Healing Humor: Laughter that Facilitates Wellness

 

Course Number	LWN101                                                                                 1360
Objectives	At the end of this course, you will   1. differentiate between harmful and healing humor, 2. develop your Humor-HELP tool-bag, and 3. use humor for different purposes.
Credit Hours and Fee	3.0 CE Credit Hours with a fee of $24.00
Instructor	Rudolf Klimes, PhD (Indiana University), MPH (Johns Hopkins University), Adjunct Professor at Folsom Lake College, Folsom, CA

Welcome to this 3-contact-hour Continuing Education  course (RN-CEP 11430, MFT- PCE 39) with instant online processing and certification 24/7.  Study the course below, take the 12-question multiple-choice TEST, register and pay online. If you score 75% or above, you may print your CE certificate on your printer as soon as you finish. If you have difficulty printing your certificate, click here. You may retake the test once. 

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Welcome to the life-changing adventure of Humor-HELP. By taking this short Web-based course, you will have an opportunity to heal some of your past, face the present better, and look with confidence to the future. The course was designed to foster healing humor in your life, and in the lives of those you work with. It helps develop positive attitudes and improved relationships. It was written with health-care and social-service professionals in mind. But it is for anyone who wants to take his pains playfully. 

Laughter that Facilitates Wellness  

A young couple sent a friend a playpen when their sixth child arrived. Her thank-you note took them by surprise--"The playpen is just what I needed." She wrote, "Every afternoon I sit in it and read, and the kids can't get near me!" That's one way of dealing with the stress of motherhood. There are other ways too.

Healing humor is the appreciation of incongruous elements in events or ideas that generate spontaneous pleasure. It is a sudden release from stress, that like a dammed-up river, overflows noisily and bubblingly with the fullness of life.

First there are the healing puns--John Kenneth Galbraith told the graduates-at Yale--"I can't ask you to go out and comfort the afflicted; that would be considered eccentric. But perhaps you can afflict the comfortable."

Or the speaker who started out with--"I am glad to see such a dense crowd here," and was interrupted by a voice shouting--"We ain't as dense as we look!"

Then there are the exaggerations--A medical student when asked what books, beside the Bible, have been most helpful to her, answered, "My mother's cookbook and my father's checkbook."

Or the administrator, who said--"The trouble with most people is that they  won't admit their faults. Everyone has the right to admit his shortcomings, I certainly would admit my faults--if I had any."

Self-put-downs are very effective--"I will never forget the first paycheck I received as a teacher. I cashed it on the bus." Or, "I was born in a village so small that they had to put the two village limit signs on the same post."

Psychology Today in June 1978 published an article entitled, "What's So Funny?" The study showed that the average person laughs fifteen times a day. Humor, in order to be healing, must express the following characteristics. It must be positive, encouraging, friendly, joyous, persuading the other that you care rather than feel superior. Humor has its risks, for the other person may not perceive the situation humorously.

Humor came into its own in Greek tragedy in the 6th century B.C. Aristophanes (445-380 B.C.) is credited to be the first Greek comedy poet. Some great western humorists were Shakespeare, Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain. Norman Cousins, in the Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient, suggested laughter therapy and found that ten minutes of hearty laughter could give him two hours of pain-free sleep.

Humor can bring out truths that may be hard to communicate in other ways. But whatever it does, it generally leads one way, and then abruptly turns and concludes on the punchline. Like the little girl who was showing the bathroom scales in her home to a playmate--"All I know is you stand on it--and it makes you angry!"

1. Harmful vs. Healing Humor  

How does healing humor differ from harmful humor? HUMOR is the ability to see what is comical or funny. Humor uses meaning, movement, position, size or association to express the amusing. But not all humor facilitates wellness and is healing. HARMFUL (or sick) HUMOR is insensitive, malicious, exclusive and sarcastic. It ridicules, slanders, belittles and puts down people. HEALING HUMOR creatively and invisibly connects the usual with the unusual for the purpose of personal support. It makes people work together better, frees people to be creative, helps people laugh at themselves, pulls people up and lightens burdens. "All who hear of it will laugh AT me." said a lady. That was harmful. "All who hear of it will laugh WITH me." said another lady. That was healing. Whether some humor is healing or hurting also may depend on the presenter of the humor (the speaker), the listener and the situation. WARNING: All humor, used inappropriately, may be harmful. "Above all else, do no harm." Babies early learn to smile and they lose their gift of humor only when they are prohibited to use it. 

1.1 Benjamin Franklin suggested that we keep our eyes wide open before marriage, and half open afterwards. Click on what you consider the correct response.

