Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar

They met as freshmen at Harvard 51 years ago! Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein have been longtime friends and colleagues. Not too long ago, they checked into a hotel with a pile of joke books and a pile of philosophy books and the result: Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar… Understanding Philosophy through Jokes. (Well, actually the original title was An Existentialist and A Horse Walk into a Bar—no joke, but I digress…)

Forty publishers rejected their book. Fortunately, the forty-first, Abrams Image, was savvy enough to spot a winner. A New York Times Best seller, as a matter of fact.

For those of you, like me, who managed to escape taking Philosophy in college (nurses aren’t encouraged to philosophize, especially while performing CPR), you would be pleasantly surprised at how the great insights of philosophers such as Kant, Aristotle, Descartes, Nietzsche, and Marx (Karl and Groucho) can be explained in such an understandable and hysterical way. The wit and charm of this book make it a must have for your library (even if your library is in your bathroom).

But as great as the book is, it cannot compare to seeing these two guys live and in person. I had the pleasure of laughing with them as they did a reading and signing at Warwick’s in San Diego. Fortunately for me, these guys are not aspiring to be full time speakers and entertainers (whew!). Fortunately for you, they are aspiring authors and have one sequel completed (Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington… Understanding Political Doublespeak through Philosophy and Jokes) and another on the way.

Check out their humor and their website where you can buy their book and tell them I send laughs from San Diego!

What Trips Your Trigger?

Humor that’s constructive and doesn’t target others feels good when we experience it.  It’s a pleasurable experience usually accompanied by a smile and a laugh.  And yet experts find it elusive as to what humor really is and just what triggers that humor response within us.

There are numerous theories about what evokes a humorous response. One of those theories revolves around developmental stages.  According to psychiatrist Christian Hageseth, author of A Laughing Place, there are 3 ways to elicit the humor response: Nov-verbal interactive; the stimulation of forbidden subjects; and verbal humor (jokes and word play).

Non-verbal interactive:
What is one of the very first things that evokes a smile in a young baby?  Obviously his brain isn’t developed enough to understand the concept of absurdity or incongruity. The baby laughs at a smiling face, which in return smiles back, usually evoking even more smiles.  Pure pleasure! 
As we grow, such interaction generally continues to evoke a pleasurable response, until we are conditioned to think and respond otherwise.  Even in the advanced Alzheimer’s patient, when she’s no longer able to remember faces, dress herself or even feed herself, a big smile accompanied by eye contact will evoke that same pleasurable response and usually a smile in return.

The stimulation of forbidden subjects:
As a child develops his sense of humor, one of the first things he finds funny is body noises– particularly those that evoke a startled response in adults. Eventually, as the child grows, his sense of humor also evolves, but occasionally we meet folks that seem to become stuck at that particular phase. (Usually they are know for statements, such as “Pull my finger.”) While many find toilet humor distasteful, the movie industry makes billions of dollars each year from movies like Dumb and Dumber or There’s Something About Mary.

Many occupations, especially those that are involved with tragedy and death, have their own inside humor that others might label ‘disgusting.’  Indeed much medical humor is known as gallows humor or ’sick’ humor, and usually involves one of three topics: body fluids, dismemberment and death. Nonetheless, this humor serves as a coping mechanism to people like Cyndi, a nurse in California, who says, “If I couldn’t laugh about the smell of poop or the texture of sputum, I’d probably be flipping burgers, and asking the person across the counter, “Do you want fries with that?”

Verbal humor (jokes and word play)
While most people think of this category first, language dependent humor actually comprises a very small percentage of what elicits a humor response. Indeed, it’s been speculated that only around 3% of the population remembers and tells jokes well. Most of shake our heads sadly and say, “I can never remember the punch line.” Fortunately jokes aren’t crucial to experiencing humor. 

 
If this tactic appeals to you, seek jokes and funny stories from others, listen to your favorite comediennes, pay attention to television sitcoms. There are joke-a-day services on the Internet. Most magazines and newspapers have a section that involves humor and word play.

And if you decide that you would like to learn the skill of joke telling, it’s really not that hard.  Start with jokes that are short and easier to remember. Practice telling the joke out loud to yourself, preferably in front of a mirror, at least 7 or more times. And once you feel confident, go out and tell your joke to your friends, family members, and those that look like they could use a good laugh!

Granted, we respond to all three categories above. But usually we can identify more with one area than another.  Our sense of humor is as unique as our thumb prints. What makes you laugh may leave another completely clueless. What’s most important isn’t what trips your trigger, but what you do with that knowledge. Merely raising your awareness about what you find fun and funny is a good first step. To gain the most benefits from humor, however, you need to move from a passive role, to an active one.  Discover what trips your trigger and causes you to experience mirth and laughter. Then seek the experience, practice positive humor and enjoy feeling good.