Month: October 2022

Laughter relieves stress. It’s not funny.

Laughing is healthy, whether you’re chuckling loudly at a TV sitcom or quietly reading a newspaper cartoon. There is no doubt that laughter is a beautiful way to relieve stress.

Laughter reduces stress

While humor cannot treat every condition, growing evidence points to the therapeutic benefits of laughter.

Short-term advantages

A good laugh has terrific immediate effects. Laughing not only lifts your spirits but also creates physical changes in your body. Enjoyment can:

  • Energise a variety of organs. Laughter increases the amount of oxygen-rich air you breathe in, the number of endorphins your brain releases, and the activity of your heart, lungs, and muscles.
  • Activate and deactivate your stress reaction. A good chuckle can start and stop your stress reaction and increase and decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result is a happy, peaceful attitude.
  • Reduce stress. Also, laughter can increase blood flow and promote muscular relaxation, which might lessen some of the physical signs and symptoms of anxiety.

Permanent consequences

But laughter isn’t only a quick mood booster. In the long run, it’s also healthy for you. Laughter could

  • Strengthening your immune system Negative thoughts can impact your body by chemical reactions that increase stress levels and lower immunity. On the other hand, positive reviews can trigger the release of neuropeptides that reduce stress and possibly even more severe ailments.
  • Alleviate pain By inducing the body to manufacture its natural painkillers; laughter may reduce discomfort.
  • Boost your level of satisfaction. Laughter can also make it simpler to handle challenging circumstances. It also facilitates social interaction.
  • Boost your mood. Depression affects a lot of people, often as a result of chronic conditions. Laughter can help you feel happy while reducing stress, despair, and anxiety. Additionally, it can raise your self-esteem.

Develop your sense of humor

Do you worry that your sense of humor is undeveloped or nonexistent? No issue. One may learn to be funny. In truth, cultivating or improving your sense of humor can be simpler than you think.

  • Consider humor as a possibility. Find a few specific items that make you smile, like funny pictures, cards, or comic strips. After that, either hang them up in your house or business or gather them in a file or notepad. When you need a little extra humor boost, keep a supply of humorous movies, TV series, books, periodicals, or comedy videos on hand. Visit websites with humor or watch crazy videos online. Listen to podcasts with humor. Check out a comedy club.
  • When you laugh, the entire world joins in. Find a way to chuckle at your circumstances, and you’ll notice that your stress starts to subside. Make an effort to giggle, even if it seems forced at first. It benefits your physique.
  • Think about attempting laughter yoga. Group laughter exercises are performed in laughter yoga. At first, laughter is forced, but it can quickly develop into spontaneous laughter.
  • Together, laugh. Spending time with people who make you laugh should become a habit. Then repay the kindness by telling jokes or hilarious stories to others nearby.
  • Please knock. Look through the collection of joke books at your neighborhood bookshop or library, then add a few to your list to tell your friends.
  • Know what’s not amusing. Don’t make fun of other people. Certain types of comedy are inappropriate. Use your best judgment to differentiate between a funny and an offensive joke.

The best medicine is laughter.

Don’t hesitate to give it a shot. Even if it seems forced, raise the corners of your mouth into a smile before laughing. After you’ve laughed, assess your current state of well-being. Have your muscles relaxed a little bit? Do you feel less tense or more energized? The beauty of laughing at work comes naturally.

10 Comedians’ Tips to Make Your Next Presentation Funnier

Tim Lee, a former scientist, will speak at TEDx for the second time this year. Lee uses the frequently mind-numbingly dull PowerPoint presentation as his media of choice, but when he shows off his deck, it’s everything but. In seconds, the audience starts clapping wildly and laughing hysterically in response to his PowerPoint. Why this did not occur to you may be a mystery to you.

Lee is one of an increasing number of comedians who are at ease performing on a corporate platform. Speakers like him are in high demand as the distinction between information and entertainment becomes hazier. (Lee has sold-out performances where fans shell out cash to watch him do PowerPoint presentations. I know it sounds strange.) In addition to being funnier than others, he has one significant edge over typical corporate speakers: He appears on stage a lot more frequently.

