Is there a difference between laughter and humor?

[Robert_Sock]

Laughter is sin that originates from within the darkness of the unconscious. Humor, on the other hand, is the good spirit that manifests itself from within the fruit of the soul. The truly spirited person laughs at nothing, but can find some kind of humor in almost everything he or she sees.

 

[Joe_5859]

Where are you getting that from?

 

[Ophelia23]

Wait, I am certain I must be misunderstanding you. Are you saying that laughter is sinful?

 

[ThinkingSapien]

Laughter is sin that originates from within the darkness of the unconscious.

Laughter is the act of laughing. Laughing is an emotional expression, generally in response to something found humorous but depending on the person may express other emotional states.

 

[dshix]

Laughter is sin that originates from within the darkness of the unconscious. Humor, on the other hand, is the good spirit that manifests itself from within the fruit of the soul. The truly spirited person laughs at nothing, but can find some kind of humor in almost everything he or she sees.

The answer to the question in your thread title is, “Yes. Laughter is an emotional response which does not necessarily occur due to humor,” but I do not follow your post. I share the puzzlement of other posters. Do you think laughter is a sin?

 

[blujazz25]

Laughter is sin that originates from within the darkness of the unconscious. Humor, on the other hand, is the good spirit that manifests itself from within the fruit of the soul. The truly spirited person laughs at nothing, but can find some kind of humor in almost everything he or she sees.

Laughter is a sin?! I am confused on this…there are contless saints who have laughed and express the joy in their souls this way… I am pretty sure Padre Pio laughed too, especially for the kids playing with him or his spiritual children visiting and telling stories.

I think the sin here is where the laughter and humor is based out from. I am pretty sure, that Jesus laughed at one point too, I know heaven is endless Joy…not depression if laughter is a sin…

 

[Robert_Sock]

I’m making a distinction between humor and laughter, with the former being healthy and the latter being psychotic.

 

[christofirst]

I think there is a big difference between good-natured humor among friends, with the joyous, playful laughter it can prompt, and mean-spirited humor, at the expense of another, with the haughty or spiteful laughter which can go along with it. Laughter itself is not sinful, but what motivates it possibly can be.

 

[Deana83]

I think there is a big difference between good-natured humor among friends, with the joyous, playful laughter it can prompt, and mean-spirited humor, at the expense of another, with the haughty or spiteful laughter which can go along with it. Laughter itself is not sinful, but what motivates it possibly can be.

That explanation works for me. That mean-spirited laughter that is meant in a mocking or hurtful way, yes, I can see that being sinful-but laughter in and of itself is not sinful. Wouldn’t life be boring if there was no laughter at all, I don’t think I could survive even for a day .

 

[JerryZ]

hmmm I don’t quite follow your reasoning.

Laughter is a verb which denoted a physical response normally to an emotion but also can be provoqued by tickles for example.

Some people laugh because of stress, google “nervous laughter” but most commonly because something has triggered the response. A funny story maybe.

Humor on the other hand is a noun, it describes an animic state. If someone is angry or happy it affect the person’s humor.
It is also used to describe what CAN incite most persons to laugh.

Sometimes the means of trigerring this, may even be sinful. Why a sinful situation may elicit laughter GOD only knows, but it is true it happens.

I doubt though that you can say that laughter per se is sinful, rather it is the uncharitable situation that trigerred the laughter the one we should guard against.

–

 

[Joe_5859]

I can appreciate the attempt to make distinctions in order to shed light on something, but I don’t think many people will get on board the “laughter is sinful” bandwagon. Unless they’re of the dour sort.

 

[Beryllos]

Laughter is sin that originates from within the darkness of the unconscious. Humor, on the other hand, is the good spirit that manifests itself from within the fruit of the soul. The truly spirited person laughs at nothing, but can find some kind of humor in almost everything he or she sees.

I’m making a distinction between humor and laughter, with the former being healthy and the latter being psychotic.

Robert, I am not following that at all.

 

[Joe_5859]

hmmm I don’t quite follow your reasoning.

Laughter is a verb which denoted a physical response normally to an emotion but also can be provoqued by tickles for example.

Some people laugh because of stress, google “nervous laughter” but most commonly because something has triggered the response. A funny story maybe.

Humor on the other hand is a noun, it describes an animic state. If someone is angry or happy it affect the person’s humor.
It is also used to describe what CAN incite most persons to laugh.

Sometimes the means of trigerring this, may even be sinful. Why a sinful situation may elicit laughter GOD only knows, but it is true it happens.

I doubt though that you can say that laughter per se is sinful, rather it is the uncharitable situation that trigerred the laughter the one we should guard against.

–

That’s what I was thinking, too. One’s a noun and one’s a verb. A person laughs because they find humor in something. I don’t get the need to create some sort of dichotomy.

It would make more sense to me to distinguish between wholesome laughter and sinister laughter.

 

[seagal]

I’m making a distinction between humor and laughter, with the former being healthy and the latter being psychotic.

Please cite your source for that.

 

[RPRPsych]

Laughter is sin that originates from within the darkness of the unconscious.

Hardly.

Consider the following:

“He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them: and the Lord shall deride them.”
(Psalm 2:4)

Admittedly, this is an anthropomorphism, similar to Scripture passages that talk about God walking in the Garden of Eden, or stretching out His right hand. But if laughter was dark and sinful, I seriously doubt that the inspired author of Psalm 2 (presumably David) would have been guided by the Holy Spirit to portray God Himself as laughing.

“There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth.”
(G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy)

(Declaration of conflict of interest: see my signature.)

 

[Beryllos]

I’m making a distinction between humor and laughter, with the former being healthy and the latter being psychotic.

I think humor can be either healthy or unhealthy. Some humor is based on degradation of other people, that is, finding amusement in their mistakes or misfortunes. Much humor is based on incongruities, like the double meaning of a phrase. I think some humor is based on surprise or relief. Any of these could provoke laughter. You have to examine the cause of the laughter to determine whether it is healthy or unhealthy.

 

[thequietsinger]

Please cite your source for that.

Agreed. I’ve never heard of laughter being sinful. Actually, from what I understand, laughing will actually increase your life span, because when you laugh, stress flies out the window. I don’t know who told you laughing was a sin, but according to my Bible, I couldn’t find anything.

 

[Ophelia23]

LOL! Laughter is psychotic? Then I am genuinely a psycho, man. I laugh. A LOT.

 

[RPRPsych]

LOL! Laughter is psychotic? Then I am genuinely a psycho, man. I laugh. A LOT.

Count a lot of us in on this one!

[Also, as a psychiatrist, I take umbrage at the misuse of the word “psychotic” by the OP. Won’t somebody please think of the shrinks?]

 

[Ophelia23]

Count a lot of us in on this one!

[Also, as a psychiatrist, I take umbrage at the misuse of the word “psychotic” by the OP. Won’t somebody please think of the shrinks?]

As an openly self proclaimed word geek, I delight in another’s appropriate use of “umbrage”. Well done.