1.2 "How is your doctor son getting on in his practice?" "Excellently--he is now occasionally able to tell a patient there is nothing wrong with her."

  1.3 "Thanks for the lift," said the woman as she climbed down from the plastic surgeon's chair.

 1.4 As Dave and Dick were building a house, sawdust got into their eyes. Dave ignored the discomfort. When Dick stopped to clear his eyes, Dave offered: "Let me remove the speck from your eye." But his own eyes teared so much that he could not see to help. They both laughed and cried together.

2. Humor-HELP Tool-bag  

How can you use the tools in your Humor-Help Tool-bag?

Most healing humor arises spontaneously out of situations. But at times it is helpful to have on hand things that are intrinsically funny. Some of these are humorous poems, greeting cards, bumper stickers, puns, ironies, riddles, cartoons, conundrums, anecdotes, exaggerations, jokes, books, tapes, toys, objects, masks, puppets, games, magic, charades, cartoons, costumes, greeting cards, mirrors, etc. A doctor wrote out this prescription: "Smile before meals and at bedtime." But no items are always humorous or guaranteed to be funny. 

2.1 A patient in a doctor's waiting room kept repeating: "I hope I'm sick." When asked why, he said: "I'd hate to be well and feel like this!" This is an example of a:

2.2 "So you are going to start a bakery?" "Yes, if I can raise the dough." This is an example of a:

2.3 Women's faults are many, men have only two; everything they say and everything they do. This is an example of a:

2.4 When is a spanking like a hat? When it is felt. This is an example of a:

3. Humor Heals the Past  

How can humor help heal the past?

The past cannot be changed. What is done is done. But the perception of the past can be modified. You can hang on to your anger and the memories that keep destroying life day in and day out. OR you can be set free to live one day at a time. You can help heal the past with humor by enlarging your perspective, dropping your fears, and seeing many of the hurting incidents of the past as the ridiculous anecdotes they really are. You can laugh today because you already did all your crying yesterday.  The past cannot be changed. What is done is done. But the perception of the past can be modified. You can hang on to your anger and the memories that keep destroying life day in and day out. OR you can be set free to live one day at a time. You can enlarge your perspective, drop your fears, and see many of the hurting incidents of the past as the ridiculous anecdotes they really are. You can laugh today because you already did all your crying yesterday. Charlie Chaplain said: "To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain and play with it." Some do this better than others. RATE your HUMOR RESPONSE: How easily are you amused? 1=hardly ever amused, 5=easily amused. Circle 1 2 3 4 or 5. 

 3.1 Jane loved her pearls and her pigs. One evening she thought that the pearls would look nice on her pigs. So she put them around the pig's thick neck. In the morning, she could not find even one pearl. Her healing reaction a week later was:

 3.2 Warren planted what he thought were grapevines in his back yard. But at harvest time, he could not find a single grape. Exclaimed his wife: "How can you find grapes on thistles?" His healing reaction was:

 3.3 George loved to be close to his river. So he built his cabin right on its sandy shore. The first storm of the season washed it away. His healing reaction was:

 3.4 Ted wanted Bob to be his friend. Ted considered flattery, manipulation, bribery, and just being friendly. Ted chose manipulation. It did not work. Bob would have nothing to do with him. His healing reaction was:

4. Humor Heals Instantly  

How can humor help heal the present?

Laughter and tears are expressions of related emotions. Both can cause one to cry. Both can bring healing. "There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh." What is your weep/laugh ratio? 1/1000, 1/100, 1/10, 1/1 10/1? Humor-HELP often provides immediate relief from difficulties, stress, tension, boredom, conflicts and criticism. Some problems can be solved, others cannot. You can choose to wallow in the distresses you cannot change, or you can rise above them and laugh them off. Healing humor is a health-care intervention. Humor can move from smile to laughter to inner joy to peace. It helps overcome your humor deficiency and terminal seriousness. Said Leo Buscaglia: When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. And swing!" 

4.1 "Fred, you mustn't laugh out loud in the classroom." "I didn't mean to. I was smiling to myself, and the smile busted." Fred's humor relieved:

4.2 Father boasted: "When I was little, I always ate my crusts." Asked Willie: "Did you like them?" "Of course I did." "Then," said Willie, "you can have mine." Willie used humor to relieve:

4.3 "If you wanted to go fishing, why didn't you come to ask me first?" asked mother. "Answered Johnny: "Because I wanted to go fishing." This was:

4.4 There was a "Help Wanted" sign in the store window. Jim entered, took down the sign, and told the boss with a smile: "You won't need this any more. I am going to take the job." Jim used humor to relieve:

5. Humor Builds Hope  

How can humor build hope for the future?