Years of practice help comedians perfect their trade, honing their material and performance. As a result, they are among the few public speakers who have accumulated the 10,000 hours Malcolm Gladwell claims it takes to become a master. Regular business presenters are being pushed to improve.

In light of this, here are 10 pieces of advice from Lee and other top 10,000-hour comedians on how to talk in public more effectively and humorously:

1. Use the Rule of Three.

According to Lee, “This rule is a fundamental framework for jokes and concepts that use the way we process information.” “Due to need, we have honed our pattern recognition skills. The least amount of components needed to make a pattern is three. This pattern and brevity work together to produce memorable material.

2. Use Your Personal Experiences

Personal stories are the most secure forms of humor since they are original and can be readily developed and perfected. As Ricky Gervais puts it, real life has a way of doing that: “As a creator, it’s your responsibility to get an audience as thrilled and captivated by a subject as you are.”

3. Locate the crucial component quickly.

Writing comedy isn’t actually about writing; it’s more about editing, according to British comedian Jimmy Carr. What you don’t say is what matters. What can I say in the fewest possible words to get to the humorous part?

4. Find the Humor in Your Pain Points

Charlie Chaplin once remarked, “To properly laugh, you must be able to take your anguish and play with it.” He probably didn’t mean consumer pain spots, but the same advice still holds.

5. Consider Firsts and Failures

Darren LaCroix claims that “so many individuals seek me for help writing a funnier speech.” “They ask where they may ‘find humorous.’ I advise beginning by glancing in the mirror! Start by examining your failures and successes. It was the first time you had misbehaved. The audience adores humility and honesty.

6. Check the Jokes

The audience is glued to a massive screen during presentations, which gives them an advantage over most traditional stand-up acts, according to Sammy Urgent. “And visual humor has never been more popular in a society where amusing Photoshopped images, memes, and GIFs predominate on our devices. Don’t limit yourself to making jokes in your presentation. Display funny things, too.

7. Choose fun over humor

According to Andrew Tarvin, “making people laugh is merely one sort of comedy; getting them to grin is another. “When you start, concentrate on making things fun rather than hilarious.”

8. Crack a Joke

A joke has already contributed value if people are laughing. “If it transitions into a point, that helps. But that isn’t required,” asserts Rajiv Satyal. One of his favorites is amusing and appropriate for a business presentation: A man takes a vow of silence and enters a monastery. He is permitted to speak twice every seven years. The elders bring him in after the first seven years and request his two words. Cold floors, he says. They nod as they dismiss him. There are seven more years. They reintroduce him and want his two terms. His throat is cleared. Lousy food, he declares. They nod as they dismiss him. There are seven more years. He is brought in because of his two words. I quit, he says. That’s not surprising, one of the elders adds as he turns to face him. Since you arrived, all you’ve done is whine. In whatever situation, I’ve never had that joke go flat, claims Satyal. Connecting it to a corporate event, like a reorganization, is also simple. (Reorganizations are ongoing everywhere.)

9. Use naturally funny words, just like Jerry Seinfeld does

Some words can be humorous without context because they are funnier than others. Comments that contain a k are comic. Funny Alka-Seltzer. Laughable is chicken. Pickle is a hoot. Ls are not humorous. To focus on Pop-Tarts in his joke about them, Jerry Seinfeld chose foods from the 1960s in all of their odd, unhealthy, frozen forms. Pop Tarts: Why? Pop-Tarts because it sounds weird. “The Pop-Tart arrived out of nowhere in the grocery… and we were digging in the soil with sticks like chimpanzees. Seinfeld claims the joke works because it has chimpanzees, dirt, children playing, and bats. Four of the seven words are humorous. The chimpanzees are amusing. (The interview can be seen here.)

10. Create an image that others can see.

Reggie Steele advises against going overboard with the comedy since “comedy is in the details.” Just enough to establish the setting. Talk to people as though you were doing something for the radio or speaking to a blind person. Details are crucial.

