Humour
Also known as laughter, levity
The need for lightness, laughter, and the ability to see the absurd or amusing in life. A capacity for levity that balances life's seriousness.
When met or unmet
When met
- Lightness and laughter
- Finding the funny side
- Not taking everything gravely
When unmet
- Too serious
- No laughter or levity
- Heavy without relief
Common expressions
I need to laugh Where's your sense of humour? Laughter is the best medicine
Strategies
- Spending time with people who make you laugh
- Watching, reading, or listening to comedy
- Not taking yourself too seriously
- Finding the absurd in difficult situations
Recognition questions
- → When did I last genuinely laugh?
- → Is there lightness and levity in my life?
- → Am I taking everything too seriously?
Somatic markers
When met
- Belly laughter and lightness
- Tension releasing through laughter
- Spontaneous joy
When unmet
- Heaviness and over-seriousness
- Inability to find lightness
- Everything feeling grim
Shadow side
- Using humour to avoid difficult feelings
- Sarcasm or mockery that harms
- Deflecting with jokes when sincerity is needed
Cultural considerations
Humour styles vary greatly: dry, slapstick, ironic, self-deprecating, absurdist. What's funny is culturally specific but the need for humour is universal.