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We have a 5.5 month old baby at home, and two older children as well. It's really fun to watch the 'humor' aspect of their personality emerge. With babies it'

by kogus 10y ago

We have a 5.5 month old baby at home, and two older children as well. It's really fun to watch the 'humor' aspect of their personality emerge. With babies it's usually a big grin or a laugh at what I call a "friendly surprise". A fun example on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjXi6X-moxE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjXi6X-moxE). This core of humor seems to persist all the way to adulthood, where it may take the form of laughing at a surprising play on words, or slapstick comedy. The nature of "what makes something funny" is one of those questions that is actually really hard to answer when you get into it.

bitJericho 10y ago
More enjoyable was when my daughter started being funny back. For ages I did this thing where I'd pretend to eat an arm or belly and say "I'm gonna eat you" and my daughter would laugh and laugh. Then one day she's really going at my arm and I'm like what are you doing?? She said "I'm going to eat you!!" And all I could think was my how the tables have turned. This was like 2 or 3 years of age, though I'd been chomping on arms since she could smile.
hacker_9 10y ago
> The nature of "what makes something funny" is one of those questions that is actually really hard to answer when you get into it. All humour can be explained by an incorrect connection in the brain being corrected. For example, a play on words has one meaning that you make the connection with by default, but then you see the meaning they was actually intended and this correction induces laughter. In a slapstick comedy, actors may hit each other violently, so you expect a violent reaction, but then little physical damage is actually done, and this correction makes you laugh again. Summing up, humour is when the brain gets something wrong, corrects itself, then produces a physical reaction to tell others 'I was wrong'. Showing weakness like this is likely a development of the 'social brain'. The feel good factor is also likely a reward for bonding with the group.
- falsedan 10y ago
  You're describing the catastrophe model of humour, where the sudden switch or reversal of understanding a situation overcomes the fear/anxiety and the relief from the resolution generated emotional energy.

by kogus 10y ago

bitJericho 10y ago

More enjoyable was when my daughter started being funny back. For ages I did this thing where I'd pretend to eat an arm or belly and say "I'm gonna eat you" and my daughter would laugh and laugh. Then one day she's really going at my arm and I'm like what are you doing?? She said "I'm going to eat you!!" And all I could think was my how the tables have turned. This was like 2 or 3 years of age, though I'd been chomping on arms since she could smile.

hacker_9 10y ago

> The nature of "what makes something funny" is one of those questions that is actually really hard to answer when you get into it. All humour can be explained by an incorrect connection in the brain being corrected. For example, a play on words has one meaning that you make the connection with by default, but then you see the meaning they was actually intended and this correction induces laughter. In a slapstick comedy, actors may hit each other violently, so you expect a violent reaction, but then little physical damage is actually done, and this correction makes you laugh again. Summing up, humour is when the brain gets something wrong, corrects itself, then produces a physical reaction to tell others 'I was wrong'. Showing weakness like this is likely a development of the 'social brain'. The feel good factor is also likely a reward for bonding with the group.

falsedan 10y ago
You're describing the catastrophe model of humour, where the sudden switch or reversal of understanding a situation overcomes the fear/anxiety and the relief from the resolution generated emotional energy.