Stress Management Chapter Humor Therapy

gaiety or jollity, especially when accompanied by laughter:

• Music.
• a gradual, steady increase in loudness or force.
• a musical passage characterized by such an increase.
• the performance of a crescendo passage:The crescendo by the violins is too abrupt.a steady increase in force or intensity:The rain fell in a crescendo on the rooftops.the climactic point or moment in such an increase; peak:The authorities finally took action when public outrage reached a crescendo.

A coping technique; the use of humor and comic relief as a means to relieve and reduce stress by focusing on the funny, humorous, and positive aspects of life.

worthy of envy; very desirable:

• the tendency of a fluid, usually water, to pass through a semipermeable membrane into a solution where the solvent concentration is higher, thus equalizing the concentrations of materials on either side of the membrane.
• the diffusion of fluids through membranes or porous partitions.Compare endosmosis, exosmosis.a subtle or gradual absorption or mingling:He never studies but seems to learn by osmosis.

to pass into or through every part of:Bright sunshine permeated the room.to penetrate through the pores, interstices, etc., of.to be diffused through; pervade; saturate:Cynicism permeated his report.

The ability to feel and express the full range of human emotions and to control these feelings, not be controlled by them.

superior in weight, force, influence, numbers, etc.; prevailing:

An author of the classic book Anatomy of an Illness (1976), he used humor to heal himself from a serious disease and brought the importance of humor to the national consciousness in terms of mind-body-spirit healing, paving the way for the field of psychoneuroimmunology.

The study of the effects of stress and disease; treats the mind, central nervous system, and immune system as one interrelated unit.

A perception of something funny or comical; not a mood, but a perception that can trigger a feeling or mood of joy and happiness.

First coined by Plato describing the reason why people laugh is at other people's expense.

A theory that states the reason we laugh is because when two concepts come together in our head and they don't make sense, we get a chuckle.

The ability to perceive two aspects to a situation, in this case, resulting in a laugh.

Freud's theory of laughter is based on his concept that all laughter is the result of suppressed sexual tension, thus relieving it through humor.

The belief that humor is a gift from god.

A style of humor where something or someone is made fun of.  Self-parody is thought to be the best type of humor to reduce stress.

A written or dramatic form of parody.  Examples include the works of Bill Maher or Louis C.K., and the movie Zootopia.

Originating from vaudeville, a physical farch such as getting a pie thrown in the face or slipping on a banana peel.

This type of humor is best exemplified by the works of Gary Larson's The Far Side.  The comedian Steven Wright is also a prime example.

A joke that has two meanings.

Often found in storytellings (e.g., Garrison Keillor, Mark Twain), where the humor is subtle and clever

A style of humor that is based on quick wit without using sarcasm.  Quick-witted humor often involves clever wording or phrasing that catches you off guard and leaves you impressed.

A type of wordplay that may leave people sighing rather than laughing.

A form of humor often described as vulgar, crude, and tasteless, it derives its name from the use of various bodily functions known to occur in the bathroom.

Thought to be the lowed form of humor, the word sarcasm means to tear flesh.  Because sarcasm is a latent form of anger, it promotes rather than reduces stress.

A frame of mind as part of one's personality in how one uses humor and laughter in one's life.

A term to describe more than one person laughing at the same thing, all agreeing to its humor.

The class clown, the person who gets all the laughs.

This describes a person who thinks of jokes or funny things, but may be shy to share them.

This describes someone who can take a practical joke without suing.

A coping technique; the use of humor and comic relief as a means to relieve and reduce emotional stress by focusing on the funny, humorous, and positive aspects of life.