Taken from: The HeART of HUMOR by Raju Mandhyan www.mandhyan.

com

Humor and Laughter

“There are three things which are real:
God, human folly, and laughter.
The first two are beyond our comprehension.
So we must do what we can with the third.”
– John F. Kennedy

“Humor,” according to Stephen Leacock, the

guru on the theory of humor, “is the kindly
contemplation of the incongruities of life and the
artistic expression thereof.” In other words,
humor is the positive description of our flaws
and follies, and it is the artistic expression of the
lopsidedness of life and living.

We laugh when the incongruities of life and living are emphasized and
exaggerated. We also laugh when incongruities are created in our perceptions.
Creating incongruities is also referred to as derailing the normal pattern of
thought, and all techniques on humor and comedy depend solely on this ability.
This ability to derail the normal pattern of thought is the fulcrum that essentially
mobilizes fun and raises the levels of our happiness.

Consider a finely dressed man walking briskly down the street, being admired by
onlookers. When, unfortunately, this man suddenly slips and falls, the crowd of
onlookers can’t help but burst out in laughter. The suddenness and the surprise
of the situation snap the pattern of logical thinking and the onlookers couldn’t
help but laugh.

Now, consider something as simple as the following statement: I was wondering

why the Frisbee was getting bigger and bigger, when all of a sudden, it hit me!

Let me repeat that again, slowly this time, and see if it makes you smile or
chuckle at the vision your mind creates.

A World of Clear, Creative and Conscientious Thinkers! www.mandhyan.com

Taken from: The HeART of HUMOR by Raju Mandhyan www.mandhyan.com

I was wondering why the Frisbee was getting bigger and bigger, when all of a
sudden, it hit me!

Here is what happened: your mind was focused on the speaker wondering about
the looming Frisbee when the word “hit” tripped your thoughts, as did the vision
of someone suddenly being hit by the toy—one that the speaker actually saw
coming—and that triggered your smile or your laughter.

This trip, this incongruity, produces amusement because our brain is

programmed to follow logic, structure, and sequence. When the sequence is
broken or the structure is tripped, a result like a mental knee jerk is generated in
the brain. This mental knee jerk sends a signal to the abdomen, which, in
response, releases air into and through our lungs, larynx, and vocal chords,
producing chuckles, guffaws and laughter.

Laugher, thus, is the outcome of humor. Laughter is the physical manifestation of

humor, while humor is the sense and skill of creating laughter. Learning to laugh
is learning to develop a sense of humor, and mastering the skills of humor
requires observing, contemplating, and artistically expressing the flaws, follies,
and the lopsidedness of life. Laughter is one of the main reasons why life still
remains popular even though the cost of living goes up every day.

By Raju Mandhyan 
www.mandhyan.com 
 
Has over ten years’ experience in personal development, specifically in the
areas of interpersonal relations, increased awareness, and communication
skills. He specializes in helping others understand how to communicate
thoughts, ideas, goals, and visions of the future. Thousands of executives
across the Asian-Pacific region have benefited from Raju’s training and
coaching.

He has been trained and certified in many modalities including but not limited
to the following: Neuro Linguistic Programming, Mind Mapping, LIFO and
Celemi. He is a trainer certified by the American Management Association
and by the Arbinger Institute.

He has authored two books, one on Public Speaking and another on Humor
as a tool for Leadership. His background is in international trade. He has lived
and worked in three different cultures - Indian, Filipino, and American.
Currently, he lives and works out of the Philippines.

A World of Clear, Creative and Conscientious Thinkers! www.mandhyan.com