<p>I have long suspected that laughter has a dual-purpose as a <strong>defense mechanism</strong>, when the "serious" situation is an embodied assailant.</p>

<p>I think it laughter is counter to the nature of an assault, which creates an element of confusing that the laugh-er (<em>prey</em>) retains control over.  This concept of <strong>retaining control</strong> follows suite with the long-standing ideas that laughter relieves stress and increases coping in the laugh-er.  </p>

<p>I think this underscores why laughter from attacked-characters in stories is a cross-over signal for their indomitable nature.</p>

<hr>

<p>You can take this a level further into the psychology of such situations: when the prey introduces a confusing component to the 'theater of war', they can attempt to infer many things about their assailant via the response given to this introduced-confusion.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-29T12:26:03.677Z
2013-07-29T12:26:03.677Z
New Alexandria
<ol>
<li>When it comes to serious situations, one may react with feeling the events as surreal. One may have trouble believing that what is happening is actually real.</li>
<li>What happens next is that one may be confused and dissociate with the event:</li>
</ol>

<blockquote>
  <p>In philosophy, "the Absurd" refers to the conflict between (1) the human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life and (2) the human inability to find any. In this context absurd does not mean "logically impossible", but rather "humanly impossible".[1] The universe and the human mind do not each separately cause the Absurd, but rather, the Absurd arises by the contradictory nature of the two existing simultaneously
  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism</a></p>
</blockquote>

<ol start="3">
<li>Now the incongruity theory for humour say we may respond with laughing:</li>
</ol>

<blockquote>
  <p>The incongruity theory states that humor is perceived at the moment of realization of incongruity between a concept involved in a certain situation and the real objects thought to be in some relation to the concept.[10]
  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theories_of_humor" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theories_of_humor</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>This in addition to what others have answered, that laughter may be a form of defense mechanism. One starts to laugh as a way to reduce emotional stress.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>First of all we have the relief theory that postulates that laughter serves a homeostatic mechanism by which psychological tension is reduced. According to this theory humor relieves tension caused by fears. You have probably observed how you tend to become more creative and make funny remarks when confronted with situations that are packed with tension and discomfort, such as right before you are about to give a public presentation, or right before an exam. We also use dark humor to distance ourselves from horrifying images and stories of war and human atrocities.
  <a href="http://www.popularsocialscience.com/2012/10/25/why-we-laugh-at-things-that-are-not-funny/" rel="nofollow">http://www.popularsocialscience.com/2012/10/25/why-we-laugh-at-things-that-are-not-funny/</a></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-14T13:45:53.080Z
2015-08-14T13:45:53.080Z
Berit Larsen
<p>There is a theory that laughter like this expresses a reaction to absurdity.</p>

<p>When a situation is serious but cannot be assimilated because of dissociation or shock, it is in the same state as an absurd statement -- you are trying to take it seriously, or find meaning in it, but you just can't.  You keep giving up, but then trying again.</p>

<p>Since the situation is <em>real</em> in this case, the impulse toward laughter can be much stronger than real humorous laughter evokes.  In my experience it is accompanied by a specific feeling of dissociation, like living in a Lewis Carroll novel.</p>

<p>People who use forms of therapy that involve planned confrontation can evoke this kind of irresistible laughter by challenging a core belief so directly that the client detaches in the same way they might in an emergency.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-25T15:53:46.290Z
Welcome to cogsci.SE!  We encourage cited sources, both to ensure the discussion is grounded in fact and science instead of opinion or personal experience, and to give readers the option of more information.
Krysta
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-25T15:04:24.100Z
2014-09-25T15:04:24.100Z
jobermark
<p>I've seen people (including myself) that laugh for no apparent reason in really serious situations, such as in an argument or when receiving bad news. Although the other party is clearly very upset, it seems they have the worst possible reaction: they start laughing. It's probably not because they find it funny, so what does trigger it?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-26T03:20:02.707Z
Not sure, but I do the same thing sometimes. Maybe because you saw it as a threatening situation at first and then realized it's harmless?
Tyler Langan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-26T04:45:11.850Z
Maybe its like the ole' "dont think of a purple elephant" trick: you tell yourself you *definitely* shouldn't laugh right now, then can't stop thinking about it, and then burst out in chuckles.
zergylord
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-06T10:15:54.890Z
Still an interesting question of course (+1) but note that part of the problem is the assumption that laughter is a straightforward “expression” of fun and amusement. Empirically, as you note, it's not, just as the smile is not simply an expression of contentment. The realization that it reflect multiple processes should be the starting point of any examination of laughter. From that perspective, laughter in fun situations is just as much in need of an explanation.
Gala
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-07T10:43:30.213Z
You may be interested in the [Ilhaire project](http://www.ilhaire.eu/project), some research for which I took part in at my own university.
That study hasn't been published, so obviously I can't say much, but the general idea was that laughter is a social signal, and the vast majority of the time has little to do with humour.
Eoin
<social-psychology><emotion><physiology><humour>
Why do people laugh in serious situations?
Eric B
# Why do people laugh in serious situations?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-07-26)

