Autism and humour

[Jonn]

Individuals with autism may engage less in ‘social-interaction’ laughter (i.e., they laugh when it is genuinely funny, and not out of politeness or social pressure; Jack, 2021). In addition, they typically display rigidity in thinking, prefer sameness, and experience difficulty in seeing the big picture. Consequently, it could be difficult for them to create and understand conventional humor that requires flexible thinking (McCormick, 2022). Besides that, jokes usually require the use of figurative language and abstract thinking, which could be a struggle for individuals with autism. They may need a more explicit explanation to understand the jokes (Includkids, 2016).
https://www.healisautism.com/post/autism-humor

 

[Jonn]

Social interaction and humor​

Most relationships depend on levity to be successful. The effectiveness of a joke and differences in sense of humor can cause difficulties in communication. Emotions really take a hit if one person is hurt by the other’s humor. Jokes can bring people together, or drive them apart.


Some individuals with autism lack the ability to understand why someone finds something funny. Because of rigid thinking, they may not be able to understand why someone seems to be teasing them. Sometimes, if their own humor is not understood by others, it may not be noticed by other people and might get lost in the conversation.

https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/autism-spectrum-humor/

 

[Jonn]

Satire​

Satire is often riddled with sarcasm, however, it’s the dark side of humor that can be funny to some with autism. When used in conjunction with literal or dry humor, satire can bring out the giggles in ways that no other kind of humor can.

My child told me about a meme he found hilarious. It involved a person in a wheelchair who had apparently been teased, not bullied.

In retaliation, the person said, “I’ll run over your toes”. The next picture was of the perpetrator sitting on a staircase serenely.

To him, the humor was found in the reality that the one place safe from someone in a wheelchair, was stairs. It was literal, dry, and a little dark.Satire can be funny to those on the spectrum when the nuance of the jokes keep the literal front and center. It is also one that can be a connector in relationships, as people who like the same kinds of humor can bond over it.

https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/autism-spectrum-humor/

 

[thejuice]

I find it hard to understand quick fire humour with distracting laughter tracks due to processing delays. A slow dry comedy like The Office UK I got all the jokes. (Gold star )

 

[Outdated]

The last one I saw that really cracked me up was the Aussie version of Rake:

https://iview.abc.net.au/show/rake/

 

[Jumpinbare]

I have read about this humor thing. Sounds like it could be fun.
My great grandfather was a virtuoso of dry humor. His face was always dead-serious looking, and you didn't know when he was telling you something important or setting up a joke until he delivered the punch like in complete deadpan.

 

[Jonn]

I find it hard to understand quick fire humour with distracting laughter tracks due to processing delays. A slow dry comedy like The Office UK I got all the jokes. (Gold star )

I process information very slowly, but if I watch the same type of humour as in a sitcom series, I don't seem to have a problem.
Watching the news, as a comparison, is more difficult because of the variance.

 

[Jonn]

I have read about this humor thing. Sounds like it could be fun.
My great grandfather was a virtuoso of dry humor. His face was always dead-serious looking, and you didn't know when he was telling you something important or setting up a joke until he delivered the punch like in complete deadpan.

That is what I am like in real life.

Spoiler

Perhaps I am your great grandfather.
We should swap details in PM.

I have had to get into the habit of warning ppl I am joking beforehand.

 

[Rachie]

I don't tend to get other peoples jokes as such, but you know I can come up with my own ones that I understand at the right time to make myself chuckle. I know what I find amsusing and it is not usually typical jokes. I can have a hard day sometimes and sometimes by the end of the day can relax myself by chuckling.

 

[Jonn]

I don't tend to get other peoples jokes as such, but you know I can come up with my own ones that I understand at the right time to make myself chuckle. I know what I find amsusing and it is not usually typical jokes.

This is predominantly where I am coming from.
I joke mainly because I enjoy the dopamine hit through laughing.
If someone else enjoys it, it is a nice bonus.

Also, social laughing can be a bonding mechanism with the right people.
The ones who don't get me can simply skip over my posts.
To each their own. <shrug>

And, as I have mentioned in other threads, "Laughing is the best medicine" and it helps with the cruelty of "life, the universe, and everything".
There are actual studies showing the health benefits of humour.

The neuroscience of laughter​

There’s a get well card that says “People say laughter is the best medicine… They’ve never had morphine.” Good one, but not necessarily suitable advice. While laughter can’t treat actual pain, it does have demonstrable health benefits (and without morphine’s side effects).


Laughing swaps the cortisol in our bloodstream with highly sought after chemicals in the brain: dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins. Dopamine can enhance learning, motivation, and attention.


Oxytocin is considered the “empathy hormone” and the “bonding chemical,” and when it enters the bloodstream it creates feelings of relatedness. Endorphins trigger feelings of pleasure; people can endure 15% more pain simply by laughing for a few minutes beforehand. Other health benefits: improved immune functioning, stress relief, improved cardiovascular health, reduced anxiety, sense of safety, and improved mood.

https://neuroleadership.com/your-brain-at-work/neuroscience-laughter-at-work/

 

[Stuttermabolur]

Interesting thread. Contrary to the first citation, I find my humor tends to lean towards the abstract, and often depends on hard to notice corrections between things. I also tend to find things the funniest when they aren't meant to be jokes and come out of nowhere.

