Strong enough to "knock your socks off".

AND "If I wasn't laughing, I'd be crying." is my motto. However, everyone thinks I'm nuts when I do use laughter in serious situations.

I think for most the humor line is drawn at death; specifically tragic, unexpected death. Here people are not tolerant of Humor.
Source(s):
self

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Good Humor, man, is when you feel better after laughing.
Evil Humor is when you feel nervous after laughing.

Feel better = positive effects (mentally, physically, socially)
Feel Nervous = negative effects (illness, loss of friends, depresion)
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Humor is really powerful. The laughing makes positive results in the body.
It is a special gift to find humor in every situation. I am glad that you are such a blessed one.
From my memory, I read it somewhere,you have a great chance of healthy long life if you can use humor
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"Laughter is the best medicine"
I use humor everyday as a goto coping mechanism, without it I'd be lost.
I can find humor in anything even if its just "This MUST be funny to someone",
If I can't laugh whats the point.
Sometimes this gets me into trouble but that helps me define to me whats appropriate and whats not.
Humor is helpful to everything.
I rate on a scale of 1 to 10, humor at 10, a gift to help lifes struggles a little easier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glloKOyoybE
Source(s):
good times

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Humor is the best medicine! These days I find the ability to laugh at myself is a skill I'm glad I have.
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0) Great chart, love it! :)

1) The power of humor generally

I think to paraphrase what Keynes said about ideas, "humor can be dangerous for good or ill". It can be one of the most powerful, life-affirming and positive things that there is. It's how people survived and undermined repressive regimes for example. The Soviet Union had some of the best jokes ever.

But humor can also be extremely wounding and destructive when used to belittle and undermine people. e.g. Racist jokes.

2 Humor when you are ill or injured?

Yes it can be powerfully postiive, and it can go hand in hand with positive thinking and a resilient attitude. And in a scenario where there is actually no way to win, it can be part of transforming a painful situation into one of peace and acceptance.

On the whole it must be better than being depressed, wallowing in misery, being angry, or in denial. Though angry might just be useful sometimes.

Could humor also be used in a way that is destructive? Probably. I can't think of any examples right now, but it could go hand in hand with defeatism or negativity I'm sure.

3) Why does our society frown on people who make light of something as serious as cancer? Are there still areas of thought on this that are considered taboo?

Humor can be hurtful, it can belittle, and it can be inappropriate. It doesn't have to be, but it can be. Esp when you are one of the powerful, fortunate or the majority, making fun of the powerless, unfortunate or a minority.

4) What are the rules of poking fun at yourself?

Why ask me? I'm supposed to be an expert now? :)

Seriously though, there is sometimes a fine line between seeing the funny side of things and being insensitive towards people who might be hurting deeply. And between making fun of yourself and putting youself down.

If you have respect for yourself and others than your humor will probably naturally be appropriate and be well received. If not, it probably won't.
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No powerful
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