itchy bum wake up with smelly finger.

Which begs the question why would God ever make it possible to itch down there?
So For those who believe in a higher power than they must also believe he has a sense of humour as well.

You are absolutely right. Its an excellant means of attracting a mate and may exist because humorous people had more sex and thus more children. Survival of the fittest and all.

a reply to: MissSmartypants

Because stress taxes your system and basically kills you in the long run.
Nature had to offset this.

originally posted by: MissSmartypants
All I really know is that humor feels really good and I don't have a clue of how that has helped us to survive as a species. All I can assume is it is an act of love from our Creator that gives us a brief respite from the rigors of survival. What say you ATS?And Mods perhaps this should be in origins and creationism instead.

My belief is that when we're happy we are better able to solve real-world practical problems. When we're stressed we're in fight or flight and aren't trying to constructively solve a problem. Instead we're trying to run from the problems or kill them.

a reply to: MissSmartypants

It makes light of serious situations, creating humour would demonstrate that you do not pose a threat.

a reply to: SystemResistor

What you describe could only happen after humour had already emerged and established itself, so it cannot account for its origin.

It's an interesting question, isn't it? You'd think there'd be more research on the subject. Here's a paper which explores some of the possible evolutionary origins of humour and sums up the current researh. It doesn't offer any clear answers, though.

The First Joke: Exploring the Evolutionary Origins of Humor

Congratulations and thanks to the OP for coming up with something interesting and different.