speak humor, be humorous

Chapter 2 The Meaning of Humor (1)
What is humor?This is always a question mark that cannot be straightened.Humor is an eternal topic for us, but the definition of humor is always like a mystery.American philosopher Saul Steinberg said: Trying to define humor is one of the definitions of humor.No one can give a precise definition of humor, and different dictionaries give different definitions of humor.

Some people say that humor is a kind of self-cultivation and a kind of culture; some people say that humor is a kind of lubricant and a kind of stimulant; Never eliminate your aggressiveness in complaining...

Our understanding of humor is: humor is a noble quality, and people with this noble quality are good at triggering their own and others' laughing nerves, laughing at the ridiculous people in the world, laughing at the ridiculous things in the world, and being able to tolerate the intolerable things in the world thing.

humor what are you

Why as soon as comedians such as Chaplin show their faces, their gestures can immediately stir people's heartstrings, making thousands of people laugh and laugh?The secret is that their words, deeds, and actions are full of enlightening and pleasing humor.

There is no one in the world who does not like humorous language.In traditional Chinese cultural evenings, the reason why crosstalk sketches have always been one of the most popular programs is that its form of expression is inseparable from humor. The humorous language strongly infects the hearts of the audience, and humorous words can capture The heart of the listener can calm the other party, and can also express some profound thoughts more vividly and vividly.

During the American Civil War, a general sent a telegram from the front to Lincoln. Lincoln felt that the battle situation in the telegram was too brief, so he called back and asked that future battle reports must be detailed.

The general was impatient, and he was very upset after reading the telegram. Soon he sent a telegram to Lincoln: six cows were seized, and he asked for instructions on how to deal with them.

Lincoln read the telegram and knew that the general was angry, so he called back immediately: Milk the cow quickly.

The general looked at it, laughed, and his anger disappeared.

From this humorous story, we see the humility and generosity of a leader.When the general angrily sent a telegram asking the president to dispose of "six cows", Lincoln did not lose his temper at this absurd and unreasonable request, but responded cleverly: "Milk the cows quickly."

We often encounter embarrassing situations of one kind or another. If we handle them a little carelessly, it will lead to adverse consequences.If everyone could "take a moment of silence" at a critical moment like Lincoln did, how much more fun would be added to our tense and boring daily life.

What is humor?
Irish playwright Bernard Shaw said: humor is an element, it is neither a compound nor a finished product.

Chaplin, the master of American humor performance, said: The so-called humor is the nuances we perceive in what we seem to be normal behaviors.In other words, through humor we see the abnormal in the seemingly normal, and the abnormal in the seemingly important.

British writer Hazlitt said: Humor is the seasoning of speech, not food.

Lenin once said: "Humor is a beautiful and healthy quality."

This shows that the charming and unpredictable spirit of humor is constantly seeking its own beautiful shell, and at the same time constantly updating its appearance.

A sense of humor is a relatively noble temperament of people and the embodiment of civilization.A society cannot live without humor.Someone said vividly: "A language without a sense of humor is a document, a person without a sense of humor is a statue, a family without a sense of humor is an inn, and a society without a sense of humor is unimaginable." Humor can happen In every level of social life, in every corner.A well-educated person has an educated way of humor; a middle-class person has a middle-class way of humor; and an illiterate person can also have their unique way of humor.It can be said that humor is a social phenomenon that can be enjoyed by people regardless of gender, age, social status and education level.It is precisely because humor is so common in our social life and is so familiar to people that it is ignored by people.When people live in an environment that lacks air, they can deeply appreciate the importance of air to the human body.Similarly, only when people live in a social environment that lacks humor, can they feel the charm of humor and the power of humor in life.

One day, Roentgen, the inventor of Roentgen rays, received a letter asking him to send him some Roentgen rays and an instruction manual on how to use them, because he had a bullet in his chest and needed radiation therapy.

Roentgen read the letter and wrote in reply: "It's a pity that I have just run out of X-rays at hand, and it is very difficult to send this kind of radiation. Well, please send me your chest cavity! "

"Send me your ribcage" is the excellence of humor and eloquence.

layers of humor

Humor is a comprehensive manifestation of people's ability, will, personality, and interests, and it is the spice of social interaction.With humor, socializing can make people feel mellow, meaningful and sweet.It is a magnet with strong gravitational force. With social humor, it will attract scattered hearts into the same magnetic field, and make others smile happily.It is the spark of wisdom, the brilliance of the wise man's inspiration; it is a high-level funny product, humor may not make you laugh out loud, but it can cause you to smile.

In terms of variety, humor is as colorful as laughter, it comes in kind, grim, friendly, sad, touching, aggressive, deadpan, innuendo, malicious, mocking, provocative Whether humorous, gentle, innocent, witty, etc., whether it is ridiculed, ridiculed, sympathetic or grotesque, the interest must come from the heart, not from the head. gush.Only in this way can it symbolize the outstanding mental strength with a sense of vividness and life, and shake out the warmth and brilliance of the soul.

Humor can be divided into the following types, and different people have their own appreciation of humor.

