Human Development
Sense of humour
Description:
One of the most essential qualities of a complete human being and yet one of the least easy to explain, this involves perception of the incongruous and inconsistent in a situation, appreciating and gaining joy from the whimsical and what might otherwise be a source of sadness. It is associated with alertness and breadth of mind as well as a sense of proportion, although its focus may be the exaggeration of one feature or characteristic out of all proportion, thus making it absurd.Interestingly, encouragement of the experience of humour, particularly the physical act of laughing, results in improved physical and mental health and prolonged physical life. Many of the organs of the body are toned up, the lungs are freed of "old" air and breathing improves. At the psychological level, laughing encourages optimism, relieves depression and improves attention and the speed at which tasks are carried out; it relieves stress and anxiety and even improves sleep.
A therapeutic technique based on exploiting a sense of humour is referred to as gelotherapy or cerebral jogging.