Humor: It's Not Always Funny
You may have heard that laughing can be good for your health, but it depends on what you are laughing about. If you are hurting someone's feelings, humor can be a bad thing.
Good Humor
It is fun to laugh with your friends (as long as you are being positive). This could mean laughing at a funny joke or anything that is not offensive to another person.
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Bad Humor
It is one thing to laugh with someone, but you know there is a problem if you are laughing at someone. This is a form of bullying, and someone could get his or her feelings hurt. Even if the person you are laughing at does not know what you are doing, there are many ways they could find out. Humor can also be hurtful if used in the form of gossip. Talking and laughing about someone behind their back is not a good idea. It is mean even if the other person does not find out.
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Some Subjects are Never Funny
- Ethnic or religious jokes
- Homophobic jokes (about gay or lesbian people)
- Humor about a person's body part or appearance
It might be difficult to determine what kind of humor is OK. In some cases, it is fine to joke around with your friends if everyone knows you are joking.
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The Golden Rule
Here is a rule that will help you draw the line: If you have to ask yourself if what you are about to say might hurt someone, then do not say it.
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Author: Julia Ransohoff, high school student writer
Reviewed by the Web Content Committee of PAMF