Humor is an excellent strategy to raise your mood and to produce dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphin, which are hormones capable of activating energy in the body. Therefore, laughing is something very beneficial. However, there are different types of humor and even different triggers, since some people can laugh at a simple joke and others find sarcasm or black humor funnier, that is, what is funny for some, may not be funny for others. others.
What is a fact is that a person with a good sense of humor will always be someone attractive and someone everyone wants to be with. In the following Psychology-Online article we explain the types of humor and their characteristics so that you can discover which of them you identify with the most.
absurd humor
This type of humor is very common and is characterized by excessive use of gestures and body expressions and verbal to dramatize the actions. In this type of humor, situations make no sense and sometimes it is not possible to find a consistent explanation for what is happening.
Absurd humor or slapstick is one of the most common types of humor, which is why there are a large number of comedies, television animations, plays and all types of productions that promote it. Some examples of absurd humor are the cartoons “Looney Tunes”, Dexter’s Laboratory or the Three Stooges, among others.
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dry humor
Also known as “deadpan humor,” dry humor is a humorous expression in which the person shows serenity and an impassive attitude, so she is considered dry in her conversation.
That is to say, they seem unmoved by humorous events and that is what makes their listeners laugh. Some examples of this type of humor are comedians Bill Murray or Ricardo Quevedo, among others.
The satire
Satirical humor is based on speech to generate a certain humor in the listening public. It usually uses oddities or strange features of daily life to make comparisons to people’s flaws. In addition, It is usual to use mockery to generate humor, so it is a humorous style that not everyone likes.
Comedians of this type use social absurdities to highlight them and impact listeners. Throughout history there have been many satires that have been created and today it is common to find several examples of satirical humor in both film and television.
white humor
It is a type of very simple and healthy humor that pleases most people. For example, children’s jokes, family anecdotes and grandparents’ stories are often framed in white humor.
White humor does not need to resort to violence, sarcasm or offenses to make listeners happy. In some cultures it is known as parlor jokes because it is suitable for all ages and is a pleasant and entertaining form of communication. Among the best-known examples of white humor are the programs Chavo del 8, Chespirito and many animated films such as Shrek and Ice Age.
grotesque humor
This type of humor may be unpleasant for some people, since it represents the disproportionate and the grotesque. In addition, it is often based on ridiculing other people to get fun.
However, some versions of grotesque humor that can be seen in the media try to maintain a certain familiarity with emotions by incorporating surrealism according to individual appreciation.
sarcastic humor
The word “sarcasm” comes from the Greek “sarkazéin”, whose literal translation is “he who bites his lips”. From its etymology we can see that this type of humor is based on the use of the biting, sadistic or hurtful verb to cause thanks to whoever listens to it. Find out what the .
Those who use sarcastic humor have no qualms about devaluing certain situations or characters, since they think they are not hurting anyone, but not everyone understands this type of humor. Its essence is to give a contrary meaning to everything, with the intention that people grasp the literal meaning of the jokes or arguments that are discussed.
Programmer or hacker humor
Without a doubt, this is a very particular and striking humor, since uses technological reality to make listeners laugh. It is characterized because its language is expressed in codes, files or computer programs, so not everyone understands it.
In addition, it is a very intelligent humor, which is handled in a joking manner and which goes viral on social networks, especially in groups of programmers and web developers.
crude humor
As its name indicates, it is the humor that is not afraid to say things directly and even painful. He tends to be very ridiculing and abuses body gestures. It is full of painful and satirical situations.
This type of humor has become very famous due to different television series and movies such as The Simpsons and Futurama. In general, it is not humor suitable for children, but for adults and adolescents.
green humor
this humor is related to sexual issues. This is explicit or implicit content of situations related to genitals, sexual encounters or striking features related to sexuality, but always risque and vulgar.
Black mood
This type of humor is a bit unique because mixes satire, mockery, the grotesque and even the absurd in a form of humor that does not please everyone. Black humor is based on mockery of social issues such as politics, sexuality, among others.
Its focal point is always to give clear and concise opinions on some aspects, but without respecting the forms or the limits between the formal and the grotesque. There are many examples of black humor, but one of the most famous is the one used by Charles Chaplin in his films.
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Types of humor from a psychological point of view
From the point of view of psychology, humor is classified into four large groups, which we will describe below:
- Affiliative or connective humor: includes funny anecdotes from daily life with the purpose of connecting socially or expanding the circle of friends. In this type of humor it creates the feeling of camaraderie, friendship and causes joy and happiness. An example of affiliative or connective humor is comedian Jerry Seinfeld.
- Affirming or self-improving humor: arises from the need to take things with grace to try to comfort oneself in adverse situations. That is, it is based on trying to find something positive when something bad happens to us in order to face difficulties with more optimism. If you have problems with this aspect, in the following article you will find information about .
- aggressive humor: It is a type of humor that alludes to its name, since it is based on aggressive and uncontrolled jokes. It is widely used by stalkers to psychologically harm their victims or by people who humiliate others and who are not interested in hurting feelings.
- Counterproductive or self-destructive humor: It is what we do about ourselves, but highlighting the negative qualities. It is an unhealthy humor and, in some ways, it can be a trait of low self-esteem or .
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Martin, Rod; Patricia Puhlik-Doris; Gwen Larsen Jeanette Gray; Kelly Weir (February 2003). “Individual differences in the uses of humor and their relationship with psychological well-being: development of the humor styles questionnaire.” Journal of Research in Personality 37 (1): 48–75. doi:10.1016/S0092-6566(02)00534-2.