Five Health Advantages of Laughing and Smiling

Be prepared if your doctor suggests getting in at least 20 to 30 minutes of laughter each day the next time you attend your annual exam. Even though it might sound absurd to say it, laughing has several health advantages, such as a boosted immune system, a better mood, and a reduction in discomfort. Five ways that are smiling and laughing can enhance your health have been identified by the health professionals of Envolve, a provider of integrated healthcare solutions.

1. Lessen Stress In addition to lowering stress hormones and easing physical tension all over your body, laughing has several positive health effects. Additionally, it can aid in blood pressure reduction, which is essential for the health of your heart. Try listening to a humorous podcast on your daily commute or when out for a stroll in the evening. Finding humor in something or someone not only lifts your spirits, but laughter also helps to relax your muscles by boosting blood flow. Therefore, the more you laugh, the more relaxed and stress-free you will feel!

2. Enhance Immune System. When you laugh or smile, your brain undergoes a chemical change that produces tiny proteins known as neuropeptides. These minute molecules preserve immunological tolerance and might aid in the battle against potentially fatal infections. Make careful to incorporate comedy into your daily routine because life can be chaotic. Finding methods to keep the mood light and make time to laugh is crucial, whether that means watching your favorite comedy or sharing amusing videos or memes with pals.

3. Enhance mood. Dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin are three different hormones that are released when you smile. Since low levels of these chemicals are linked to sadness, they “fool” your body into feeling joyful. Creating an album or browsing your favorite images on your phone might make you smile. You’d be astonished at how much something as simple as smiling might lift your spirits!

4. Minimize Pain When you smile, endorphins are released that might momentarily soothe minor aches and pains. Higher pain tolerance can be developed over time with increased laughter, which can raise your pain threshold. Therefore, if you’re feeling sore, make it a priority to enjoy a laugh while watching one of your favorite movies. Your entire health and well-being will also improve as you reduce body pain.

5. Make a positive effort. Positive feelings are produced by smiling. Maintaining this positive outlook provides tangible health advantages, including longer life expectancy, improved cardiovascular health, and decreased rates of depression. Spend time talking to people who make you laugh, whether it’s through their jokes or the stories they share. Do not forget that laughter makes both you and others around you happier.

The best medicine is laughter.

Don’t hesitate to give it a shot. Even if it seems forced, raise the corners of your mouth into a smile before laughing. After you’ve laughed, assess your current state of well-being. Have your muscles relaxed a little bit? Do you feel less tense or more energized? The beauty of laughing at work comes naturally.

Tragicomedy

Tragicomedy definition

A literary device called a tragicomedy is employed in fiction. It features both comedy and tragedy. Tragicomedy typically has exaggerated characters, yet there occasionally may be a happy conclusion following a string of evil occurrences. Jokes are placed into it throughout the narrative to lighten the mood.

Tragicomedy in Literature Examples

1) The Merchant of Venice, as an example (By William Shakespeare)

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is regarded as one of the most well-known conventional tragicomedy instances. Despite having a comic plot, it has tragic figures like Shylock, who serves as the main character, and tragic occurrences like Antonio’s “loss” of life (because he is not dead).

Although Antonio is saved from a fatal event, and the play closes on a cheerful note with the union of the lovers, readers are left with a taste of Shylock’s miseries. As a result, the play’s final sentiment and tone are neither joyous nor depressing. Even though this play undoubtedly has a comedic plot, it also has a compelling, tragic narrative. As a result, it fits the definition of a tragicomedy.

2) The Cherry Orchard, as one example (By Anton Chekhov)

The Cherry Orchard, a play by Anton Chekhov that blends comedy and sadness, ended up being his final work. It tells the tale of a wealthy family about to lose their ancestral estate. This play depicts the end of an aristocratic era while incorporating tragic and humorous elements because it is based on an inevitable societal transition that occurred at the start of the 20th century. The characters’ actions, amusing details, and irresponsibility all contain comical elements.

