Do older people appreciate a good laugh?
Do older people have a sense of humor?
Yes and no!
NopeIf you have children who are constantly hounding you to buy them the latest personal electronics, i.e. iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.
Yesbut in ways that young people cannot understand or misunderstand.
For example, Jennifer StanleyA psychology professor at the University of Akron, Ohio, did a study of people of various ages showing them different comedy clips and asking them to rate how “fun” each one was.
His findings?
Older participants did not find the aggressive type of humor (laughing at the expense of others) funny.
What made them laugh was affiliative humor: jokes that bring people together in a funny or awkward situation.
Jennifer posited that this is probably her way of coping with her losses as a result of aging: physical and emotional setbacks, decline in cognitive abilities, and loss of friends who have passed away.
In another study, brian carpentera psychology professor, theorized that due to their declining cognitive faculties, older people may have a harder time understanding what the joke is about.
This story illustrates Carpenter’s point:
An elderly gentleman and a young brat were sitting at a bar counter when the bartender made a wry joke.
Only the young man laughed.
When he left, the old man lets out a laugh.
The bartender was confused and wondered what’s wrong.
It turned out that the elders found the joke amusing, but did not immediately understand it.
What these studies show is that older people have a sense of humor. They just have a different taste or they may not see the shot right away.
In a sense, this is good for the world.
Can you imagine if the estimated 876 million people over the age of 65 around the world could no longer find the humor in life? It will be like having a second Ice Age: the world will be very cold.
Without the bright smile of old people, life would be less colorful, without their boisterous laughter, a grave would be more joyful.
And on a personal note, what can a good laugh do for the elderly?
For starters, if it doesn’t make them live longer, it will make them die happier.
And here’s more:
Benefits of a good sense of humor:
A good laugh makes you feel good. And it is contagious.
Study after study shows that laughing is good for your health. But we don’t need to pore over scientific papers to see how uplifting a good laugh is.
In specific ways, laughter is…
1. As an antioxidant:
A good laugh relieves stress, one of the main culprits in the body’s production of free radicals, those microscopic guys that could do untold damage to your body.
With stress removed from the picture, your body can make more antioxidants that help boost your immune system.
On top of that, laughter lowers stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, and adrenaline, which are known to constrict blood vessels and affect their function.
two. A bread killer:
Laughter prompts your body to produce endorphins, a powerful chemical that reacts with receptors in the brain and reduces or blocks pain.
Do you have aches and pains? Break out laughing!
3. An exercise for the internal organs:
Have you ever experienced spasms in your abdomen after a long laughing session with friends?
That’s because your belly muscles received vigorous exercise. You could even get ripped abs if you maintain them often enough.
Four. A good way to make your day:
A smile, a bit of laughter shared with family and friends go a long way to making your day more enjoyable and joyful.
5. A good emotional relief valve:
That little lid with a tiny hole that covers the spout of the kettle, the whistle, has a nobler purpose than letting you know the water is boiling: it relieves pressure.
Laughter is your “whistle” to help you release some of the pressures of depression, anger, frustrations, complaints, etc. I’m sure you know how he feels after laughing at this.
6. Good for the heart:
Laughter expands the lungs and increases oxygen levels in the body, which in turn,
stimulate the heart.
7. Good for increasing memory, alertness, and learning:
A study at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine showed that when humor was introduced before taking a test, students who laughed a lot scored better.
He did not say if they studied more.
In the social aspect, a good sense of humor helps in:
1. Strengthening relationships;
2. Attract others to you;
3. Improve teamwork and cooperation;
4. Disable conflicts;
5. Promotion of group bonding.
While tons of data shows that laughter is good for health and relationships, adults are pretty poor in the sense of humor department. While children are known to laugh at least 400 times a day, adults could barely handle 20 smiles.
So how can you improve this?
These may sound extravagant, but they are worth a try;
o Occupy your thoughts with things or situations that make you laugh
o Think of people who can make fun of any situation;
o Watch a funny movie, read a funny book, subscribe to websites that send you jokes of the day;
o Go to a playground and laugh with the children;
o Count your blessings;
o Or just look at yourself in the mirror and smile. She lifts your spirits and keeps the wrinkles away.
Arthur Ward said, “A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.”
And when you’re past 60, life is like walking a tightrope. You can trip and fall at any time.
So smile, be happy and have fun. That is the safety net that can break your fall.