I've seen people (including myself) that laugh for no apparent reason in really serious situations, such as in an argument or when receiving bad news. Although the other party is clearly very upset, it seems they have the worst possible reaction: they start laughing. It's probably not because they find it funny, so what does trigger it?

**Tags:** social-psychology, emotion, physiology, humour

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Not sure, but I do the same thing sometimes. Maybe because you saw it as a threatening situation at first and then realized it's harmless?  
> **username_2**: Maybe its like the ole' "dont think of a purple elephant" trick: you tell yourself you *definitely* shouldn't laugh right now, then can't stop thinking about it, and then burst out in chuckles.  
> **username_3**: Still an interesting question of course (+1) but note that part of the problem is the assumption that laughter is a straightforward “expression” of fun and amusement. Empirically, as you note, it's not, just as the smile is not simply an expression of contentment. The realization that it reflect multiple processes should be the starting point of any examination of laughter. From that perspective, laughter in fun situations is just as much in need of an explanation.  
> **username_4**: You may be interested in the [Ilhaire project](http://www.ilhaire.eu/project), some research for which I took part in at my own university. That study hasn't been published, so obviously I can't say much, but the general idea was that laughter is a social signal, and the vast majority of the time has little to do with humour.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2013-07-29. Score: 2

I have long suspected that laughter has a dual-purpose as a **defense mechanism**, when the "serious" situation is an embodied assailant.

I think it laughter is counter to the nature of an assault, which creates an element of confusing that the laugh-er (*prey*) retains control over. This concept of **retaining control** follows suite with the long-standing ideas that laughter relieves stress and increases coping in the laugh-er.

I think this underscores why laughter from attacked-characters in stories is a cross-over signal for their indomitable nature.

---

You can take this a level further into the psychology of such situations: when the prey introduces a confusing component to the 'theater of war', they can attempt to infer many things about their assailant via the response given to this introduced-confusion.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2015-08-14. Score: 1

1. When it comes to serious situations, one may react with feeling the events as surreal. One may have trouble believing that what is happening is actually real.
2. What happens next is that one may be confused and dissociate with the event:

> In philosophy, "the Absurd" refers to the conflict between (1) the human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life and (2) the human inability to find any. In this context absurd does not mean "logically impossible", but rather "humanly impossible".[1] The universe and the human mind do not each separately cause the Absurd, but rather, the Absurd arises by the contradictory nature of the two existing simultaneously
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism>

3. Now the incongruity theory for humour say we may respond with laughing:

> The incongruity theory states that humor is perceived at the moment of realization of incongruity between a concept involved in a certain situation and the real objects thought to be in some relation to the concept.[10]
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theories_of_humor>

This in addition to what others have answered, that laughter may be a form of defense mechanism. One starts to laugh as a way to reduce emotional stress.

> First of all we have the relief theory that postulates that laughter serves a homeostatic mechanism by which psychological tension is reduced. According to this theory humor relieves tension caused by fears. You have probably observed how you tend to become more creative and make funny remarks when confronted with situations that are packed with tension and discomfort, such as right before you are about to give a public presentation, or right before an exam. We also use dark humor to distance ourselves from horrifying images and stories of war and human atrocities.
> <http://www.popularsocialscience.com/2012/10/25/why-we-laugh-at-things-that-are-not-funny/>


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2014-09-25. Score: 0

There is a theory that laughter like this expresses a reaction to absurdity.

When a situation is serious but cannot be assimilated because of dissociation or shock, it is in the same state as an absurd statement -- you are trying to take it seriously, or find meaning in it, but you just can't. You keep giving up, but then trying again.

Since the situation is *real* in this case, the impulse toward laughter can be much stronger than real humorous laughter evokes. In my experience it is accompanied by a specific feeling of dissociation, like living in a Lewis Carroll novel.

People who use forms of therapy that involve planned confrontation can evoke this kind of irresistible laughter by challenging a core belief so directly that the client detaches in the same way they might in an emergency.

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: Welcome to cogsci.SE!  We encourage cited sources, both to ensure the discussion is grounded in fact and science instead of opinion or personal experience, and to give readers the option of more information.  

---

