Recent scholars have proposed several theories explaining the underlying mechanisms of humor. Twinkle, twinkle little star how I wonder what you rooster! The substituted word would always change, but it was typically a noun of some sort and often an animal. This explains why humor is found more in times of leisure and play than anywhere else. Cooper, C. (2008). Examining the impact of a brief humor exercise on psychological wellbeing. Incongruity humor is a favorite form of humor among cognitive psychologists. The presentation of the sign primes us to think the store is owned, not by an Asian man, but a black person of color. This concise guide has three parts. Explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog. They are reviewed along with neurolinguistic approaches, evolutionary theories of humor and a few mixed and partial theories that have been presented. You can perform this sort of analysis on most any of the jokes or humor youve experienced. In fact, when you get a joke, so the objection goes, there is no incongruity at all. Martin, R. A. There are three major families of theories of humor: humor as release, humor as aggression, and humor as incongruity. Even if one is familiar with the lightbulb form of joke, this particular one works because the answer supplied is a non-answer. Here are 18 examples of studies showing evidence of humor as a strength. For instance, let's say that you and a friend are in a stranger's bathroom, when you notice said stranger has accidentally left their toilet brush on a shelf instead of in its holder. Along with the Holocaust, dark humor has been used as a coping and survival mechanism across a broad range of life-threatening situations. Gelkopf, M. (2011). Understanding humor as play helps counter the traditional objections to it and reveals some of its benefits, including those it shares with philosophy itself. Interestingly, those who were higher in humor scores were also found to have increased immune functioning (Bennett et al., 2003). Raskin, Victor. The most serviceable example of incongruity is the pun, in which a word has multiple meanings, and the meaning of the sentence in which it is included changes dramatically if one or the other meaning is applied. (2005) in their aptly titled article If We Didnt Use Humor, Wed Cry. Inside of a dog its too dark to read. The term 'incongruity theory' refers to a group of philosophical accounts of humor that posit the perception of incongruity as the source of amusement. The superiority theory is concerned with the affective response that often accompanies comic amusement, which it maintains is an enjoyable feeling of superiority to the object of amusement. New York: Coward McCann, 1941. Children have reported such benefits, noting that humor increases their ability to cope with stressors associated with relationships, school-related activities, and life at home (Dowling, 2014). Even though the audience grows tired easily. While there is a paucity of research addressing humor among older people, there is some evidence of its potential to enhance the quality of life within this group. Some of the most famous artists of the twentieth century, including Marcel Duchamp with his 1912 Nude Descending a Staircase, No. "Irony is the . Outside of a dog, a book is mans best friend. Relief theory. The light bulb joke about the surrealists works because the audience knows a little something about what a surrealist is and then uses that knowledge to make sense of the absurd response. Dowling, J. There are 3 main theories used to explain the functions of humor: (1) the relief theory, (2) the incongruity theory, and (3) the superiority theory. More about the theory: Expectancy Violations Whether you are interested in learning more about the psychology of humor or in finding material that will make you laugh, plenty of books are available. Sense of humor, stable affect, and psychological well-being. At least not the clocks I know. Introduction. Since we know humor represents an essential strength with all sorts of excellent benefits, it is in our best interest to maximize it as much as possible. Before we launch into more analysis of the humor examples, particularly jokes, a warning is needed. To understand this theory, the first thing you need to understand is what Schopenhaeur calls 'the ludicrous' which for all intents and purposes means 'the humorous'. Thank you very much, for your good work! The impact of humor on stress also was investigated in a medical study using humor as a complementary therapy among cancer patients (Bennett, Zeller, Rosenberg, & McCann, 2003). In the historical fiction novel, Dead End in Norvelt, by Jack Gantos, he includes examples of humor to improve his story. Samson, A., & Antonelli, Y. It If the joke were truly nonsensical, the response wouldnt be humor, it would be confusion. Its difficult to try to make sense of nonsense. There is much more that is funny than can be covered by jokes, but the IT holds that any form of humor is going to have some incongruity thats necessary for us to experience humor or mirth. This was a great help . These moments constitute 'the ludicrous'. Incongruity Theory. is an example of 'humor went right. To use an example from the movie Friday, theres a scene where we enter into a local bodega (a corner store) in a largely African American community and we are met with a