1.philosophical humor

People with a penchant for philosophy, religion, etc. will react strongly to this.They can often laugh at their own weaknesses.It is not a masochist who is interested in this type of humor, but an openness to admit and face one's own weaknesses, and to look beyond them, with an amiable humility.

Consider the punch line below:

College students ask a famous economist to define terms like recession, depression, and panic.

"It's not difficult," the expert replied. "During a 'recession' people need to tighten their belts. During a 'depression' it's hard to get belts for pants. When people don't have pants, the 'panic' starts."

A work titled "Beautiful and Beautiful" is more interesting:

"What do you love most about me?" the wife asked her husband. "My natural beauty, or my beautiful body?"

"I love your sense of humor the most," replied the husband.

2.absurd humor
This is such a perfect "stupidity" that escapes rationality in an unexpected and unique way.This kind of humor never comes from a fool's mind, but from a high degree of intelligence.People who like this type have developed rational thinking and pursue spiritual freedom.

Once, the British writer Charles Dickens was fishing when a stranger walked up to him and asked, "Sir, do you fish?"

"Yes," Dickens replied without hesitation, "I fished for a long time today, but I didn't see a single fish; but yesterday, also in this place, I caught 15 fish!"

"Really?" asked the stranger, "Do you know who I am? I specialize in patrolling poachers. Fishing is prohibited on this lake!"

As he spoke, the stranger took out a ticket book from his pocket, and wanted to write down his name and fine Dickens.Seeing this scene, Dickens hurriedly asked: "Then, do you know who I am?"

When the stranger was still surprised and confused, Dickens said bluntly: "I am the writer Dickens, you can't fine me, because fictional stories are my profession."

3.social satire

This is a mockery of the social atmosphere and some of the darker aspects of human nature. People who love this kind of sketches treat the world with a semi-detached and indifferent attitude. Appreciators of this kind of humor often take a broader perspective—— That is to say, the so-called "God's eye" looks at oneself and human beings, and is a free and detached observer of oneself and human destiny.

In 1717, Voltaire was imprisoned in the Bastille for 11 months for mocking the regent, the Duke of Orléans.After he was released from prison, the philosopher who had suffered enough knew that this person should not be offended, so he went to ask his forgiveness, hoping to let go of the past.The regent was well aware of Voltaire's influence, and was eager to turn his quarrel into friendship.So both of them said a lot of well-placed apologies.

Finally, Voltaire once again expressed his gratitude and said: "Your Majesty, you are really helpful and have solved the problem of board and lodging for me for such a long time. I sincerely thank you again. But from now on, you don't have to worry about this matter again." Worry about it for me."

4.gag "babbling"

It's light-hearted self-entertainment.Young people who are just beginning to experience the taste of reasoning and who are not deeply involved in the world may be interested in this.

Mark Twain complained about his headache one day in Richmond, USA.A local person said to him: "It may be caused by the food you eat and the air you breathe in Richmond City. There is no healthier city than Richmond City. Our death rate is now reduced to Alone every day."

Mark Twain immediately said to the man: "Please go to the newspaper office immediately and see if the damned person is dead today?"

There are various forms and varieties of humor, and a hundred flowers bloom together, which shows the enduring and vigorous vitality of human humor art.When we are attracted by its brilliance, we should see that, like most things in the world, humor also has different qualities, some are noble and elegant, enlightening people's minds; some are vulgar and harmful for thousands of years.For those who use the power of humor, rational judgment and perspective are necessary.

the charm of humor

Humor exists in all aspects of life, and we have to admit that a person who is good at using humor is full of charm.A psychologist told us: "If you can make one person like you, then you can make everyone around you, even the whole world, like you. As long as you don't go around Shake people's hands, but spread the word about you with your friendliness, your wit, your wit, and the distance disappears."

The characteristic of humor is to make people laugh and make people feel happy, joyful and cheerful. If this characteristic is applied to social life, unexpected results will be obtained.

From the following example, we can appreciate the efficacy of humor.

Once, when U.S. President Ronald Reagan was speaking at the White House piano recital, his wife, Nancy, accidentally fell to the carpet under the stage, including her and her chair.Reagan, who was speaking, saw that his wife was not injured, so he interjected and said, "My dear, I told you that you should only perform like this when I don't get applause." applause.

It was originally an embarrassing matter for Reagan. At this time, if he complained or ignored it, it would be unpleasant, not only the people off the stage, but also the people on the stage.Reagan, however, used humor to save the day in a critical moment, achieving a surprising effect, revealing his wit and open-mindedness, and shortening the distance with the audience.

Humor is an essential gift for social activities and the best "seasoning" for active social occasions.It can add joy to people, brush away the slightest unpleasantness that may linger with ease, and deftly and gracefully get rid of embarrassment for oneself or others-this is the charm of humor.

At a banquet, a fat capitalist said to Bernard Shaw with a smile: "Hello, Mr. Bernard Shaw! As soon as I saw you, I knew that there was a famine in the world." Bernard Shaw said unhurriedly: "Sir, I am When I see you, I know why the world is suffering from famine."

