Featuring David Granirer, Counselor

Duration: 1 minute, 12 seconds

A good definition of humour is acts involving surprise that create good feelings. And certainly that can involve telling a joke, or a funny story, but not everyone is good with that.

Acts involving surprise that create good feelings can involve giving someone an unexpected word of encouragement, a smile, people on the receiving end go “Wow, I wasn’t expecting that” and they feel good.

And, interestingly enough, there are studies that find that you actually change the physiology of people when you say something positive. One study found that when someone received a compliment, it stimulates the same pleasure and reward centres in their brain as when you give them money.

So by going out and being positive and supportive and encouraging of people, you actually change their physiology, and there’s a much better chance that you’re going to get some of that back.

So I would say as a bottom line for humour, going out and taking that extra time to smile at that person, to say something – even if it’s, you know, the cashier at Safeway or whatever it is, you’re going to get something back that is rewarding and good for you.

Presenter: Mr. David Granirer, Counselor, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Counselor