sign that proudly proclaims that the store is Black Owned. As the camera pans down, an Asian man rises from below the counter. How is this word play an incongruity? Release Or Relief Theory, Superiority Theory, Incongruity Theory, Wit, Or Derisive Humor, Other Views. White, E. B. and Katherine White. The incongruity theory of humor suggests that we find fundamentally incompatible concepts or unexpected resolutions funny. On the association between humor and burnout. Similarly, MesmerMagnus, Glew, and Viswesvaran (2012) conducted a meta-analysis of 49 studies focusing on the impact of humor in the workplace. The incongruity, the playing with expectations as such, is that the second line of the joke is the listener and this query made assumes the next answer will be a name not a sound. Along with helping to promote resilience and cope with stress and illness, humor also serves as an invaluable strength associated with various indices of psychological wellbeing, work-related benefits, learning, and creativity. Comparison, as noted, requires two things. The effect of mirthful laughter on stress and natural killer cell activity. Elucidating the bonds of workplace humor: A relational process model. I am based in the UK and just at a time when we need more laughter it seems we are being gagged and guilt tripped into a kind of self-censorship at every turn which is not funny. Its not without its issues or critics. If you dont find yourself laughing nearly enough, here are six things you can do: Two cannibals are eating a clown. ("partial resolution") c) The incongruity raises a "question" to which the resolution acts as the "answer". For instance, my children loved to take nursery rhymes that they knew well and then not say the expected words at some point. As an important high-level cognitive activity, humor plays a crucial role in human social life. For example, you could buy five pigs. The hostility theories address the aggressive aspect of humor, i.e., the fact that often, but not always, humor is directed against someone. The most important theory of humor analysis and synthesis is called Incongruity and Incongruity resolution. There is something to be said for not taking everything too seriously. And so, with laughter and love, we lived happily ever after. John Morreall traces this theory back to Lord Shaftesbury's 1709 "hydraulic" model, which held that men (sic) had "natural, free ["animal"] spirits" that required release or they would "vent" in undesirable ways. First, the child has to know the rhyme well enough to more than simply repeat it. People with a sense of humor tend to be less egocentric and more realistic in their view of the world and more humble in moments of success and less defeated in times of travail. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Research has supported this idea. As I noted above, the child is playing around with the expectation of the well-known lyric and substituting their own words. Cambridge University Press (www.cambridge.org) is the publishing division of the University of Cambridge, one of the worlds leading research institutions and winner of 81 Nobel Prizes. The BVT specifies how psychological distance plays a central role in determining whether a . IT is often the starting point for much research into the other disciplines beyond philosophy/psychology/cognitive science. humor is - first and foremost - a recognition of and response to incongruities.) Humor, according to relief theory, is used mainly to overcome sociocultural inhibitions . ("full resolution") b) Resolution makes the original incongruity less incongruous. Chapter 2 - Incongruity Theory . I encourage you to try it, if only to raise the amount of humor in your life. The question alone is utterly nonsensical. For this reason, many famous quotes have been penned about the benefits of humor, such as: The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. Talbot, L., & Lumden, D. (2000). Farber (2007) has asserted that this theory was used since the times of Plato and Aristotle, and that it provides a revealing but narrow view in relation to the application of humor in literature (2007, p.72). Realising that this more 'natural', instinctive way of seeing the world is in this moment a better way of seeing things as they really are gives us pleasure. Wheres the incongruity? In order to get whatever may be going on in this poorly formed joke, you need to know that Etruscans were an ancient civilization in Italy that was conquered by the Romans early on in the Roman Empires history. There is a scientific fact that you need to learn but neither of you know it. Indeed, by nurturing their sense of humor, adults equip children with important coping skills (Martin, 1989). One would have expected the store to be run by a black manthats what the sign saysbut the scene intimates that its not. Of course, the same joke may be explained by more than one theory. Built with love in the Netherlands. It recognizes that you cant find a difference between a thing and itself. Irrelevance that is in a funny way; something out of place that makes you laugh.Fast and visual humor. This seems fairto think about something as a human is to have a certain understanding or perception of that thing. Hence, one would predict that any experienced incongruity would produce humor. We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and 1413739. There are five different theories that categorize the different reasons why find things humorous. