Claustrophobic Humor

Adversity is not exactly a humorous situation to be in. But human beings have it in them to laugh many of such situations off. No matter if their mirth is sort of a panic reaction. What matters is that it helps.

Observations narrated here are based mostly on the Indian standards. There is absolutely no intention of hurting anybody's feelings.

Imagine you are on a flight. Suddenly the aircraft goes through a heavy turbulence and it starts shuddering. Then there are vertical jumps. You immediately notice passengers shift uneasily in their seats and start darting off smiles at one another, particularly passengers seated side by side. The sharper the jumps wider become the grins. If it continues for some time they laugh out loudly and blurt out as to what is going to happen. When it subsides they laugh out again, and what is wrong if it is relief.

Imagine you are zooming up in a high rise lift. Midway the lift starts trembling and the faces of the commuters break out into a staring dental show. If the lift stops in between floors and doors refuse to open they break into loud laughter thereby expressing concern as to what is wrong. As usual an expert will emerge and smilingly take charge of the proceedings assuring all that everything would be okay. Once out of it the same expert would jokingly exhume, 'You know! I was scared stiff! But one has to handle the situation.'

Imagine you are visiting a famous temple of India. In most ancient temples the main altar of god or goddesses lies several feet below ground level and it is a rock chamber-dimly lit, thick with smoke caused by the countless burning incense sticks and oil lamps made of clay called diyas, resonant with continuous chanting and always overcrowded. Naturally many devotees think they are going to suffocate to death. But they start emitting divine smiles and saying prayers loud. Out of it they proudly confess, 'God wanted me to undergo this. My visit is fruitful.'

In many movies we see the climax scene. The protagonist meets the antagonist for the last encounter. One of them has to die. But they behave like perfect buddies chatting casually and grinning all the time. This is close to the humorous reality we are talking about. And it is much closer to reality than we think.

Isn't this cause enough to cheer up us human beings more? This inherent sense of humor is always immensely capable of sailing us out of any adversity. You may think differently though. Done.