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Why Suppress Humor?
May 15, 2013
Collaboration promises disagreements, negotiation, and compromise, as well as new understandings, warm intimacy, and shared pride.
-Ann Pelo
-Ann Pelo
In his article "Laughter and Humor — Not Just Kids Stuff" in the Beginnings Professional Development Workshop on Humor, John Morreall made this observation:
"Humor is an integral part of young children’s play, as it is of human play generally. When children are feeling secure and happy with other children, or with adults, laughter is the most natural sound. According to a factoid that has circulated for years, preschoolers laugh 200-300 times a day, while adults laugh only 15-20 times a day. I’ve never found a reliable source for those numbers, but I do know that schools — from kindergartens to graduate and professional programs — systematically suppress laughter. In school, the child with musical ability may be sent to the music room, and the one with artistic skill may go to the art room, but the child with the good sense of humor is sent to the principal’s office.
"One thing that gets suppressed by schools along with humor and laughter is emotional range. Most young children have at least a dozen faces, but many adults limp through life with two or three faces — or worse, just that all-purpose Professional Cool face. Knowing when and how to engage in humor, is part of emotional intelligence."
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Comments (6)
Displaying 5 of 6 Comments [ View all ]Music with Mar.
Palm Harbor, Florida, United States
Wow! This article caused me to say "Aha!". I never thought about how laughing is supressed and how the laughing child is usually the one in trouble. Sad. But, true. In my workshops, I teach a song "You Gotta Laugh". Adults look around to see if others are laughing. I get them all laughing at the end. (I imagine.) Thank you. I tweeted, FBd, pinned and will refer to in my blog and FB brain facts. Important stuff.
Music with Mar.
Palm Harbor, Florida, United States
Made me say "Aha!" I never realized how many more times a day children laugh. One of the songs I teach in my workshops is "You Gotta Laugh". It is often a hard one for teachers to participate in. They look at one another as if to check to see if others are laughing. Thank you. Great article. I pinned, Facebooked, Tweeted and I will refer to it as I blog and post brain facts.
ece consultant
Dallas, TX, United States
So true. When I first started public pre-K & kindergarten teaching in 1985, I had 2 1/2 day classes per day; am were 25 5yr. olds, pm were 25 4 yr. olds, and only me! So The children taught me to really laugh with them, and well, so much more...but laughter helped me get thru some long days, and the children also taught me how much love and attention they needed, and how they wanted it delivered, and I learned to give them what they needed, I learned to really listen to their words, their body language, and laughter was always an integral part of children's experience...;)
Swaziland
Unless you live in Africa - here we laugh often, everyday
There is a Peace Corp expression - "those who go to Asia come back more spiritually aware, those who go to South America come back more politically aware, and those who go to Africa come back laughing."
Having lived in rural Swaziland for 30 years now, I can confirm that one of the many gifts that Africa has to share with the world is the ability to laugh... any time, any where, for any reason, including at ourselves and everyday happenings. It is a gift.
CSBC
Denver, United States
I teach at the college level, and it is clear to me that humor is not considered "professional". I often use examples from the Simpson's show to illustrate my points, particularly regarding American education policy and child psychology. I also use examples from my own teaching and administrative experience to illustrate humor - and "unprofessional" examples. I think many of us try to hard to be professionals.
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