What evolutionary purpose does humor serve?

Thanks Richard Feynman was another guy I thought about. Intelligent, playful, great sense of humor, quite probably jungle-proof. Gell-Mann, his great rival? I'm much less confident about him.

A person with a sense of humor tends to be a person with a sense of proportion as well as a person with the ability to visualize what reality might be--or might become.

Without a sense of humor, you're limited to the status quo.

Whereas one with a sense of humour can progress to Pink Floyd.

Interesting concept is a sense of humour.

So highly prized is it,Rabelais having got into the cultural DNA,that millions of people fake one but unless you can see your own absurdity,which is easy the morning after a meal in a posh restaurant,you will never get the real thing.

A person with a sense of humour titters uncontrollably watching Prime Minister's Questions.
Wellington couldn't stand people who laughed.

Maybe his boots were too tight.

No chance.

On a day-to-day basis, life moves more smoothly when you have a good laugh with someone.

An example: I belong to a health club where it's proprietors and management are not so bright. They were doing renovations, painting the place, while people were working out in the club. Here's the scary part-- all the people painting were wearing gas masks...

When I explained this to management they looked at me blankly. When I told this story to a member a few weeks later she burst into laughter. It was a fine and rewarding moment-- especially because it lessened the fright element of the potentially dangerous toxins and the balnkness of management.

That's tittering material Cliff.

But I wouldn't worry too much.95% of the toxins will have outgassed in about six months.

It is a job requirement that to be the proprietor of or manage a health club you are not too bright.

Or, at least pretend you aren't. That way, they get away with not doing anything for you.

Haven't you noticied it's a complete mystery to them how to change the channel on the TV's, or fix the lock that been broken for 6 months in a ladies room stall?

Their sense of humor is stunted as well.

spendius, you are too kind...

Chai Tea, how correct. Currently, said management's IQ has dropped more since the New Year has brought in handfuls of new members who collectively have resolved to lose around 50,000 lbs.

Phrase of the day, 'social lubricant'!!!!

While we're on the subject, how about sadness?? What possible evoltuionary purpose could this emotion have???

Well, we could talk about all emotions and their purposes, but what I'm talking about is not happiness or even laughter, but humor itself. The ability to make something funny or observe the humor in words or situations. I'm not sure I'd say that humor is emotional.

Maybe I should say "sense of humor" instead of just humor.

(love the sig line!)

I think group laughter is usually emotional as opposed to an individual appreciation of wit or irony.

It is certainly a way of DISCHARGING emotion.

Often fear or social awkwardness, I think.

(thanks, soz)

I can certainly see how humor might serve an emotional purpose -- it makes us laugh, laughter makes us happy, etc..

Like Tragedy, Laughter can be a vehicle for discharging both pity and terror.

"Man that ol' saber-tooth came out of the cave and I was so ****-scared I pissed my loincloth...."

What evolutionary purpose does humor serve?
I am positive that, humour poes not herve any dvolutionary eurpose! Because we could always survive without humour. By the way I don't believe in evolution either.