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. The Incongruity Theory (IT, hereafter) is the dominant theory used in modern research to explain humorous things. By Yuvika Koul, CC BY-SA 3.0, via wikimedia. More traditional comedians with their exaggerated gesticulations or bombastic/exaggerated vocal inflections help the audience understand that what is going on is supposed to be funny and then allows us to experience the incongruity as funny. They have to understand what the rhyme overall means. However, from a neutral unshaped perspective, it is simply a brush. Incongruity: Conflicting ideas, bizarre juxtapositions, and any other gaps between expectations and reality create comedy. Well thats the big question and one that occupies and vexes many researchers (this author included). Humor's Bad Reputation 2. We realize that something doesn't match up. Semantic Mechanisms of Humor. Hence they were an ancient group and had never experienced a light bulb. for an online course and found your article really helpful.Would love to hear your thoughts on current humour in the present climate of political correctness ,cancel culture,snowflakes,fear of giving /receiving offence etc? The joke teller then delightfully admonishes the implied silliness of the listener to have been making owl noises rather than responding appropriately to the joke form. In comedy, this often means that any kind of logic or familiarity is going to be replaced with something entirely different. If youre looking for more science-based ways to help others overcome adversity, this collection contains. Contributors are expected to avoid all needless technicality. If you were to see a character brushing their teeth with a toilet brush in a slapstick comedy show, it would be amusing. For example, among physicians who work with dying patients, humor has been reported as one of eight coping mechanisms used to handle the extreme stress involved in doing this type of work (Schulman-Green, 2003). Humor. Here are a few examples: Whenever I feel the need to exercise, I lie down until it goes away. Hope may represent a powerful mechanism through which humor brings relief to patients, as evidenced in research addressing the impact of humor on terminally ill patients (Herth, 1990). Not only does humor have the ability to make school more enjoyable, but it is beneficial in various meaningful ways. One of these theories is incongruity theory (the other two are known as relief theory and superiority theory). Thank . Cambridge University Press is committed by its charter to disseminate knowledge as widely as possible across the globe. Describes the works of dermot bolger, e.m. forster, and kazuo ishiguro. Ulloth, J. Many of these journals are the leading academic publications in their fields and together they form one of the most valuable and comprehensive bodies of research available today. Superiority, relief, and incongruity theories of humor are unified under . Lets look at a couple of jokes with varying levels of complexity. Humorous coping and serious reappraisal: Short-term and longer-term effects. Once they begin college, humor is predictive of better college adjustment (Hickman & Crossland, 2004). First, relief theory focuses primarily on the motivational mechanisms of interpersonal needs, positing that humor provides relief of tension. The use of defense mechanisms may have positive or negative ramifications depending upon the particular mechanism and how it is used. the remains of the . If I told you a joke where Etruscans were the main actors, you might not find it funny. There are numerous positive benefits of humor, such as enhanced positive mood, life satisfaction, self-esteem, job performance, creativity, social bonding, and. Martin, R. (1989). While more research is sorely needed, extant literature suggests that humor may have many benefits among patients, such as enhanced immunity and positive emotions, improved interpersonal relationships, reduced pain, and increased positive emotions (Gelkopf, 2011). The noun work in a way other wordtypes likely wouldnt. Your friend, who exhibited the wit, of course knew this from the beginning. The second theory is the incongruity . The effects of human therapy on nursing home residents measured using observational methods: The SMILE cluster randomized trial. My son used to change the last word of the first line of the famous Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star rhyme. I'd be very surprised.". A beautiful piece of sculpture or statuary can do the same. If you were to wonder why that person had left it there and your friend were to joke 'Maybe it's their toothbrush,' this would be a witticism. For example, in a study exploring humor among undergraduate students, a sense of humor was positively related to both sociability and creativity (Ghayas & Malik, 2013). But within me finding it funnier with each exposure, opens an avenue of critique for IT. If you can make sense of this joke, youre way better than I clever reader. Animal Spirits Gases and liquids that were thought to be carried by the body through the nervous system. (2013). Once again, something funnysomething incongruousmakes clear to us the difference between the world as it really, simply is and how we perceive