Humor

It seems as if I'm finally going to talk about what I've learned in this class thus far in the semester (which is basically over). It would seem that way, but it isn't. In this class we often discuss what causes humor: what we  and others find humorous and why. We discuss the social stigmas carried with some forms of humor, but we often don't discuss the effects humor has on us in personal fashion. 

Of late, I've been stressing myself out over tests after tests after projects after quizzes after tests. Headaches and a sense of mental fuzziness have become commonplace. I've been trying to find means of escaping academic pressure and the expectations held by myself and others for my performance. Simple study breaks and talking to friends doesn't seem to remedy the matter as much as it used to because our discussions often center about the stress that we are afflicted with. Physical activities like ultimate frisbee, pickup football, and table tennis help, but are difficult to design time for. Food is a time-tested remedy, but one can only eat so many gummy bears. However, I've found that listening to some of my favorite comedians on Pandora or watching their specials on Netflix almost always relaxes me and helps me to rationally approach my problems without freaking out. 

The laughter is certainly a release of the stress, but it isn't just engaging in lightheartedness. Often comedy shows the folly in taking things so seriously It also makes me aware of other things in the world, obviously comedic things, but my point is that listening and watching comedy reminds me that there is more to life than just school, there's more going on in this world than my upcoming Calculus II exam or Engineering design project.