A Sense Of Humor

[Terywj [태리]]

--Quote from Calvin & Hobbes: The Days Are Just Packed-- (Couldn't find the strip online)

Calvin: Isn't it strange that evolution would give us a sense of humor? When you think about it, it's weird that we have a physiological response to absurdity. We laugh at nonsense. We like it. We think it's funny. Don't you think it's odd that we appreciate absurdity? Why would we develop that way? How does it benefit us?

Hobbes: I suppose if we couldn't laugh at things that don't make sense, we couldn't react to a lot of life.

Calvin: I can't tell if that's funny or really scary.

What do you guys think about this? Not the "evolution" aspect, but the "sense of humor" aspect. Thoughts? Theories? Etc.

Not exactly a typical debate, per se, but I thought I would throw this out there and see the discussion about it? I dunno.

 

[Suntan Luigi]

Some of those Calvin and Hobbes panels are really deep. Seriously.

 

[StealthyGunnar]

A sense of humor could be a quality that just stems from a highly-developed consciousness.

 

[Dre89]

A sense of humor could be a quality that just stems from a highly-developed consciousness.

I'm not sure that's satisfactory though. The highly developed consciousness only makes it conceivable, it doesn't make it necessary.

I think there are alot of concepts like senses of humour that we could have had, but we don't (which is what makes it hard for me to think of an example) that we are intelligent enough to have.

I think you need to explain the specific reason why we have a sense of humour and not other things, because intelligence doesn't automatically entail a sense of humour. I think if you're going to say it does automatically entail it, and there's no specific reason for it, then every other concept possible with our level of intelligence would exist in us too, but it doesn't.

 

[Orboknown]

then there is also the fact that not everyone finds the same things funny.

 

[StealthyGunnar]

I'm not sure that's satisfactory though. The highly developed consciousness only makes it conceivable, it doesn't make it necessary.

I think there are alot of concepts like senses of humour that we could have had, but we don't (which is what makes it hard for me to think of an example) that we are intelligent enough to have.

I think you need to explain the specific reason why we have a sense of humour and not other things, because intelligence doesn't automatically entail a sense of humour. I think if you're going to say it does automatically entail it, and there's no specific reason for it, then every other concept possible with our level of intelligence would exist in us too, but it doesn't.

I don't really know why we have a sense of humor. Haven't really researched this. Will though in the future. And I'm not necessarily saying that a sense of humor comes from having a highly-developed consciousness; I'm just saying it could be possible.

 

[Sucumbio]

Animals laugh.

It's healthy.

The evidence is there that it is linked to biology and evolution. The question as to why is perhaps somewhat of a mystery. Most of what I've read seems to suggest that it is meant to be used as a "balancing" mechanism during stressful situations.

 

[1048576]

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/310

First result of googling 'evolution of sense of humor.' Kinda scary that posters 2-5 didn't do this search before me. It implies that they don't think any evolutionary biologists thought of this, which implies that those 4 people have very little faith in science.

 

[GofG]

Hm... I learnt of a theory which 'rang true' to me, although I cannot find anything about it on the internet, while I was in high school.

Things are funny when reality is different from our prediction of how reality is supposed to be. It would be highly advantageous if a species were to adopt a method for discovering when their views differ from reality... and to give new information discovered with this method a positive value (new information is funny!) as opposed to a negative value (new information is screamed at you by commanding officer).