Humor As Defense Mechanism
According to George Eman Vaillant's (1977) categorization, humor is level IV defense mechanism: overt expression of ideas and feelings (especially those that are unpleasant to focus on or too terrible to talk about) that gives pleasure to others. Humor, which explores the absurdity inherent in any event, enables someone to "call a spade a spade", while "wit" is a form of displacement (level 3). Wit refers to the serious or distressing in a humorous way, rather than disarming it; the thoughts remain distressing, but they are "skirted round" by witticism.
Read more about this topic: Theories Of Humor
Famous quotes containing the words humor as, humor, defense and/or mechanism:
“Men’s happiness and misery depends altogether as much upon their own humor as it does upon fortune.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
“The comic is the perception of the opposite; humor is the feeling of it.”
—Umberto Eco (b. 1932)
“I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!”
—Barry Goldwater (b. 1909)
“I’ve never known a Philadelphian who wasn’t a downright “character;” possibly a defense mechanism resulting from the dullness of their native habitat.”
—Anita Loos (1888–1981)