Humor

Whether or not it is an acquired skill, humor is unique in many ways. People can have different senses of it, they can tolerate various degrees of it, and often times one's perception of humor relates directly to a certain level of maturity. Yet no matter the culture or status, humor can elicit an immediate, uniform response. This can instantly level the playing field, and is the reason why it is critical throughout our social interactions. Science's explanation separates humor into 3 separate theories.

Incongruity Theory - Logic and familiarity are replaced by things that don't necessarily go together.

Superiority Theory - Laughing at the misfortunes of others.

Relief Theory - Using humor in a way to reduce stress or tension.

Words such as charisma, charm, or even leadership involve humor as well. Humor makes us feel good, and although we admire those who have command over the skill they often times are used solely for our entertainment. Perhaps we do react to humor because we lack the courage to admit our shortcomings, and due to that reason we take advantage of the opportunity to gloat in the misfortunes of others. However, those who are able to express these misfortunes on-stage with an "audience-as-critic" may have more conviction in themselves than we do.

Are careers in comedy respected professions? Why do we welcome humor in times of tragedy? What do we mean by "getting it"? These questions are difficult to answer, making its interpretation a considerable challenge.

Humor has the ability to reduce everyone and anyone to a common denominator. Laughter.