3) The movie Godot (By Samuel Beckett)

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett is one of the most outstanding examples of tragicomedy. There are several comical gestures, conversations, deeds, and circumstances. Many different musical instruments may make people laugh.

The tone is one of dark humor overall. Vladimir, for instance, is determined not to hear Estragon’s nightmare. But the latter never stop begging him to pay attention. Similar to Vladimir, Estragon repeatedly plays with his hat while removing and re-putting on his shoes. On the other hand, because of these tramps’ misfortune, humor is transformed into tragedy. Estragon and Vladimir are unhappy as they wait for someone who never shows up. Over time, people spend their time engaging in pointless pursuits.

4) The Winter’s Tale, as an illustration (By William Shakespeare)

The plots of Shakespeare’s tragicomedies are convoluted and questionable. The Winter’s Tale is one of his ideal tragedies. The final two acts are built on pastoral romance, mischief, songs, laughter, and reunion, while the first three acts are sad and grave. A sheep-shearing party that features the graceful, innocent Perdita as the hostess, dancing and singing beside shepherds, evokes rural England. The play’s classification as a tragicomedy is supported by how pain, sadness, laughter, love, forgiveness, and reunion are all mixed. The drama contains a variety of tragicomedy characteristics, as well as humorous, romantic, and tragic components, as well as a happy ending.

5) The Attendant (By Harold Pinterest)

A great contemporary example of tragicomedy is Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker, which combines the two genres of comedy and tragedy. Mick and Davies’ monologues exhibit humorous overtones, and occasionally even the character interactions border on farce. The piece is funny because of Davies’ repetition, the brothers’ perplexity, and their deception. Though its conclusion is a little hazy, the tragic element does present in the play’s climactic Anton monologue about his shock treatments and in “that place.”

6) A modern marriage Author: John Dryden

The successful farce Marriage à la Mode by John Dryden combines the themes of love, tragicomedy, and restoration comedy of manners. The dual storyline explores the idea that marriage gives possibilities and closes off prospects while simultaneously inspiring hope and bringing regrets.

What a Tragicomedy does

Tragicomedy’s primary goal is to describe reality’s dual nature, where both modes can coexist, possibly simultaneously. Thus, the blending of the two features results in a perspective on life that is both comical and tragic. Dramas and theatre are the principal venues for tragicomedy. Since tragic plays exclusively center on protagonists and comedic plays lack attention and concern, plays that fall in the middle of these two categories were created. These sports combine hilarity and seriousness to depict both ways of living.

Why Comedy Is Vital

A comedy is a type of literary work considered dramatic and, most importantly, has a happy ending. It is satirical in nature and amusing, entertaining, and both. The comedy’s central theme is triumphing over unfavorable circumstances to reach a happy resolution. However, the comedy’s primary goal is to amuse the audience. Comedy is divided into three categories, including farce, parody, and satire, depending on the situation and the source of the humor. However, tragedy is the opposite of spirit.

Athens, Greece, in the fifth century BC, gave birth to the comedy genre. Different styles of comedy—such as romantic comedy, comedy of manners, comedy of manners, tragic comedy, and emotional comedy—are typically featured in movies and books.

A romantic comedy is William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” A wit of humor would be “Every Man in His Humor.” Additionally, Sir Richard Steele’s melodrama “The Conscious Lovers” is classified as a sentimental comedy and is a melodrama.

But the purpose of comedy is to make people laugh. In plays, movies, and theatre, it also includes laughter. The audience is amused while simultaneously receiving a message from the author. As it portrays corrupt individuals and social systems, it is significant in literature and film. Comedy uses parody and satire to highlight those who have vices. Humor, in a nutshell, is the ridiculing of society’s evils. Because comedic elements are so amusing, individuals should read comic novels or watch comic book movies to comprehend other aspects of life better. Humorously, comic writers expose society’s and individuals’ faults and follies.

Comedy impacts people’s lives and enables them to move forward with joy.

