Humanity’s Best Coping Mechanism: Humor

I’ve heard untold stories of military operators in deadly precarious situations who somehow have the time and energy to still crack a joke. It’s counter intuitive. Yet, there’s a naturally occurring phenomenon in high performance teams that experience real (or perceived) external stressful stimuli. These folks, from special forces groups, high performance athletic teams, and face paced company cultures, tend to embrace humor as a way through. 

While this is just an observation, it seems to be rooted in logic. Humor is often an incredible way to talk about (and bring levity) to the dark, painful, and twisted parts of life. Have you noticed that stand up comedy is (or was) the place that the most confronting concepts of human culture as discusses? You can say things in the context of a joke that either can’t be said another way or are much more risky to discuss in a serious manner. 

This is why groups of people that experience stress can cope with humor. 

Whether you’re going through it now or not, life will surely bring you some adversity to chew on. I’d recommend working on your wit and humor muscle to get your through. 

Good luck!