My partner has often marvelled at how stone faced I am when showing me memes or short form comedy videos (whwich I tend to dislike). It's not that I don't understand the humor. I just find it pretty obvious and that it is trying too hard. I also tend to like inappropriate humor. By that I don't mean dark or offensive jokes (though it can be a factor), but rather when something outrageous is said or done in a mundane situation.

One of the funniest thing I've read recently is a dry political analysis article, which midway through decided to use foetal developmental milestones as timelength markers. It would say something like "she lasted in her ministry for four months, which is the time at which a foetus has developed lung precursors". It wasn't a joke article, nor was it making a commentary on pregnancy in any way. It was just an incredibly left field analogy.

A similarly dry article mentioned someone who died temporarily after taking a "hero's dose" of fentanyl. The idea of a large drug dose being heroic got me chuckling, but in both cases a large amount of the humor came from the fact that the rest of the articles weren't trying to be funny at all.

 

[Misty Avich]

I used to react badly to jokes as a kid. I didn't seem to get that sometimes when kids tease you it's actually an indication that they want to be friends and play with you. When you don't take teasing too well, it can sometimes turn into bullying or not being accepted by your peers.

But I still had a sense of humour as a child and could laugh a lot when having fun with other children.

 

[Jonn]

Interesting thread. Contrary to the first citation, I find my humor tends to lean towards the abstract,

I think I do, also.
I have speculated that this is one of the reasons I have been accused of not being on the spectrum.

I also tend to like inappropriate humor. By that I don't mean dark or offensive jokes (though it can be a factor), but rather when something outrageous is said or done in a mundane situation.

I do, also.
Many older Australians do.
I can make you an honourary Aussies, Oi, Oi, Oi, if you want.

The thing I find frustrating is the cultural differences influencing humour.
Australians, the older traditional ones of my generation, were known as "Larrikins".

larrikin


A person who acts with apparently careless disregard for social or political conventions; a person who is unsophisticated but likeable and good-hearted, 'a rough diamond'; a joker. This well-known Australian term is recorded from the 1890s, but originally the term was quite pejorative. From the 1860s into the early 20th century a larrikin was 'a young urban rough, especially a member of a street gang; a hooligan'. The term comes from British dialect larrikin 'a mischievous or frolicsome youth', ultimately a form of larking (about) 'indulging in mischievous fun', also attested in British dialect as larack about. For a more detailed discussion about larrikins in Australian history see the article 'The Leary Larrikin' in our newsletter Ozwords.

https://slll.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/andc/meanings-origins/l
Unfortunately, for the older generation, political correctness is eating away at our personal freedoms in this context.
We will die off and the younger generations will take over with their newfangled social idiosyncrasies.
C'est la vie.

 

[Jonn]

I used to react badly to jokes as a kid. I didn't seem to get that sometimes when kids tease you it's actually an indication that they want to be friends and play with you. When you don't take teasing too well, it can sometimes turn into bullying or not being accepted by your peers.

But I still had a sense of humour as a child and could laugh a lot when having fun with other children.

Well, as one of the articles mentioned, humour can be "iffy" at times, and is dependent on the people interacting.

Personality conflicts aren't that uncommon and can pollute the mindset, creating a conflict situation.
Misunderstandings abound and can escalate if ppl let it happen.
I have found it best to disengage when a problem has been identified.

In a nutshell:
Test the waters, and if they become choppy, head back to the shore.

 

[Jumpinbare]

I

I think I do, also.
I have speculated that this is one of the reasons I have been accused of not being on the spectrum.


I do, also.
Many older Australians do.
I can make you an honourary Aussies, Oi, Oi, Oi, if you want.

The thing I find frustrating is the cultural differences influencing humour.
Australians, the older traditional ones of my generation, were known as "Larrikins".


https://slll.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/andc/meanings-origins/l
Unfortunately, for the older generation, political correctness is eating away at our personal freedoms in this context.
We will die off and the younger generations will take over with their newfangled social idiosyncrasies.
C'est la vie.

I'm politically incorrect, and always been interested in Down Under, can you make me an honorary Aussie? I think I've got some honor laying in a trunk somewhere that I can dust off.

 

[Jonn]

I

I'm politically incorrect, and always been interested in Down Under, can you make me an honorary Aussie? I think I've got some honor laying in a trunk somewhere that I can dust off.

Done...
Welcome aboard, mate.
Here, have a sanger.

 

[Misty Avich]

I'm politically incorrect but I'm not Australian.

 

[Jonn]

I'm politically incorrect but I'm not Australian.

You are special.
You are always welcome. <hug>

 

[Misty Avich]

Some kids would make jokes about my name, and because I hated my name (still do now), I didn't find the jokes very funny. Instead I'd get upset, stamp my foot, and veg my mum to go to court and get my name changed. But it wasn't really from taking jokes literally, it was more from embarrassment about my name. But, looking back, I do wish I'd just grinned and laughed it off. Then their jokes would probably have died off or I might have even got a nickname. Usually when you have a nickname it means you're well-liked. I've never had a nickname before.

Will continue this post in a new thread entitled "bullying", as I have something to say about bullying but I don't want to derail this thread. It's sometimes so difficult to avoid derailing threads.

 

[Jumpinbare]

I had a nickname, but I didn't much care for "Spaz"