In fiction, the comedy genre refers to discourses or works meant to make people laugh, whether they appear in theatre, movies, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or other forms of entertainment. The phrase first appeared in ancient Greece, where political satire delivered by comic poets in public spaces affected public opinion among voters during the Athenian democracy. Greek comedy is a dramatic performance that pits opposing groups, including those of different ages, genders, and societies, in a comical struggle or conflict. Northrop Frye portrayed these two conflicting sides as a “Society of Youth” and a “Society of the Old.” An updated perspective describes the central conflict of comedy as a conflict between a relatively helpless young person and the social mores that stand in the way of his aspirations. The teenager is confined in this struggle by his lack of social power and is left with little alternative but to turn toruses that produce dramatic irony and laughter.

Satire and political satire employ humor to make fun of people or social structures and distance their audience from the subject of their amusement. Popular genres and styles are subverted through parody, which critiques them without necessarily condemning them. Other types of comedy include black comedy, characterized by humor that incorporates darker aspects of human conduct or human nature, and screwball comedy, which draws its spirit mainly from unusual, startling (and unbelievable) events or characters. Similar to scatological humor, sexual humor, and race humor, these jokes make fun of social mores or taboos in ways that are typically upsetting to the targets of the marks. A comedy of manners typically employs humor to parody or criticize the conduct and mannerisms of members of a particular social class (primarily upper-class society) as its topic. The popular romantic comedy genre focuses on the quirks of persons in love and shows budding passion in hilarious terms.

What does humor in literature mean? Defined, Illustrations of Comedy Writing

Comedy definition: Comedies are clever and enjoyable literary works that elicit favorable responses from the audience.

What Exactly Is a Literary Comedy?

The term comedy was initially used to refer to plays that were explicitly funny or entertaining, but it is now used more widely to apply to any work created with these goals in mind.

An example of humor

The well-known television program Seinfeld would serve as a contemporary example of a comedy. This sitcom was created to amuse the audience with sharp humor.

Variety of Comedy

Depending on their qualities, comedies are categorized under many headings. It’s crucial to remember that even though we now refer to every clever literary work as a comedy, the term refers more particularly to dramatic works created with this intent.

The various types of comedies are listed below:

Romantic Comedy: A romantic comedy gives a joyful conclusion to a love story between two people. Even if they can still face obstacles, the pair succeeds in their goal in the end.

  • The romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama is a prime illustration.

Comedy of Manners: This humor style is sarcastic and mocks high culture.

  • A drama that fits the description of a comedy of manners is Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.

Sentimental Comedy: Characters in a sentimental comedy ultimately triumph over hostile or evil powers despite being strongly tempted to do so and experiencing a happy ending. These characters contrast the high class with the average middle class, unlike the comedy of manners.

  • A sentimental comedy is The Conscious Lovers by Richard Steele.

Tragicomedy: A tragicomedy incorporates both comedic and tragic elements. These plays frequently have gloomy starts and happy endings.

  • An illustration of a tragicomedy is Cymbeline by William Shakespeare.

The Purpose of Comedy in Literary Works

Because they allow audiences to be inspired, comedies are a crucial literary genre. Presenting amusing scenarios to the audience enables laughter and joy to result from witnessing them. Comedies may appeal to a broader audience because their primary goals are to amuse and entertain, including both children and adults.

Literature Examples of Comedy

Romantic comedies include William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The characters in this play go through comedic instances of misguided love, but in the end, they are united with sentiments for their genuine attachments.

A good illustration of a comedy of manners is Pygmalion by George Bernard. In this drama, a gentleman of high society tries to improve a lower-class woman by teaching her appropriate behavior.

What Are Comedies, in Brief?

In literature, a comedy is described as a dramatic work composed to amuse or entertain the audience.

As an example,

A comedy is something like the television program The Big Bang Theory. It chronicles the highs and lows of a group of primarily nerdy young adults.

The characters may experience comedic catastrophes throughout the comedy, but the results are primarily favorable.

Athens, Greece, in the fifth century BC, gave birth to the comedy genre. Different styles of comedy—such as romantic comedy, comedy of manners, comedy of manners, tragic comedy, and emotional comedy—are typically featured in movies and books.