Quiz 26
What’s My Humor Aptitude?
The ability to appreciate and to share humor is a trait that creates many beneficial effects. A hearty laugh brings an immediate physical release of tension. Laughter is a form of eustress—positive stress (that’s “eu” as in euphoria). Unlike distress or negative stress, it makes us feel vibrant and “up.” As it bubbles up, laughter stimulates the brain, the nervous system, the respiratory system, the hormonal system, and the muscular system. It releases feel-good endorphins in the brain. And it’s a pretty good aerobic workout to boot.
But that’s not all. Humor offers us a way to create rapport, bond emotionally with others, and strengthen our social connections. Perhaps most significantly, humor can help us rise above our worries and frustrations. It helps us maintain perspective and re-evaluate negative circumstances in a more positive light. Humor can help create optimism, and it can help us rebound from crises more quickly than we otherwise might have.
So how’s your sense of humor? Are you often in a frame of mind to give laughter a chance to work its magic? The following assessment will help you find out.
Take the Test
For each of the following statements, indicate the number that corresponds to the level of frequency with which you behave as the statement describes:
1. Never
2. Rarely
3. Sometimes
4. Often
1. When something strikes me as funny, I laugh out loud.
2. There are certain movies or TV shows I can always count on to make me laugh.
3. I can find a humorous aspect to a frustrating situation.
4. I enjoy the company of witty people.
5. I feel self-conscious when I am laughing.
6. I have been told I have a good sense of humor.
7. I feel warm toward people with whom I share laughter.
8. I have favorite comedians who can always make me laugh.
9. I enjoy many kinds of humor, from slapstick to satire.
10. I laugh out loud several times during the course of the day.
11. My friends and I share a similar sense of humor.
12. I have laughed so hard it’s brought tears to my eyes.
13. In a stressful situation, I think about what a juicy anecdote I’ll have to tell later.
14. I enjoy looking at political cartoons.
15. I am wary of people who seem to have no sense of humor.
16. I think it’s always wrong to poke fun at serious subjects.
17. When others are laughing, I often don’t “get” what’s so funny.
18. I enjoy reading the work of humorous writers.
19. I enjoy hearing the sound of laughter.
20. I tend to socialize in groups.
21. Some of my best friends are genuinely funny.
22. My pets make me laugh.
23. My kids make me laugh.
24. I have had to suppress a giggle fit in a public situation.
25. I did best in classes when the teachers had a sense of humor.
26. I am capable of laughing at myself.
27. I enjoy making a crowd of people laugh.
28. I think people look attractive when they are laughing.
29. People tell me I should “lighten up.”
30. I am attracted to members of the opposite sex who are witty.
31. Exposure to something funny puts me in a better mood.
32. I’m a funny storyteller.
33. I’ve been in situations where laughter seemed contagious.
34. I carefully memorize jokes, but find it hard to be spontaneously funny.
35. I come up with funny comments “off the top of my head.”
Scoring and Explanation
Before tallying your total points, be sure to reverse the score (4 = 1, 3 = 2, 2 = 3, 1 = 4) for the following items: 5, 16, 17, 29, 34. Remember, in reversing the score, high numbers are traded for low and vice versa. Unless you reverse the scores for the items listed—and only for the items listed—your result will be inaccurate. See the Introduction to this book for a full explanation of reverse scoring.
Tally your points:
• A score of 125-140 indicates that you have a high humor aptitude. You like to laugh and you often create opportunities to do so. You surround yourself with witty people and put yourself in circumstances where humor can work its therapeutic magic. Hold on to your sense of humor. It is a precious resource.
• A score of 105-124 indicates that you have a moderate humor aptitude. You like to laugh and appreciate wit, but perhaps you are too preoccupied to look on the lighter side as much as you could. To up your eustress through humor, try putting together a “humor library” that you can turn to in times when you need a lift. Collect your favorite funny DVDs, CDs, and books. Put them in a central location—perhaps bedside—where you can easily access them when you could use a change of perspective, not to mention an endorphin boost.
• A score of 104 or below suggests you could stand to lighten up. (I’m guessing this is not the first time you’ve heard this!) There is certainly a time to be serious, but your serious side could be veering toward somber. No one expects you to morph into a stand-up comedian, but do look for opportunities where you can be, if not the life of the party, then at least a party guest. Take this advice literally. Your problem could be that you are not spending enough time in the company of others. Simply socializing in large groups on a more regular basis can get your laugh quotient way up.
Note: Experts say the average American adult laughs 15 times a day. However, some stress researchers suggest we need at least 20 daily laughs to alleviate our angst. If you suspect you are laugh-deprived, at least in the statistical sense, try keeping a Laughter Log for a week. Put a check mark in your day planner every time you giggle or guffaw; then tally them up, and see where you stand.
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