No one is entirely sure why humans enjoy humor, though researchers have suggested that it might be an evolved reward for paying attention to the world, or a way to win a mate... and that there seems to be a sinister link between humor and the darker aspects of the human psyche. Let's take a look at...
The Laughing ApeThere are many theories as to why we indulge in humor - philosophers propose that it gives a feeling of superiority over others, while evolutionary biologists have suggested that it stimulates the mind or bolsters social standing.
Some researchers even suggest that humor is part of our ability to "predict" things, mapping possible futures based on what we currently see and know. After all, who hasn't said "I saw that coming" in a wry response to an accident? Of course, constantly considering futures is draining on the brain, so the researchers suggest that seeing humor in a situation (and thus getting a hit of feel-good neurotransmitters) evolved as a way to keep us interested.
This isn't just some quirk - scans of male and female brain activity when watching funny cartoons suggest that females had stronger activity in the emotion-related regions of the brain than males. It is currently unknown if this is a hardwired biological trait or a product of culture, however.
As to why these differences exist... it may actually be a form of mating display. Males who are good at banter demonstrate intelligence and wit to any onlookers, indicating they have a healthy brain and social prowess.
Narcissism is characterized by an inflated sense of self worth. While this is generally the least dangerous aspect of the dark triad, narcissists may turn to manipulation and abuse if they feel that people aren't giving them their due.
By contrast, psychopathy manifests as a lack of empathy and remorse. Individuals rating highly in this category don't necessarily become violent, but are often considered the most harmful to society as a whole. It should be noted that a disturbing proportion of business leaders have these traits - 12 times more than that of the general population according to some research.
Finally, Machiavellianism is characterized by manipulation and trickery. Named after Niccolò Machiavelli, some researchers suggest that the evolving brains of humans were influenced by fierce social competition. Our resulting intelligence may be intrinsically linked to our ability to engage in social warfare.
Psychopathic Comedy StylingsComedians (and people in general) have their own distinctive styles when they try to be funny. Some rely on pointing out surreal things about the world we live in, whimsy or even clever word play. Others make use of sarcasm, satire, cynicism and irony. A recent study administered a pair of questionnaires to 715 adults ranging between 19 and 83, assessing both their affinity for the dark triad characteristics and their personal comic style. When the responses on both sets of questionnaire were compared, a number of patterns began to emerge.
Individuals showing Machiavellian traits in their responses tended towards irony and cynicism. The researchers suggest that they may be using humor to point out the flaws in other people without putting themselves up for criticism. Those showing psychopathic traits leaned towards irony, sarcasm and cynicism in their responses. In essence, they seemed to prefer comedy with a "victim" as the butt of the joke. Finally, those showing narcissism favored displays of wit rather than darker styles. It is possible that these individuals are trying to show off rather than put other people down, cultivating a lighter and more favorably perceived form of humor as a result!
It should be pointed out that none of the individuals used in this study actually had psychological diagnoses of these conditions - i.e. it was simply people with traits like a narcissist rather than a full-blown example of one. Furthermore, questionnaire based studies rely on accurate responses from the subjects - and if you are dealing with individuals ranking highly on the dark triad, the responses may well have been manipulated.
Once the pair met in the flesh, Bradshaw decided to pull out of the date - there was something about Alcala that unnerved her. This instinct may well have saved her life - Alcala had an undisclosed criminal history that included the attempted murder of an 8-year-old girl. He would later be identified as a serial killer, conclusively linked to eight homicides and suspected of many more!
- The laughing ape - what do humans get out of humor?
- Romantic comedy - sex-linked views on humor
- The dark triad - three dangerous personality traits...
- Psychopathic comedy stylings - and how they affect our comedy
- The dark triad in action - how a serial killer won "The Dating Game"
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| Sometimes humor hides a predator... (Rawval) |
The Laughing ApeThere are many theories as to why we indulge in humor - philosophers propose that it gives a feeling of superiority over others, while evolutionary biologists have suggested that it stimulates the mind or bolsters social standing.
