WHERE does a sense of humor come from? WHY does it even exist in the universe?

1. 59

   BumptiousQposted 13 years ago

   WHERE does a sense of humor come from?  WHY does it even exist in the universe?  HOW did it happen?
   
   Does it come from the brain?  Divinity?  A person's upbringing, environment, genetic makeup?  A combination of many factors, both physical and metaphysical?

   replyreport
2. 60

   Inkwell780posted 13 years ago

   I really have no idea where "sense of humor" came from and etymology aside I can guess that it is a wonderful mix of---- Chance, environment, decisions, intuitions, background ie..... Parenting and with whom you covort.  But that is just my guess, also I think it takes time for it to foment and become part of you.  You also must use what you have!  Remember, a mind is a terrible thing to waste. 
   
   PS  Maybe we are just a vision trick borne aloft on winds of chance........

   replyreport
3. 59

   BumptiousQposted 13 years ago

   I've considered the question before, but it returned once again last night as I watched a documentary on the alleged origin of the universe.  Assuming for a moment that the Big Bang Theory is correct -- and, as the documentary astutely pointed out, there is no conclusive evidence that it is correct, despite decades of presumptive assertions to the contrary  -- I couldn't help but wonder how we went from something as seemingly soulless, lifeless and humorless as the Big Bang to a universe where we might hear a sentence beginning with the words "a pirate, a dental hygienist, and a one-armed monkey named Chip go into a bar..."

   replyreport
4. 83

   wychicposted 13 years ago

   Good question...and one that's really hard to find an answer for. I know that personally my own sense of humor came from living inside my head a lot, so I started coming up with things that entertain me and some of it just turned out to make other people laugh too. In my case, at least, it's really hard to make an argument for environment and upbringing, because pretty much everyone I know enjoys juvenile, slapstick humor that really has to jump out at them before they think it's funny. I, on the other hand, have a pretty dry sense of humor and until recently very few of the people around me got it...now I've been told that I have a very British sense of humor, even though I've never lived outside Wyoming and have never visited any other countries or had much exposure to people from elsewhere. Maybe it's just something in how our individual personalities are wired, but again exactly where the wiring comes from is hard to pinpoint.

   replyreport
5. 60

   dabeanerposted 13 years ago

   It's in the very nature of things.  Existence and life are themselves jokes.
   
   BTW, that reminds me of a joke.  Existence arose (supposedly) from a "Big Bang".  Humans try to recreate that with a series of (little) bangs... sex.

   replyreport
6. 74

   ACSutliffposted 13 years ago

   I think emotions and instincts are linked somehow. All organisms need some kind of instincts to survive. Humans are lucky in that we have the brainpower to do more than just survive. They say that the limbic center of our brain is old (evolution-wise). It was the part of our brain that controlled the fight or flight response, which can still come into play today. Nowadays, in our sophisticated brains, the limbic system controls our emotions, memory, and other behaviors too.
   
   What used to make us run for our lives now makes us laugh our butts off.

   replyreport
7. 64

   peanutroasterposted 12 years ago

   A sense of humor is a coping mechanism created by the human mind as a survival tool.

   replyreport
8. 66

   Anjiliposted 7 years ago

   Humor has its source in heaven. Even God laughs in heaven. The Bible has some of the best humor you will ever encounter on earth. We are born with humor. A smiling baby looks better and gives you food for thought.
   
   Clowns are created to make us happy.
   The world would be rather boring without humor.
   It has always been there

   replyreport