1 Intro<\/a>: Laughing from birth<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 2. Step 1: Tickle Rats<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 3. What makes something funny may surprise you<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 4. Jokers ARE wild: Subversive Humor<\/a><\/strong><\/span> <\/p>\n (Secular) Biologist Robert Lynch, who also performs as a comedian, sees humor as an adaptive, learned trait; and one that helps us connect with others who share our values.<\/p>\n His theory about humor?<\/strong> A joke, in other words, is like a little brain scan: When we laugh, we reveal what’s inside us. -Robert Lynch<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In an experiment<\/a> Lynch conducted, a variety of people were video-recorded while watching an edgy comic who joked about gender inequality. The volunteers were then\u00a0given\u00a0a psychological test that measured their unconscious gender attitudes. Those\u00a0with mid-20th century\u00a0gender views of women being responsible for home and children and men bread-winning\u00a0laughed harder at that joke than those\u00a0with more progressive views.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In another\u00a0experiment, people Lynch\u00a0terms “self-deceivers” found much less humor in an entire joke reel, in general.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I’m guessing that because Lynch used this “self-deceivers”\u00a0language to identify reluctant laughers, he probably laughs at just about everything. Naturally, if scientists are self-deceiving they are doing something wrong. Something unreasonable?<\/em><\/p>\n I’m\u00a0betting that to Lynch “self-deceivers” are “other people”. Otherwise, he would term them “discerning” or “wise” or “judicious” or “pensive” or “still thinking about it” or maybe just “unsure”.<\/em><\/p>\n So, I wonder if he’s just a bit off the mark.<\/p>\n Could the phenomenon of less laughs be\u00a0a combination<\/strong> of a few things he hasn’t accounted for?<\/p>\n \u2022 Could less laughter be a result of natural personality or temperament traits?<\/p>\n \u2022 Fewer habits<\/strong><\/em> of\u00a0deep introspection?<\/p>\n \u2022 Previous experiences that predispose infrequent laughers\u00a0to think quietly instead of giggle aloud?<\/p>\n \u2022 Or\u00a0a mismatch in values? (What sorts of jokes were told? We don’t know because he doesn’t say.)<\/p>\n The <\/em>subjectivity of laughter producing humor seems to be at play a bit more than his experiments can account for. And that’s no joke. I do<\/span> agree with Lynch on this point: Lynch says that the trait of a sense of humor\u00a0is desirable and its presence or lack thereof helps us select a mate: A sense of humor\u00a0is always listed in the top five traits people look for\u00a0when mate-hunting.<\/p>\n Plus, humor helps us bond with those in our group, or\u00a0determine\u00a0who’s outside<\/strong><\/em> our group. This does seem clear.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yes. Sort of. Basically.<\/p>\n Here’s how he does it:<\/strong><\/p>\n He finds common ground and builds on it. First he works at locating something held in common. Then, he points out a\u00a0shared opinion or value, and\u00a0underscores something that rings true to listeners.<\/p>\n It might start\u00a0with some simple commonality like the geographical location of the place, a sports team preference, or the\u00a0clientele in attendance.<\/p>\n He’s also snarky. If you like that style you might be amused.<\/p>\n “It’s great to be in New York City again. The coral reef created by sinking subway cars off Manhattan has a 58% higher rate of stabbings than a natural reef.”<\/em><\/strong> (or something like that. blah blah blah…you can watch the video\u00a0on his theory\u00a0<\/em>here<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n If I’m writing a joke, often what I do is I look at things that I think are true, that people tend not to admit to, or maybe reluctant to admit to, including myself. -Lynch<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Of course, I don’t hold the similar belief that the\u00a0reason<\/span> for laughter happened ad hoc<\/strong> and by chance, as Robert Lynch contends. That idea seems more like a punchline to me.<\/p>\n “Why did the cave man laugh? I’ll tell you in ten million years…”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n (yes that was mine)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Sure, we adapt using humor, and we always well, but I doubt the source of humor was landed on by sheer mistake or mutation + time. <\/strong>HA-but that’s a good one. You almost had me, Lynch!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n What may be the case is something that\u00a0isn’t so\u00a0stupefyingly\u00a0accidental or\u00a0self-deceiving. Something reasonable.<\/strong><\/p>\n Namely, that\u00a0One<\/em> beyond our comprehension designed and equipped us purposefully with a sense of humor and in a way that we can better\u00a0socially\u00a0bond in positive\u00a0ways…because we\u00a0inherently<\/em>\u00a0need each other.<\/strong><\/p>\n In a future\u00a0post, I will go a bit further and pose a kind of\u00a0theory<\/em> for the purpose of humor and the reason for laughter based on some work from different researchers and my own educational background.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And examine what makes you<\/strong> laugh.<\/p>\n Dig deeper and find out more about yourself and what needs improving.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n![\"Screen](\"https:\/\/lisadelay.com\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Screen-Shot-2014-10-08-at-7.32.26-AM-243x300.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHow humor works like a mini BRAIN SCAN<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n“You laugh because you believe it is true,” says Lynch, and his experiments seem back up his\u00a0theory, at least partially.<\/p>\n![\"Screen](\"https:\/\/lisadelay.com\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Screen-Shot-2014-10-08-at-2.51.54-PM-300x270.png\")
<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nWe can conceal our true opinions, but in the moment of unguarded laughter, we reveal our\u00a0true preferences.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nAnd lest we forget, (the non self-deceived?) Lynch likes to work the crowd at open mic comedy nights. Does this scientist\u00a0have a formula?<\/h4>\n
\n
\nThe takeaway:
\nIf you want to know what someone is really like and what they really think, pay attention to what and whom they laugh at. Laughter is\u00a0a kind of brain scan.<\/h3>\n