Humor as a Coping Mechanism

 In the article on communicating death with humor, one observation I found was the different types of humor used at the dinner. There was humor used as entertainment in order to integrate with the group of people at the dinner party. There was relational humor for the entertainment and enjoyment of the other people there. Lastly, other members attempted to entertain by making fun of the situation of talking about death. This was done in response to other participants getting emotional about death and having a place to share their thoughts about it. The article gives an example. saying, "For example, while sharing personal stories about loss and expressing their appreciation for having a space to share their stories, participants in one conversation became rather emotional. Taking note of the situation, one woman said, “You better go to the bathroom and get some tissues,” after which the other participants laughed before continuing to share their stories" (5). In the same setting, humor was used with three different intentions, and I think that is quite remarkable.

The second, more personal article shares why it is so important for us to have humor as a tool to help us cope. Bob Griggs opens his article with the line, "At times, I need to talk honestly and directly about my depression. It's hard, but my recovery depends on it. Then, after a while, I need a break. For me, the best break is something that makes me laugh" (Griggs 1). This relates back to the last example given in the previous article where humor is used as a way to "take a break" from a serious topic. Bob puts the reason bluntly: it's hard. If we don't take a break by using humor, it could cause serious implications regarding mental health. 

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