Humor can be defined as one's ability to see light through the darkness of adversity and to make others smile and laugh by calling attention to the absurd and by creating incongruities. An acknowledgment of varying cultural perspectives is helpful in explaining how people's sense of humor may differ according to their cultural backgrounds. Consequently, some researchers believe that it would be better to avoid seeking a universal definition of humor and to focus instead on the easier task of recognizing humor.

Apart from the sense of humor within a particular cultural group, there is also the individual sense of humor related to one's own personality. Humor can be expressed with jokes, by exaggeration of a situation, and through word choices that result in smiling and ...

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