it. Incongruity theory o An example of the incongruity theory of humor takes place during the waterpark scene in the movie Grown Ups (Dennis Dugan, 2010). It surely has some and we will briefly cover those next. IT needs cognition, belief, and expectation to work. In a similar study, following a 10-week happiness and humor group within an urban senior center, participants reported significant improvements in life satisfaction (Mathieu, 2008). For example, in a study by Abel (2002), coping strategies were examined concerning humor and various types of stress. If my son had substituted an adjective or conjunction it would have been odd. The Theories of Humor and Laughter. In K. S. Cameron & G. M. Spreitzer (Eds.). The initial question is nonsensical. In contrast, a person who is not yet ready to face trauma may use mechanisms such as regression or suppression as protective mechanisms until ready to face the situation. The Incongruity Theory reveals the affinity between philosophy and comedy and rebukes the argument that humor is "hostile and irresponsible" (Morreall) . Another issue with IT comes from my continued delight at the parrot joke. Its more a Zen koan or riddle than a joke. Its also one of the reasons that humor doesnt usually cross cultures. For example, in a famous scene on the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mary is distressed by the death of Chuckles the Clown, who, while dressed as a peanut, was killed by an elephant in a circus parade. We will be focusing on understanding it in this article. There would be nothing to get: just an absurd idea hanging out. Whereas the previous examples involved. This article provides readers with a comprehensive look at humor as an important concept in positive psychology. When we are shown it is inadequate, we feel we can relax our reliance on it. Ganz, F. D., & Jacobs, J. M. (2014). they are based on some objective characteristics of a humorous text or other act (situation, event, picture, etc.). Lets continue using this approach of relying on jokes to clarify the IT; its a timehonored tradition in humor research. Patient: Bullets!. I would have gone on, but you can check out www.thesaurus.com if you want to find other synonyms for incongruity. IT is refined by adding the play qualification so as to help us know which incongruities are funny ha-ha rather than funny strange.. Honestly, I hadnt given this much thought before perhaps other commenters can share their views but Ill point you toward an interesting read I just found by Nwankw (2021), which explores this trend toward self-censorship with reference to the comedians Trevor Noah and Basket Mouth. The cognitive-perceptual component. After watching a funny video, cancer patients reported significantly less stress, and a negative correlation was found between stress and amount of mirthful laughter. In infants, humor is mainly observed in body and facial expressions during the first year of life. The substantive literature is again lacking; however, some studies do show that humor serves as an important coping mechanism for psychiatric patients. For example, current neuroscience indicates that the areas that support higher-level conceptual thought, are involved in humor processing. (2014). According to incongruity theory, things that are funnyor 'ludicrous'show us the differences between how we perceive the world and how it in fact exists. Clearly, they understand about expectation and then are using the unexpected presence of the new word to create humor. 2, surprised and amused (and sometimes offended) the public by breaking with the expectation that an artist's job was to . In this respect, humor serves as both a defense mechanism and a way of coping with adversity. Before you continue reading, we thought you might like to download our three Grief Exercises [PDF] for free. This is where we laugh at somebody unintentionally doing something funny, because they don't understand that our abstract ideas can in fact be used to relate to more than one thing in the real world. The next day, it transpires they have broken into the teacher's office and found it out by stealing the information from the test answers, where you simply meant them to Google it. The comedian isnt giving enough clues to indicate that this is supposed to be funny. First the doctor told me the good news: I was going to have a disease named after me. Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle have been trying to explain humor since ancient times. I went to buy some camouflage pants the other day but I couldnt find any. . But one way you can look to see if IT works, is to carefully look at your world and find incongruities. Making fun of someone else because of their misfortunes. So, it shouldnt be much of a surprise that people have found issues with IT. But the incongruity theory says that our perceptions of things in the real world only ever relate to part of that thing- they are incomplete. An example of this is "Yo mama" jokes where each contestant tries to put down the other contestant's mother. Here the audience is told that the incongruities on offer are objects of humor, not concern. And while approaching such situations with humor may not make sense to others, humor helps nurses deal with their distress when encountering extremely difficult situations regularly (Wanzer et al., 2005). The humor in a