Asperger's Syndrome - No Sense of Humor

Post Reply New Topic

False. My preferences run strongly to puns, possibly because, as Isaac Asimov noted, much of humor depends on surprise at the punchline, and when one has a literalist interpretation of language, that slight tweak of a pun gives all the surprise one needs. (In support of this hypothesis, the people I know who use language least precisely also tend to be those who don't appreciate puns.)

The funniest thing I've ever seen, however, was an episode of the American Whose Line Is It Anyway?, in which Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles were playing the Lone Ranger and Tonto, respectively - the kicker being that they could not move themselves, but had to be moved by two members of the studio audience. The one moving Ryan didn't seem to ever remember to move his head, leading to points like Tonto pointing into the distance, and saying, "I imagine it so beautiful over there!" The end of the bit came with the Ranger demanding, "Move your head, Tonto!", and Tonto replying, surprised, "My head moves?" - just as his mover turned his head directly toward Colin.

By this point, I was already on the floor, laughing so hard my nose was bleeding.

Ah, found it on YouTube...
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=aIJiF5_F7lE[/youtube]

I have somewhat of a sadistic sense of humor.

I laugh at execution videos and car accident aftermath.

False.

I have a wide, great sense of humour.

Think of a mix of Dark, Dry, Wit, Satire, Slapstick, And Toilet and your nearly there.

Actually, I can sum it up even more.

Just look at my avatar.

The slapstick/toilet combo is my ideal humor.

Tim

My humor differs greatly from normal people (who use it primarily as an affirmation of their own superiority; or else use it as a word game to jockey for social status), but I have, if I might say, a deep and rich appreciation for the absuridities of life. Nearly everything in the whole world is dripping with enough ridiculousness to keep a keen observer in stitches for all his life. I like puns, and especially jokes whose primary response is a groan, and absurd situational humor.

I constantly marvel when people try to portray their inability to be amused by certain things as a sign of sophistication.

There is a quote on laughter I've always loved:

While I do occasionally indulge in a bit of schadenfreude, it's not an integral part of my sense of humor.

I definitely have a sense of humor, and I enjoy everything from puns to intelligent, dark humor. When making people laugh, it's usually by making a funny observation or just saying something off the wall to be funny. I don't find "frat humor" funny - meaning I don't find people getting kicked in groin, puking, or other "gross out" humor funny.

They say the best way to judge someone's sense of humour is how they react
to being accused of having no sense of humour. I just laugh at the idea

False! In spades!!

You know what the basic form of humour is for Aspies? Taking things literally deliberately. For example;

"Walk this way, sir!"

Common cartoon gag follows with some crazy walk. They did it in the movie "Arthur" as well.

"Hop to it!"

Aspie response, hopping literally to go and do the task at hand!

"Give me a hand, will you?"

Give them a round of applause!

"Call me a cab!"
"OK - you're a cab!"

And there are plenty of other literal interpretations that I certainly sometimes turn into humour. And my parents play up to it as well, because they know it!

So actually, Panzyo, I disagree. Aspergers does indeed have an effect on our sense of humour. I think it makes it better actually, because - well I at least - hate toilet humour.

PS - I just thought of another example of literal humour: The movie Flying High/Airplane! The number of literal gags in that is off the chart!

No - actually truth is not synomynous with being right or wrong because in truth there are no polarities. Truth just is. Calm down? LOL.

There ya go - making generalizations again - big, sweeping statements about *Aspies*. Are we a herd? Are we all identical? I don't think so. There are no absolutes in AS, as there are no absolutes in anything aside from the Ultimate Truth (which is the end all to all arguments and the basis for all life - another thread perhaps). Everyone sees the box. Some see the inside, some see the outside, some see the angles, some see the color, some see it's missing a hinge, some want to carry the box, some want to change the box into a triangle, some don't see the box - but see its shadow. So you see, we're all seeing the box (humor, punchline) from a different perspective - and there's not just one *right way*. It's all valid. Does the box exist - that was really the question, albeit here the metaphor of a container is being used. Humor - you got it - or you don't. Saying you do in spite of contradictionary evidence is, however being unTruthful.

