Teaching Reflection: The Dangers of Humor

It is hard to think of humor as being a bad thing because it is thought of as an inherently positive tool to communicate and connect with others, right? Well, the truth is that despite all of the wonderful things humor does do, there are definitely some dangers and pitfalls.

The following are a list of the dangers of humor:

- Humor can be used as an unhealthy mechanism to cope. While humor does have the ability to aid in the healing process (I can personally attest to this and am studying this for my final project), it definitely has the ability to be used as an unhealthy crutch. Instead of seeking actual help for whatever may be causing conflict in one's life, many will utilize humor as a way to hide or disguise how they actually feel and will use it as a mask to make others believe that they are okay, when, in reality, they are struggling and need help.

- Humor can serve as an aggressor towards other people. Disparaging comments, insults, and teasing, can lend to creating uncomfortable situations and conflict. Humor can be offensive and cause more harm than good when used to do things such as stereotyping, mocking people, or turning people against someone in hopes of getting a laugh out of them.

- Self-Mockery. This is, in my opinion, an often overlooked facet of the downsides of humor. This type of humor aims to belittle oneself and is self-defeating. When taken too far, this can be a form of self-abuse and is a serious issue that can lead to major concerns regarding mental health and well-being.

Humor is a wonderful tool, but it must be utilized in a healthy and positive manner in order to put good energy into the world!

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