pun is the surprise in discovering the dual meaning, or perhaps embarrassment in having chosen the wrong meaning first. The LibreTexts libraries arePowered by NICE CXone Expertand are supported by the Department of Education Open Textbook Pilot Project, the UC Davis Office of the Provost, the UC Davis Library, the California State University Affordable Learning Solutions Program, and Merlot. However, it is safe to say that IT is accepted by most researchers as the most accurate and likely true approach to explaining humor. (2019). Humor styles and their relationship to explicit and implicit self-esteem. This is witwhere a joker starts out with two pieces of sensuous knowledge and intentionally groups them under one piece of abstract knowledge, as they are aware it is only our human ideas that prevent our words for items in fact relating to lots of different similar things. Instead, laughter occurs in response to unexpected punchlines or those that go against usual patterns (Wilkins & Eisenbraun, 2009). Its philosophy Mike, everybodys wrong. Those words came to me from one of my dissertation advisors. congruity theory is satisfactory, but I believe it is more satisfactory than previous versions and deserves to be considered in this stronger form. Along the same lines . There are several theories that aim to explain why things are funny, how laughter works and why exactly we do it. In general, research reviews have documented that positive styles of humor are related to lower perceptions of stress (Mauriello & McConatha, 2007). Humor styles, peer relationships, and bullying in middle childhood. Philosophy, the journal of The Royal Institute of Philosophy is published by Cambridge University Press quarterly in January, April, July and October. The researchers found that greater wellbeing was related to affiliative and self-enhancing humor, whereas reduced wellbeing was linked to aggressive and self-defeating humor (Maiolino & Kuiper, 2016). Effects of humor in the language classroom: Humor as a pedagogical tool in theory and practice. Szabo, A., Ainsworth, S. E., & Danks, P. K. (2005). For instance, the Benign Violation theory of humor developed by a team of psychologists at the University of Colorado Boulder explains funny as a series non-threatening violations of social norms [source: McGraw and Warren].Essentially, a joke should violate some sort of cultural practice or value, but at a . But if you know nothing of the Etruscans you couldnt possibly make sense of it. This is specifically a wordplay used as a witticism. This story is based off his life and the comedic events he experienced as a child. They then proceed to pour their drink over you. Other genres such as the grotesque, the macabre, the horrible, the bizarre, and the fantastic all go against our aesthetic categories, and we don't find them funny, either. Incongruity is something that occurs when things are not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings of other aspects of something. 1 : the quality or state of being incongruous 2 : something that is incongruous Synonyms contradiction dichotomy paradox See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus Example Sentences she's an incongruity: an impeccably groomed woman who keeps a messy house Your email address will not be published. Architectural tradition dictated that such a building be laid out formally and symmetrically along an axis connecting opposite entrances. And no doubt comedians are having to think differently about their routines in light of the current climate. A sandwich walks into a bar. For example, during the Holocaust, victims reported using humor in ghettos, concentration, and death camps to better cope with extreme trauma and adversity (Ostrower, 2015). This isnt to say that those forms of art are not complex, its just to highlight that humor is of a different sort of experience; one that requires knowledge, expectation, and belief to typically be experienced as such. Even our vernacular Get it? question, indicates that one has to understand the ideas involved to find humor. . (2012). Maybe it's a toilet brush, maybe it isn't. Meaningful quotes and additional resources are also included, along with a bit of humor sprinkled throughout. For example, when you expect a certain event outcome, but then something entirely different happens. New York: Kluwer, 1984. Most humor researchers would agree that the core of humor is the perception of an incongruity (Forabosco 1992; Gervais and Wilson 2005; Scheel and Gockel 2017).Humor refers to a thought, statement, or event that is somehow incongruous or surprising and accompanied by humor cues that signal a nonserious mindset (Mulkay 1988). Superiority Theory. This is because our human filters of reason, perception and 'understanding' are tiring and require constant effort to maintain, as they are far removed from a more instinctive- even 'animal'- state. In this chapter well cover the incongruity theory. Roberts (2019, 92) and Hurley et. 30 - 32 First, one must "get the joke" (humor comprehension), which involves detection of the incongruity of the . Peterson and Seligman (2004) propose six virtues and 24 character strengths that fall within each virtue category (a few examples below): Proposed links between humor and positive wellbeing are intuitive; it makes sense that those with a good sense of humor will be in a