Of course not! Aspies have all kinds of senses of humor, and while dry sarcasm is one example, just on these forums I've seen plenty of smart and lighthearted jokes too. It's not all cynicism here, and I don't think having AS affects one's unique sense of humor.

Ok I confess turn off the bright lights and put away the rubber hoses... I confest I confest! I laugh my head off when humor is an ugly non-life threatening event that happens at someone elses expense. I laugh at those films where some poor smoe ends up face planting on some hill after doing something like motobike riding or extreme sports.

I have been known to laugh at some pretty horrible things because, I am sorry it just made me laugh. Deep down I lack the empathy most typical humans expect when you see some one get damaged. When I see something that will likely make me laugh inappropriately I do what I always do excuse myself and leave before I break into screams of loud uncontrollable laughter. I usually go outside to get lost among all the smokers forever bannished from lighting up indoors. I am the one not smoking just sitting on the ground laughing like a mad man at nothing others can see.

However I kept only a logical literal sense of humor for years. A chap I used to work with helped me expand my understanding of humor. In time he helped expand my sense of humor into area's only I thought neurotypicals could travel. I learned humor can become a very effective survival tool when working in a stressful job. I used to drive myself merciliessly at work and I held others to the same high standards I held myself to. I still have a merciliess perfectionism and I still hold myself up to rigid high quality output standards BUT I have fun while working too.

Typical humans are more willing to work to help you reach goals if you joke with them and become someone they associate with more than just generating work product. Typical humans feel more at ease with you if you can engage them in humor. I actually have found it is almost better to lay humor on a little thick so when people see you they want to get to the business at hand fast to get rid of me. You have to be careful with humor however because aspie humor is usually too strong and real for faint hearted typical humans. Aspie humor tends to be based on logical literal fact because of this the humor tends to cut deeply and directly into the real flesh, flaws and inconsistancies of a persons core being OUCH! Aspie's are just sharing the humor as we experience and understand it in our world. Most aspies have a sharp tongued wicked sense of humor which is part of who we are. You just have to share this part of yourself with people who know and love the real blunt direct aspie you. For the good gentle folk at work or other sensitive places you have to supress the blunt part of your aspie humorous nature, unless youo just do not care then you must deal with the consequences.


My crude lonewolf humor is too strong, too direct and biting for most typicals in my sadate upper class workplace. If I worked in the sewers with blue collar men or on a construction site with day laborers my humor might yet be considered observant and a bit high brow, I might sound full of myself and stuck up.


On the right wrong side bar....

I think true means it reflects who you are and false indicates it does not reflect who you are, what you think or how you define an experience at a fixed point in time. True and false are more subjective than right and wrong. True and False while definative they are what I call open ended absolutes. If I said ... I am a pigeon? True or False. When I say False which is the accurate answer, the open ended absolute nature of True or False allows me full freedom to define who I really am on my terms. When you say something is either right or wrong those are options are what I call closed absolutes. TRUE Right is absolutely Right, True Wrong is absolutely wrong. True Right & Wrong are supposed to be patently obvious to all who experience their like, leaving no open ended area for definition because true right or wrong by design need no further definition.

Right or Wrong defines a moral judgement. Moral Judgements are framed by the mind and life experience of the reader or trier of facts.

True or False define a condition or current state of being. Condition is by its nature subjective. One persons raining like cats and dogs is anothers sprinkling of light rain. One persons soo cold in the building I must go home immediately is another one's brisk invigorating nip in otherwise warm air. Defining a state of being is highly subjective. the purpose of TRUE or FALSE questions is to elicit the subjective ideals of a target audience meaning there can be no true right and wrong as is possible in moral judgements.

Of course this is just the ideas of a ret*d old gray wolf who is subjective as heck.