4 Humor Styles That People Have: Which Style is Yours?

One of the most typical questions asked about humor is, "How does one make sure it is appropriate?" Psychology experts said that one way to find out is to understand the four humor styles and apply them tactically in certain circumstances.

There may be people who laugh the hardest when you apply your humor type to them, but others might find and take it an offensive approach.

According to Discover, there are others too, who favor "jokes that involve insulting someone else." Then, there are just some things that nearly anyone would take funny in any situation.

You've probably heard the ancient saying that "comedy is subjective," that different people are finding different things humorous.

This information site also said that in recent decades, psychologists, as well as other researchers, have studied different aspects of humor styles.

4 Styles of Humor in Both Positive and Negative Manners

These 4 humor styles below were defined by professor Rod Martin. They are considered a very powerful and effective tool, and, according to Humor that Works, the best humorists and comedians experiment "in and out of the different styles of humor."

1. Affiliative Humor

This type of humor refers to jokes about various things that might be taken as "generally funny." It is typically applied to facilitate relationships or make other people laugh.

For instance, you have shared a ridiculous meme with an officemate or teased among your peers, that's affiliative humor.

2. Self-Enhancing Humor

This involves the ability to laugh at yourself and the absurdities of life. It is frequently used as a way of coping with stress or difficulty, and as a result, you would feel better.

3. Aggressive Humor

This humor is, well, making fun at the expense of others. It frequently engages teasing, sarcasm and criticism among others.

4. Self-Defeating Humor

This is the art of defeating yourself, or putting yourself down to get approval from your friends. Meaning, you're making yourself the center of your own joke.

For instance, this type of humor might be applied by an individual targeted by bullies, effectively preempting their own mockery before it is even caused by someone else.

What Your Style Linked to Your Mental Health

It is clearly understood that humor can have strong effects on both one's physical and mental health. The notion that "laughter is the best medicine" has existed since the biblical period.

Sigmund Freud, in his book, "Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious," published in 1905, contended that humor is "the highest of the psyche's defense mechanism" with the ability to turn anxiety into pleasure.

More recently, researchers have presented that positive humor can provide shield from symptoms of depression and anxiety. It can even treat the psychological toll of the so-called "death and dying."

However, not all humor types, and by extension, their impacts on your wellbeing are the same. In 2003, to distinguish better, the type of humor that promotes mental health, and which forms may be aggressively dangerous, Martin, together with, his colleagues, developed the "Humor Styles Questionnaire."

This is an assessment that measures how people are using humor in their everyday lives, breaking it down into the said four styles.

Check out more news and information on Mental Health in Science Times.