At times, the future looks hopeless. The immediate pain and frustration overshadows all. Pessimists expect the worst, optimists the best. By not taking yourself so seriously, you can face the future more realistically. Humor builds hope for the future by lifting a person's destructive absorption with seriousness and the difficulties ahead. Learn to laugh at YOURSELF. Bring some sun into the clouds. For those who see the ridiculous and absurd in life, the future does not depend on their efforts alone. It is wide open. Some of the best Humor-HELP is just your spontaneous reaction to what appears hopeless. We hide many feelings, humor releases some of them.

5.1 Erma Brombeck said that when you look like your passport photo, it's time to go home. This humor is:

5.2 They now have a Dial-a-prayer for atheists: you can call up and it rings and rings but nobody answers. This humor is:

5.3 Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and instead of bleeding, he sings. This humor:

5.4 Josh McDowell suggested that we should not be so open-minded that our brains would fall out. This humor uses:

How Can You Use Humor in Different Situations?

Below are some helps and resources for the use of healing humor.  

Christian Hagaseth III, MD presents The Twelve Affirmations of Positive Humor.

ERIC_NO: ED100521. Laughter and Healing: The Uses of Humor in Hospitals Treating Children.
by Powell, Barbara S., 1974 (All ERIC documents may be reached via www.eric.ed.gov   )
ABSTRACT: Children's use of humor in hospital settings and ways hospital personnel might encourage positive uses of humor are discussed in this paper. Three questions are raised: (1) How is humor viewed in hospitals treating children? (2) How can developmental psychology help us understand children's humor? (3) What implications does an understanding of children's humor have for how we work with children in hospitals? Responses to these questions are based on general studies of humor; literature on children's emotional reactions to hospitalization; interviews with parents, hospital personnel, and children; random observation in a nursery school; and participant observations of children of different ages in three hospital playrooms. Four developmental stages corresponding to Piagetian stages of cognitive development are identified (Infants/Toddlers, Preschool, Elementary School, and Adolescence), and the type of humor characteristic of each is described. It is emphasized that if we can begin to understand that humor is different for children at different ages, and can emphasize the positive functions of humor for children in hospitals (for adaptation to a new situation, building relationships, seeking explanations for one's condition, gaining mastery), then we can both initiate and appreciate humor with children as we work with them in hospital settings.

ERIC_NO: ED344124. Ha Ha and Aha: The Role of Humor in Psychotherapy by Mosak, Harold H., 1987
ABSTRACT: The use of humor in psychotherapy is discussed in this book. Part A focuses on humor itself. The first chapter discusses what makes things funny. The situational aspects of humor, witticism, joke-telling skills, ethnic humor, puns, and laughter are discussed. The second chapter presents three types of theories of humor: release-related theories; disparagement-related theories; and incongruity-related theories. The third chapter discusses the structure of the joke and presents 12 categories of jokes. Part B focuses on humor in psychotherapy. The fourth chapter discusses the role of humor in psychotherapy, including the role of humor in establishing a relationship and the role of humor in diagnosis. The fifth chapter discusses the role of humor in interpretation; the sixth chapter discusses turning the client around with humor; the seventh chapter presents humor as a criterion for termination; and the eighth chapter relates humor to the therapist's skill. Part C presents 45 pages of jokes to be used in psychotherapy.

ERIC_NO: ED286093, Humor Assessment: From May to December, by Hester, Maureen P, 1987
ABSTRACT: While research on humor in children has increased in the past 20 years, there is less information on adult humor. The Humor Assessment Instrument (HUMA) was developed as part of an ongoing humor intervention project. HUMA was used to interview 398 adults on their perception of humor in the media, humor among acquaintances, humor in parents, most and least liked humor, and blocks to humor. Results from younger adults, aged 20-29 (N=118) and older adults, aged 50 and over (N=107) were used to examine age and sex differences in adult humor. The results revealed that, as recipients, younger people enjoyed humor in the media and with acquaintances for the other person's "outlook on life" while the reason given for personal use of humor was "tension release." Women more than men reported parents as having no sense of humor, with older women citing no humor more often than younger women. The data also revealed that for women, the favorite kind of humor reflected "outlook on life" while the least favorite kind of humor was put-down humor. Blocks to humor reflected more age differences than sex differences.

Study the sites of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, Humor Matters, Laughter Remedy. But do limit yourself as you explore these sites, for they are extensive and you may get lost.  Remember that you are at http://www.learnwell.org/laugh.htm.
 

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