Some researchers even suggest that humor is part of our ability to "predict" things, mapping possible futures based on what we currently see and know. After all, who hasn't said "I saw that coming" in a wry response to an accident? Of course, constantly considering futures is draining on the brain, so the researchers suggest that seeing humor in a situation (and thus getting a hit of feel-good neurotransmitters) evolved as a way to keep us interested.
Romantic Comedy
There seem to be some differences between males and females when it comes to humor. Researchers looking into dating patterns found that females typically want a partner to both tell and be happy to listen to jokes... while males tend to only be interested in telling their own jokes to an appreciative listener.This isn't just some quirk - scans of male and female brain activity when watching funny cartoons suggest that females had stronger activity in the emotion-related regions of the brain than males. It is currently unknown if this is a hardwired biological trait or a product of culture, however.
As to why these differences exist... it may actually be a form of mating display. Males who are good at banter demonstrate intelligence and wit to any onlookers, indicating they have a healthy brain and social prowess.
The Dark Triad
Coined by psychologists Paulhus and Williams in 2002, the ominously named dark triad consists of three personality traits - narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy. Individuals affiliated with these traits tend to be manipulative and malicious, while being more likely than the general populace to commit crimes.Narcissism is characterized by an inflated sense of self worth. While this is generally the least dangerous aspect of the dark triad, narcissists may turn to manipulation and abuse if they feel that people aren't giving them their due.
By contrast, psychopathy manifests as a lack of empathy and remorse. Individuals rating highly in this category don't necessarily become violent, but are often considered the most harmful to society as a whole. It should be noted that a disturbing proportion of business leaders have these traits - 12 times more than that of the general population according to some research.
Finally, Machiavellianism is characterized by manipulation and trickery. Named after Niccolò Machiavelli, some researchers suggest that the evolving brains of humans were influenced by fierce social competition. Our resulting intelligence may be intrinsically linked to our ability to engage in social warfare.
 |
| Certain personality traits can make manipulation second nature... (anncapictures) |
Psychopathic Comedy StylingsComedians (and people in general) have their own distinctive styles when they try to be funny. Some rely on pointing out surreal things about the world we live in, whimsy or even clever word play. Others make use of sarcasm, satire, cynicism and irony. A recent study administered a pair of questionnaires to 715 adults ranging between 19 and 83, assessing both their affinity for the dark triad characteristics and their personal comic style. When the responses on both sets of questionnaire were compared, a number of patterns began to emerge.
Individuals showing Machiavellian traits in their responses tended towards irony and cynicism. The researchers suggest that they may be using humor to point out the flaws in other people without putting themselves up for criticism. Those showing psychopathic traits leaned towards irony, sarcasm and cynicism in their responses. In essence, they seemed to prefer comedy with a "victim" as the butt of the joke. Finally, those showing narcissism favored displays of wit rather than darker styles. It is possible that these individuals are trying to show off rather than put other people down, cultivating a lighter and more favorably perceived form of humor as a result!
It should be pointed out that none of the individuals used in this study actually had psychological diagnoses of these conditions - i.e. it was simply people with traits like a narcissist rather than a full-blown example of one. Furthermore, questionnaire based studies rely on accurate responses from the subjects - and if you are dealing with individuals ranking highly on the dark triad, the responses may well have been manipulated.
The Dark Triad in Action
In 1978, the show known as "The Dating Game" was one of the staples of American television. The format of the show was simple - three bachelors were concealed behind a wall, while a single bachelorette asks them questions and picks one contestant for a date. In this particular case the bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw selected photographer Rodney Alcala based on his witty and raunchy responses to her questions.Once the pair met in the flesh, Bradshaw decided to pull out of the date - there was something about Alcala that unnerved her. This instinct may well have saved her life - Alcala had an undisclosed criminal history that included the attempted murder of an 8-year-old girl. He would later be identified as a serial killer, conclusively linked to eight homicides and suspected of many more!
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