Contreras 1

Arlene Contreras
Professor Turner
English 114A
1 October 2016
The Diversity of Humor Styles
In the modern world today, a characteristic that is most commonly used is humor. Humor
is used every day between individuals of all ages, social groups, religion and culture. When we
hear the word humor some people would automatically think of innocent jokes and laughter, but
humor is not all fun and games; it can be used in many different styles that can affect an
individuals self-esteem. In the articles Humor Styles, Peer Relationships, and Bullying in
Middle Childhood by Dana Klein and Nicholas Kuiper, and Early Conceptions of Humor in
Religion, Medicine, Philosophy, and Psychology by Herbert M. Lefcourt the works of humor
are proven to be used as a social weapon in many different ways. Using humor to simply make a
joke is one thing, but to use humor to victimize another person is, another. As a child growing up
I experienced how humor could be used as a key weapon to bring down others as my own family
would tease me at a young age. Where there is a positive side to things, there is also a negative
which applies to humor as well. Although humor does not have a specific way in which it is
supposed to be used; it is a characteristic that can be expressed in various manners. Most people
find that they have been the butt of humor or have used humor in a way that is not positive.
In Klein and Kuipers article, they explain how starting from six to twelve years old,
children begin developing the ability to apply humor into social situations. In this age range
known as middle childhood, children often use humor in a negative way usually so that they can
feel superior from others. They are then described as bullies for victimizing children that they

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believe are below them. Klein and Kuiper support their claim by stating how humor styles can
sometimes define indirect bullying, by how they display superior skills. The authors also states
the negative, as well as the positive ways, that children express humor. The negatives ways are
described as a form of peer victimization, such as teasing, ridicule, sarcasm, and disparagement
to denigrate and put down others (68). These examples are presented when children use humor
styles such as aggressive and self-defeating humor. The effects of these humor styles lead to
children being deprived from the opportunities of connecting with one another, because they
often feel trapped in a stage where they consistently need to be bullying others. The positives are
described as a way to protect oneself but not at the expense of others (68), as well as to
enhance their own social relationships. The positive styles of humor are presented while using
self-enhancing and affiliative humor. Both styles are described to be pleasant and enjoyable to
individuals, which then children are accepted by peers because they feel comfortable with them.
Humor is not used in a single form, and the development of these humor styles usually begin at a
young age because children try to mask their negative emotions, as well as trying to fit in with
others. It is human nature to want to tell jokes about others, but there are people who take humor
in a negative way then one person means by it.
The second article by Lefcourt, describes the works of philosophers who believe that
humor is used to victimize others. Bergson states that humor and laughter represents powerful
social correctives that are used to humiliate and correct persons who do not conform to social
expectations (23). It is natural for humans to express humor by telling jokes, but there are other
groups of individuals who express humor in a different manner; not everyone expresses humor in
the same style. Humor and laughter are a powerful tool because you can either bring joy to others
or you could offend an individual. Hobbes views laughter to be characterizing [of] the imperfect

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and blemished, who laugh at others who are even more unfortunate than themselves to enhance
their own self-respect (23). Individuals often target people who have a flaw that they are not
comfortable with, and as they continue to ridicule them they are easily bringing them down.
Humor is used as a social weapon to victimize others to either gain superiority or it is used to
mask ones low self-esteem. Humor may be an individuals only way of feeling that they can fit
in, which is why they decide to use aggressive or self-defeating humor.
Both articles described humor in a negative connation because some people will often
only view humor to be used in a positive way for example, to socialize with others. Some people
often use humor to protect themselves and to minimize their negative emotions. Humor may be
someones way from escaping what is real, but in doing that they may victimize others so that
they can feel a sense of superiority. Humor can be used to make jokes of something or of others,
but behind the joke is where the truth lies of who they really are or about the struggles they are
going through. Some people enjoy ridiculing and teasing others for their self-amusement or for a
group that they are trying to fit in to. Everyone is made with a different point of view, so not
everyone may see the humor in a specific joke. Some people will laugh as others will complain
about a joke, it all relies on the way they were raised or the values they have grown up to follow.
The authors write about this topic to inform different types of humor styles that are used to
socialize with others and the reasons for the style they use it in.
As a child, I grew up with only girls around me, I had my sister along with two girl
cousins who werent that far apart in age range from me. My cousins grew up skinny, while my
sister and I grew up a bit chubby, so we were a bit different from each other. Occasionally, my
cousins would come to my house and somehow they would begin ridiculing and teasing me
about how I looked. It happened so much I began to believe I was exactly how they would

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describing me; I know that cannot see myself from someone elses perspective so because of that
I thought they were right. Every time I saw them they would always have something to say about
me and of course it hurt my feelings, I even began to feel self-conscious about myself. As I
started growing up, I would say I did become a more defensive person and a bit more confident
in myself. They did use affiliative humor towards me for their own amusement and because of
that I believe I have become the person I am today, having defensiveness as one of my character
traits. Of course we have grown up, and grew out of that stage in our life but I believe it will
always be a part of me somehow. Although it hurt me when I was a child to be ridiculed by my
own family, now I do not care what people have to say about how I look, I am happy with how I
look and if Im going to change, Im going to change because I want to, not because someone
wanted to have a quick laugh. My own family may of have made fun of my looks as I grew up,
but I believe if you do not experience it at a young age then you are bound to experience it in the
future. My cousins and I are now currently close to each other now, and they often give me
compliments on my looks.
In our world today humor is still alive, and is being expressed in various ways and styles
by all types of people, social groups, and children. There is not a specific definition of humor,
due to the fact that everyone is different. We are all going to express ourselves in different
manners. Everyone has different characteristics, therefore we may not all use or express humor
in the same way as others. Some people are naturally funny, while others are not able to see the
punchline of the joke; that is just how humans work. Sometimes we may use humor in a way that
we feel will protect us from getting hurt, but in the process of protecting ourselves we are
victimizing others and causing them pain. Therefore, humor can be described as a social weapon

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capable of being used to hurt others, to simply cause amusement for ourselves or to prove to
others that we are superior.

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Works Cited
Klein, Dana and Nicholas Kuiper. "Humor Styles, Peer Relationships, And Bullying In
Middle Childhood". 2006: 68. Print.
Lefcourt, Herbert M. "Early Conceptions of Humor in Religion, Medicine, Philosophy,
And Psychology". (2001): 23. Print.