The Essence of Humor: What Makes Us Human

What makes us human? Is it walking upright? Being able to speak? Clarity of thought? Or is it a summation of all these things and much more? I believe one essential element of our wonderful human race is having a sense of humor.

According to Robert Roy Britt, in his article: Study: Humor Makes Us Hopeful...The finding suggests humor could be a strategy to relieve stress and maintain well-being, the researchers say. The work was published recently in the International Journal of Humor Research.

Previous studies have revealed laughter is good medicine. A report released last month from the University of Maryland Medical Center found laughter makes blood vessels function better, causing the tissue that lines the vessels to expand, increasing blood flow. A previous study at the same institution concluded that laughter and an active sense of humor may protect against heart attacks.

Other surveys have found that humor can relieve stress and contribute to a person's overall well-being.

But why would humor foster hope? Maybe just by inhibiting negative thoughts, said Texas A&M psychologist David H. Rosen, one of the new paper's authors.
Laugher can stimulate thought and cause you to toss out automatic behavioral responses in favor of more creative pursuits, Rosen said. That leads to a greater sense of self worth and a tendency to develop plans of attack for dealing with problems.

I love a good laugh being carefree when the time is right...and yes to relieve stress. I believe Mr. Britt's study has some solid merit and am going to delve further into this realm of humor and what makes us human...