The two came and went in silence, expressing their meaning clearly but not revealing it, which is really wonderful!

Modern humor theory holds that humor can generate a strong sense of companionship and consistent external aggression among participants.Humor can shorten the distance between two people at once, because people who laugh together show that they have common interests and hobbies. This is the first and crucial step for social success.

There are countless examples of two people who are hostile to each other, laughing at each other and turning enemies into friends because of humor.Really smart people always rely on humor to make social interactions smoother and more humane.

If you want to be successful, to be noticed, to be socially successful, to be invincible in modern life, then you should learn to have a little humor and a shared laugh with others.

Former U.S. President Lincoln, who was deeply loved by the American people, was ugly, which was originally an obstacle to gaining people's love.Lincoln recognized this, but instead of avoiding it, he used it to bring people closer.

Once, Lincoln's political opponents said that Lincoln was a double-dealer.Lincoln said peacefully: "Now, let the audience judge, if I had another face, would I still wear this ugly face?"

The timely and appropriate humor not only shows Lincoln's philosophy, but also reflects his sincerity, revealing the humanity and human touch that people need, thus winning people's understanding and support.

It is true that humor cannot replace specific scientific methods to solve problems, it cannot help you lose weight, it cannot help you grow taller, it cannot help you get high test scores, and it cannot help you invent and create.But it can help you regulate relationships.In the confusion of life, it will help you change from passive to active, and replace heavy sighs with relaxed smiles.Learn to experience the true meaning of humor slowly, and be a charming and humorous person.

humorous fun

With the continuous development of material civilization and spiritual civilization, people know more and more how to create and appreciate humor in order to live a more relaxed and happy life.Humor must not only make people laugh, but also mean something.Real humor should be witty and full of wit, which makes people laugh more and more, and has a sense of enlightenment; otherwise, it is degraded to gag, just like reaching out to someone's armpit.Humor is the natural display of intelligence accumulated to a certain degree, and the natural expression of reaction training to a certain degree.If you want to be humorous, you can only enrich yourself and improve yourself in a down-to-earth manner.

American Trudeau said it well: "Humor is a characteristic, a characteristic that causes joy and entertains people in a pleasant way; a sense of humor is a kind of ability, a kind of ability to understand and express humor; humor is a kind of Art, an art that uses a sense of humor to enhance your relationship with others; humor is the lubricant of interpersonal relationships, it replaces complaints with a kind smile, avoids quarrels, and makes your relationship with others harmonious and more meaningful; humor It can help you relieve all kinds of pressure in life and get rid of difficulties; humor can help you overcome troubles, lift your spirits, and turn defeat into victory in frustration; humor can help you turn many impossibles into possibilities; humor has more depth than laughter, It produces far more than a grin. When you give your humor as a gift to others, you will get as much or more in return; humor can make others like you and trust you because they don't have to worry about being judged. Make fun of, be ignored. So people want to work with humorous people, enjoy doing things for such people, and hope to be a lifelong partner with a person with a sense of humor. In short, humor is an indispensable force in all uplifting people .”

Before Roosevelt became the president of the United States, once his home was burglarized, and his friends wrote to him to comfort him.Roosevelt wrote back: "Thank you for your letter, I am at peace now, thank God, because:

First, the thief only stole my property and did not harm my life; second, the thief only stole some things, not all; third, the most thankful thing is that he is the thief, not me . "

People who really understand the fun of humor, like President Roosevelt in the story, have an optimistic attitude towards life to discover humor and happiness, so that we will surely live in laughter.

Once, George Bernard Shaw was knocked to the ground by a daredevil riding a bicycle while walking on the street. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured.The perpetrator hurriedly helped him up and apologized repeatedly. Bernard Shaw patted his buttocks and said humorously, "You are so unlucky, sir. If you run me over to death, you will be famous all over the world."

The witty response of humor is not just eloquence, but a happy and mature attitude towards life. Mastering it is equivalent to mastering the crystallization of wisdom and the source of happiness.Only by learning humor can we "look at everything optimistically and look at life with a smile"; only then can "speaking is wisdom, and speaking is the sound of nature".

Humor master Lin Yutang once taught English in a certain university.On the first day of class, he walked into the classroom with a large leather bag. The students thought it was a textbook, but when they opened it, they found peanuts in shells. Lin Yutang lectured on how to eat peanuts in English.

He said: "To eat peanuts, you have to eat the shells. All the flavors and tastes are all in the shells. The stronger the shells, the more flavorful the peanuts." He also added: "Peanuts are also called longevity fruits. On the first day of class, please eat my longevity fruit to wish you immortality, and I will not call names in class in the future, I hope everyone will grow up after eating the longevity fruit, and don’t skip class!" After finishing speaking, the whole class smiled.

General MacArthur wrote a prayer for his son, in addition to asking God to give his son "to be strong in weakness, to face oneself bravely in fear, to persevere in honest defeat, and to be humble and gentle in victory" In addition, he also prayed to God to give him "a sufficient sense of humor".From this, we can get a better glimpse of the full affirmation and lofty value of humor in Western society.

(End of this chapter)