Who likes “Far Side” humor?

Abstract

Far Side humor has been highly regarded by some and reviled by others during its years ofnewspaper syndication. The studies described here help to characterize the differences among persons who vary in their responsiveness to Far Side cartoons. Six cartoons from Gary Larsons Far Side collection were selected which portray humans from a distant perspective äs bungling innocents and nerds. Our contentions were that people who can comprehend and like this kind of humor which we refer to äs "perspective taking humor 19 are less likely to take themselves and others very seriously. As a consequence, they should be less effected by threats to their personal integrity that are inherent in death awareness. The findings from three studies in which our "Far Side battery" was used offer some support for these hypotheses. Persons who enjoy perspective-taking humor were found to be less effected by exercises and behaviors that made mortality salient, were less authoritarian, and were more inclined to view human life äs one among many forms of life rather than äs being central or more important than others. Who appreciates "Far Side" humor?At the 1994 convention of the International Society for Humor Studies many Speakers included at least one Far Side cartoon (Larson 1995) among their visual displays and people were overheard responding with enthusiasm äs they compared their favorites from Larson's collections. Obviously, people who study humor seemed predisposed to enjoy Far Side cartoons. Given their extensive newspaper syndication, Far Side cartoons were obviously favorites of many other persons äs well.

From critical care to comfort care: the sustaining value of humour

“…Humour allowed staff to distance themselves from difficult situations so that their perspective became more balanced. The ability to distance oneself from negative affective responses and regain a more thoughtful and objective stance has been referred to as perspective‐taking (Lefcourt et al. 1997).…”

“…Humour allowed staff to distance themselves from difficult situations so that their perspective became more balanced. The ability to distance oneself from negative affective responses and regain a more thoughtful and objective stance has been referred to as perspective-taking (Lefcourt et al 1997). Perspective-taking is considered a mature defence which allows individuals to cope with difficult circumstances by minimising negative emotions such as anger and depression.…”