Idioteex

Evolutionary explanation of humour

Alastair Clarke explains: “The theory is an evolutionary and cognitive explanation of how and why any individual finds anything funny. Effectively, it explains that humour occurs when the brain recognizes a pattern that surprises it, and that recognition of this sort is rewarded with the experience of the humorous response, an element of which is broadcast as laughter.” The theory further identifies the importance of pattern recognition in human evolution: “An ability to recognize patterns instantly and unconsciously has proved a fundamental weapon in the cognitive arsenal of human beings. The humorous reward has encouraged the development of such faculties, leading to the unique perceptual and intellectual abilities of our species.

Many theories exist about what humour is and what social function it serves. It would be very difficult to explain humor to a hypothetical person who did not themself have a sense of humor already. In fact, to such a person humor would appear to be quite strange if not outright irrational behavior. Something humourous to an individual can be entirely repulsive to another. Among the prevailing types of theories that attempt to account for the existence of humor there are: theories, the vast majority of which consider humor to be very healthy behavior; there are spiritual theories which may, for instance consider humor to be a “gift from God;” there are also theories that consider humor to be an unexplainable mystery, very much like a

provoke and provide . People of all ages and cultures respond to humour. The majority of people are able to be amused, to laugh or smile at something funny and thus they are considered to have a “sense of humour”. The question of whether or not something is humorous is a matter of personal

The term derives from the of the which stated that a mix of fluids known as humours  chymos, literally  or metaphorically, ) controlled human health and emotion.

A sense of humour is the ability to experience humour, although the extent to which an individual will find something humorous depends on a host of variables, including  level of  and . For example, young children may favour, such as  puppet shows or cartoons such as  may rely more on understanding the target of the humour and thus tends to appeal to more mature audiences. Nonsatirical humour can be specifically termed “recreational drollery”.