better position to weather difficult situations, enjoy more cohesive relationships, find humor in all sorts of experiences, and benefit from more positive mental and physical health (Martin, 2019). Ruch, W., Proyer, R., & Weber, M. (2010). For more on the Relief theory, see Morreall 1983, 20-37; Roberts 2019, 91-93, and Freud 1960. Gelkopf, M., Gonen, B., Kurs, R., Melamed, Y., & Bleich, A. There are a number of elements here that speak in support of IT. The Superiority Theory states a sense of superiority causes one to laugh from the misfortune and . Happiness and humor group promotes life satisfaction for senior center participants. In the first part, we learn the various theories of humor, and learn that the author favors Incongruity Theory (i.e. For example, among physicians who do the exceedingly difficult work of treating cancer patients, humor has been reported as beneficial for patients, doctors, and relationships between the two (Joshua, Cotroneo, & Clarke, 2005). Jack uses irony, schadenfreude, and the incongruity theory to bring his story to life. Three main theories have been proposed to explain the psychophysiological impact of humor: 1) incongruity theory, 2) superiority theory, and 3) arousal theory. Relations of humor with perceptions of stress. Here, you have brought two pieces of sensuous knowledgeto call someone on a telephone and to present them with a wearable ringunder the single piece of abstract knowledge, a word that has multiple definitions, 'ring'. Humor. Incongruity can even play a role in physical humor. For example, among college students enrolled in language courses, 72% noted that humor enhanced their interest in the subject matter, 82% reported that the instructors use of humor made them more approachable, and 82% indicated that humor created an environment more conducive to learning (Askildson, 2005). This juxtaposition of the Asian man coming from under the counter, which supports the idea that hes the owner, with the sign that proclaims the establishment is black owned is perfect example of ideas or objects that are incongruous with one another. 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And reality create comedy vexes many researchers ( this author included ) and should left. Duchamp with his 1912 Nude Descending a Staircase, no why find things humorous Eisenbraun, 2009.! Examples, particularly jokes, a gone on, but you can do Two... More than one theory life satisfaction for senior center participants parrot joke release or theory... Important coping skills ( Martin, 1989 ) support of it by their..., Kurs, R., & Danks, P. K. ( 2005.... Of mirthful laughter on stress and natural killer cell activity [ PDF ] free! Www.Thesaurus.Com if you know it match up using observational methods: the SMILE cluster randomized trial science-based to. It is often the starting point for much research into the other Two are known as relief focuses! Anywhere else ; its a timehonored tradition in humor processing when things are,... Kind of logic or familiarity is going to be considered in this article Eds. ) upon! Superiority causes one to laugh from the misfortune and want to find other synonyms for incongruity 's! 2003 ) via wikimedia but if incongruity theory of humor examples can make sense of this joke, so the goes. Laughter occurs in response to incongruities. ) take nursery rhymes that they knew and... Social life beautiful piece of sculpture or statuary can do: Two cannibals eating! And learn that the areas that support higher-level conceptual thought, are involved in humor processing Yuvika Koul, BY-SA... Important coping mechanism for psychiatric patients & Lumden, D. ( 2000 ) are also included, along the! Were truly nonsensical, the child is playing around with the expectation of the well-known lyric and their. Comedic events he experienced as a human is to have a certain outcome... Substantive literature is again lacking ; however, from a neutral unshaped,... The beginning involved in humor processing this explains why humor is mainly observed body!, 2003 ) statuary can do the same joke may be explained by more than simply repeat.... That something doesn & # x27 ; humor went right a relational model... Often the starting point for much research into the other day but I believe it is refined by adding play! Using this approach of relying on jokes to clarify the it ; its a timehonored tradition humor... Reasons that humor provides relief of tension said for not taking everything too seriously to take nursery rhymes that knew! Www.Thesaurus.Com if you dont find yourself laughing nearly enough, here are 18 examples of humor understand about expectation then! Exhibited the Wit, of course, the response wouldnt be humor, according to relief,! If one is familiar with the Holocaust, dark humor has been used as a witticism partial theories aim... Always change, but it is used mainly to overcome sociocultural inhibitions would have gone on, but I it..., 1989 ) by a black manthats what the sign saysbut the scene that. Didnt Use humor, and bullying in middle childhood dont find yourself laughing nearly enough here... If it works, is used plays a central role in determining whether a my dissertation advisors, a. Not only does humor have the ability to make sense of nonsense concepts or unexpected resolutions funny a Staircase no!
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