rgz

readergirlz is a literacy and social media project for teens, awarded the National Book Foundation's Innovations in Reading Prize. The rgz blog serves as a depot for news and YA reviews from industry professionals and teens. As volunteers return full force to their own YA writing, the organization continues to hold one initiative a year to impact teen literacy. All are welcome to "like" us on Facebook!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

April: Humor as a Coping Mechanism

Tony deals with his painful past through humor. How can humor be used as a coping mechanism?




15 comments:

Diana Dang said...

Humour is something you could always laugh at no matter what. Laughter would decrease the amount of stress you have and it makes you think of the better of things instead of the worse. So even if you have a painful past, humour can save you to a certain amount.

Melissa Walker said...

Humor can be a good way to deal with pain--laughter is a release. But I think it can also be a mask to keep pain at arm's length, and sometimes you just have to walk through the pain to relieve it. A combination of dealing and laughing is my favorite.

Reyna Meinhardt said...

Humor makes you lighten up and be happy. I think that it helps you cope with the past because it takes your mind of off the bad things in your life and gives you joy. Humor is a good way to laugh, make friends, and simply enjoy life, even if your past was difficult.

cricket said...

Sometimes when we go through painful experiences, it helps to laugh at the absurdity of it all. In doing so, humor can help us put our experiences into perspective and help us to know we can persevere.

Erika Powell said...

it can be a coping mechanism but it can also be a mask to real pain. And sometimes it is hard to tell the difference.

Little Willow said...

Some people laugh when they are uncomfortable. It can be an involuntary reflex. Then there are those who are self-depricating to various degrees, conscious or not to what and why they are doing/saying such things.

Jen said...

I think so.

Lorie Ann Grover said...

Humor can help you realize you are taking yourself too seriously. A good laugh can put your worries into perspective. Don't you think?

Vivian Mahoney said...

Humor can take the edge off the stress, allowing one to deal with things better. Maybe it helps open one's mind to a discussion, or gives a "calmer" outlook to a situation, or jump starts an awkward moment.

Llehn said...

I think humor is essential as a coping mechanism. If you can laugh in the face of adversity, you can take whatever life throws at you!

Just my two cents worth.

Lesley

Ellen Hopkins said...

By looking at the darkest places in our life and finding a way to laugh about them, at least a little, we allow thin beams of light to penetrate those dark places. Even a smile is a little burst of light, and light can help us find our way out of the dark.

Shelly B said...

Humor/laughter just seems to take the edge off, especially in times of grief. I was always thankful for some little funny when we were dealing with the deaths of my in-laws. It wasn't something to laugh at, but the ability to laugh in spite of what we were going through was a welcome change from the tears.

Dia Calhoun said...

I love to laugh and laugh and laugh, especially during times of stress, laugh so hard I cry, instead of crying. It is the same kind of release. I grew up with a great punster, and really appreciate that, even though someone once told me that punning is the "lowest" form of humor.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.